David H. Olivier The usual pre-story statements: 1. This is a work of fiction based on characters and situations created by Naoko Takeuchi, and copyrighted by Kodansha/Toei with English-language rights by DIC. These persons and organizations have nothing to do whatsoever with the story that follows, and it does not in any way reflect the attitudes or opinions of the above named, or of this author. 2. This is a work of fiction; the resemblance of any characters to persons living or dead, save specifically identified historical persons, is purely coincidental. 3. Because of the nature of this work, some situations or language used may be deemed offensive by some readers; this is done only in the interest of reflecting a historical accuracy, and is not done in a deliberate attempt to give offence. That is why this work is rated PG-13. Now try and enjoy. With thanks to Sara Erickson, Steffen Kremser, and Helmut Ott. --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Matrose Mond": Chapter Four "Here is an announcement from the Ministry of the Interior: "Citizens are reminded that there are still many enemies of the Reich who will use any means possible to weaken our nation's resolve. One of their weapons is the dissemination of lies. Such is the case with current rumours being spread by agents of Bolshevism and international Jewry. We are an educated people; we know better than to believe in myths of vampires and ghosts, of creatures that feed on the energies of the living. "These enemies of the Reich also delight in our turning to superstition and fear to ward off these imaginary terrors. True Aryans will not fall prey to these fears and will not succumb to the lure of false promises of protection by fat, greedy priests. They claim to be concerned with salvation; their true worries are the food and liquor in their bellies and the rings on their fingers. "Citizens, take heart! Those responsible for spreading these false rumours will be found and punished!" ***** And still the line-ups grew at the remaining few churches, convents, and shrines in Berlin. ***** "Halbmond Strahl!" The thin ray of light shot forth from Matrose Venus' trembling finger and missed the tin can sitting on the fence by a good two metres. "Again," said Luna patiently. Venus looked down at the cat. "Again? I'm tired; I don't want to do this any more." Matrose Mond leaned against a tree behind the pair and scowled with growing impatience. "If you're going to be of any use in our quest for the Mondprinzessin, you'd better improve your aim." "But I'm tired and hungry! It's late and I'm cold!" Matrose Mond had had enough. "If you'd put as much energy into practice as you do into bellyaching, that can would look like Swiss cheese by now!" "Try again, Matrose Venus," advised Luna. Venus turned, extended a finger, and shouted: "Halbmond Strahl!" The beam flew towards the can and straight past. Another miss. Venus began to cry. Luna sighed. Matrose Mond rolled her eyes. ***** "She's useless!" "True, she's not very good-" "Not very good?! A blind man with no hands could shoot better than her!" Kani's mood hadn't improved during the walk home. "She does nothing but whine and bellyache about how much work it is, about how she's tired, or cold, or hungry. I'm fed up with it and her! I have to put up with this every night and, from what I hear, every day too; rather than going back to her old school like everyone else from the Akademie, she's coming with Maria to ours!" She continued on ahead for a few moments, then stopped and turned back when she realized Luna wasn't with her, but was sitting still on the sidewalk. "What?! You know I'm right!" Kani exclaimed. Luna shook her head. "Don't you see? The life you've lived has made you strong and self-reliant; the life she's had has been one of pampered self-indulgence. You're demanding a level of commitment from her that, right now, isn't possible." "It could mean the difference between living and dying." "And if she understood that, she'd work as hard at it as you. But she's only had the one opportunity. Give her time, Kani, though I know that's a precious commodity." Kani hung her head. "All right. Please tell me she's not the only other Matrose-, Matrose-; what the heck are we?" "The name's not important yet. Let's find the Prinzessin." Kani nodded. They resumed the walk home. On arrival, Kani looked in the front window, then turned and smiled at Luna. "The Booze-Hound' isn't home yet. Probably found a late game of skat and an unopened bottle. I can use the stairs tonight." She waved to the cat. "Good-night, Luna; try to stay out of trouble." "I will. Good-night, Kani." Luna strolled down the street on her private quest. From the other direction, a lone figure leaning on a thick cane stepped out from behind a kiosk. *That's not the first time you've been out late, step-daughter,* thought Hans Schmidt. *You'd better not be saddling yourself - and me - with a bellyful of trouble.* He waited a few minutes until, sure that Kani had gone to bed, he resumed his walk home. ***** It was the one time of day Kani could be certain of having a few minutes alone with Maria. Although Wilhelmina had indeed started attending their school, she still arrived by limousine. The walk to school each morning was still the old friends' private time together. Kani looked carefully at her friend. "How are you feeling, Maria? Have you recovered from your experience at the Akademie?" Maria's reassuring smile seemed a little weak. "Pretty well. However, that's three times now that something's come after me. I'm beginning to get a little worried." "Don't worry; it's probably nothing. Just coincidence." Maria snorted. "That's not like you, Kani. You're beginning to sound like those awful announcements from the Ministry of the Interior. She mimicked the resonant tones of the newsreader: Go about your business; nothing to worry about here'." "Bite you tongue, girl. The day I start sounding like a Party line is the day I sign the pledge." "Then you'd better get spiffied up - pledge day's next month." Kani gave Maria a playful shove. "Get away, you! Next you'll be telling me I'll be Fraulein Deutschland 1993." Maria nudged the blonde. "Speaking of which,..." "Hi, hi," said Wilhelmina, as she stepped out of the limo. There was no choice: Kani and Maria waited quietly for their effervescent classmate; if they hadn't waited, she would have sought them out like a homing missile. The pair exchanged one last knowing glance, and then the duo reluctantly became a trio. ***** Neither of the two young SS-officers had slept well the past few nights. Tristan dreaded the thought of experiencing another one of his spells', as did Andreas, though for different reasons. Tristan, upon learning the awful truth of his double life, had begged his comrade to keep it a secret. Andreas had agreed before he'd realized another unpleasant fact: his partner had no memories while in his alter ego. Thus, Smokingmaske could literally appear out of nowhere, and that thought gave Andreas pause; he'd had nightmares of the change taking place in the Chief's office, or in the presence of the Reichsfuehrer himself. Day and night he was now Tristan's bodyguard; his patience was wearing thin and there were only so many excuses he could make to Greta. Sooner or later some other man in a uniform would seize the opportunity. Nevertheless, duty called. Officially, they were still responsible for finding out more about the attacks. Time to go do their job. "Any suggestions, Andreas?" asked the haggard-looking Tristan, glancing up from the file he was reading. Andreas replied, "I'll take a page from your book. What's the latest phenomenon sweeping the city?" Tristan grinned weakly. "Celibacy?" His partner scowled back. "Just remember whose fault that is. No, it's this panicked return to the old faiths. Where are all the people gathering?" "I see. The enemy either creates a crowd or takes advantage of one. But where do we start?" Andreas pointed to the wall of their tiny office, where they'd mounted a large-scale map of the city. Coloured pins identified places where attacks had occurred and where sightings of the mysterious Matrose Mond' had been reported. "Notice how the vast majority of these events have taken place in or around one region of the city. I don't know whether it's because that's the limit of Matrose Mond's operations or whether it's because this particular region is cursed, but I say we go with it." "And so where's the most likely place to start?" Andreas smiled and stabbed his finger on one spot. "Care to do a little bird-watching?" ***** By classes' end it was clear to Kani that Maria was not alone in her dread of the recent unusual activities, though Kani was pretty sure her friend was the only one to have been attacked at least three times. It was also clear what most of the students, Maria included, intended to do about it. "But you're not even katholisch," was Kani's sole objection. "It's all a lot of superstitious rubbish," was Wilhelmina's first objection. Maria was not to be dissuaded. "Our minister often works with the old priest at the Nonnenkloster. If he's willing to trust them, then so am I." "Just the robber-clerics banding together to fleece their beguiled followers," Wilhelmina spat. "Hey, you don't have to come if you don't want to," shot back Kani. "You seem to have given up on believing in anything." "I don't have to believe in anything," Wilhelmina replied cheerfully, running a hand through her long blonde hair. "My future is already set." Kani glared back. "Is it?" Wilhelmina quickly took the hint. "All right; I'll come, and I'll keep my opinions to myself." "That's the most sensible thing you've said," replied Kani, and they set off. And so, a short while later, the trio found itself outside the gates of St. Cyriak Nonnenkloster. The girls stood there: Maria looking inside anxiously, Wilhelmina observing the unusually-large crowd of people going in and out, and Kani standing impatiently, tapping her foot and swaying her satchel back and forth. "Well, are we or aren't we going in?" Maria sounded uncertain. "I don't know. All these people - what if they don't want to sell me one?" Wilhelmina snorted again. "Don't want to sell you one? I've never heard of a priest turning down money." "I thought you were dropping the attitude for this trip," warned Kani. "Sorry," said Wilhelmina apologetically, and fell silent. "Well, are we?" Kani asked again. "I dunno." Maria was still uncertain. Kani swung her arms wide in exasperation. "You mean you drag us all this way when Mama could use my help around the house, and here I am-" "Ouch! Watch where you swing that thing!" Kani turned to apologize. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I-" She stopped, her face turning beet-red. Sure enough, it was Tristan she'd hit, while he was walking along with Andreas. "Not satisfied with hitting me with paper balls, now you have to hit me with your satchel too?" he chided Kani. "If you'd read the books in that bag instead of using them for weapons, you might not fail any more tests." He turned back to Andreas, who whispered something in reply; the two laughed and strolled off, leaving a spluttering Kani in their wake. "I do so read those books," was the best she could come up with. Maria and Wilhelmina exchanged looks and giggled behind their hands. "What's so funny with you two?" demanded Kani. "Nothing," replied Wilhelmina, a broad smirk cutting across her face. "So that's your boyfriend," said Maria teasingly. "Not bad. I'd fail a test or two for him." And then the two girls started laughing again. Kani was livid. "He is *not* my boyfriend! I don't even like him!" "Whatever you say," Wilhelmina agreed with a complete lack of conviction. "I wonder if his partner noticed me?" She toyed with one end of her mane. "Will you two lay off?!" Kani shoved her friends inside the convent grounds, making the decision to enter for them. ***** "Careful, Tris; she's a little young for you. At that age even the Hero couldn't pull enough strings to get you off." "You must be joking. She's not my type." "You seem pretty forceful about somebody you don't like." "Fine, then. I'm sure you saw the other blonde making eyes at you." "Yes. Nice, but I'm spoken for - if I can *ever* get a night free. Greta won't wait forever, you know." "Tough." They had reached the park across the street from the convent. "We can scan for readings here." Tristan plopped himself down on a bench, Andreas settled in beside him. Everyone walking through the park automatically gave the bench a slightly wider berth. ***** There was a ramshackle booth set up against the wall of the convent's chapel. A long lineup stretched away from it. "I'm going to get in line," said Maria. "You going to wait outside?" "No," replied Kani, before Wilhelmina had a chance to speak, "we'll take a stroll through the grounds. I hear the gardens are nice." So Kani and Wilhelmina turned away from the stand, never looking and seeing the elderly priest running the stall, or the eager young blond deacon enthusiastically handing out blessed medallions and picture cards. Jadeite was running his own show this time. Instead, the two girls headed into the well-kempt grounds of St. Cyriak's. They passed by several elderly nuns carefully tending to the flowers and fruit trees. Each sister greeted the visitors with a courteous smile; Kani nodded back while Wilhelmina eventually stopped frowning. "I wanted to talk with you for a few minutes," Kani started. "Why? Aren't we meeting again tonight?" "Yes, we are. Don't moan; you need all the practice you can get. I did want to apologize to you, though." "What for?" "Well, I have been kinda rough on you." "Tell me about it. I haven't had enough beauty sleep in days. Soon, people will notice." Kani groaned. "Stop making this harder than it already is. You don't even know what hard work is yet." "Awww." "Just try to remember the Dark Kingdom plays for keeps. If we hadn't been there to thwart them, who knows what would have happened to the victims?" "What if we tried talking to this Jadeite'?" "The one time he and I met face-to-face he was happily prepared to kill me. I think this is something that has gone beyond talking." "So that means more practice tonight?" "That means more practice, tonight and every night." Wilhelmina sighed, then stopped suddenly and pointed. "Look: that's the first Kraehe - I mean, sister, who isn't older than the hills. She even looks our age." "Watch it; you promised." "Sorry, old habit," apologized Wilhelmina sincerely. "Guten Tag," Kani said to the girl when they drew near. "Gu-Guten Tag," she responded shyly. She wasn't wearing a full habit, only the partial outfit of a novitiate. However, she was wearing a head covering. Kani took a step closer. "Your trees are lovely." "Thank you. We do what we can with what we have." There was something about her face that wasn't quite right, but neither Kani nor Wilhelmina could place it. Instead, they stood and admired the garden. The girl kept working on the bush she was grooming. ***** "Thank you for coming, and Gott mit euch," said the priest to the crowd of people, all of whom had medallions, prayer cards, or rosaries. Few of them were paying any attention to him, though; they all wanted to catch the next tram away from here before anyone they knew saw them. Maria turned away from the throng, looking for her absent companions. "They must still be in the grounds," she said to no one in particular, and set off to find her schoolmates. That meant she missed the tram that pulled up to the stop a minute later. The passengers boarded without even bothering to check the route number. That was because a subtle influence was being worked on them. From his spot in the booth, Jadeite watched and smiled. The doors closed. The bell clanged. The tram trundled off down the tracks and straight into the rapidly-opening black portal in front of it. Tristan and Andreas watched the readings on their meter skyrocket to unprecedented levels. They gaped in shock as they entire tram disappeared into thin air. It was over in an instant. The two looked at one another. "We're in for it now," said Andreas glumly. The number 13 route had reached its destination. ***** The novitiate had actually begun to talk more freely, as long as Kani and Wilhelmina had kept her on the subject of plants. She was pointing out the rose bushes along the convent wall. "Our roses are very important; there is one rose bush for every woman who has been a nun here." Wilhelmina gazed up and down; the entire wall was a tangled mess of dry brown branches. Not a single leaf or bud peeped forth from the barren wreck. "You must have been here for centuries," she whispered. "Since 1471, before Berlin itself was founded; we've survived the Reformation and the Kulturkampf. St. Cyriak's has always opened its doors to the women of Germany, even when times have been difficult." "You mean like now, don't you?" asked Kani. "There has not been a new sister in many years. I think die Mutter Oberin has great hopes for me." "How did you wind up here?" queried Wilhelmina. The tram bell went off in the distance. Kani felt a faint tingling in the back of her neck. Wilhelmina looked up, her face screwed up in puzzlement. "Kani?" she began to ask. But Kani stared at the third girl. The novitiate's eyes had gone from timid doe to cold steel. "There is evil here; I can feel it," she said in a hard and angry voice. Then she reached to her waist and unwrapped the long rosary wound there. She began to twirl it above her head and cried out: "Weiche boeser Geist!" She released the rosary; it flew away, looped around Kani's neck, and settled there. The blonde toppled over as if felled by a heavy blow. She lay still, groaning softly. The novice put her hand to her mouth. "Oh dear; Entschuldigen sie, bitte! It couldn't have been you! Here, let me help!" She ran over, knelt down next to the fallen Kani, and brought her to a sitting position. Wilhelmina stood stunned for a moment, then bent down to help. "How did you do that?" she asked. The girl bowed her head. "I don't know how', I just know to do it. Usually, it works; today, though...." Two approaching sets of footsteps could be heard crunching on the gravel paths. Maria was the first to arrive. "What happened to Kani?" she asked worriedly. Wilhelmina spoke up quickly. "Don't know. Could be a little too much sun." Surreptitiously she passed the rosary she'd slipped from Kani's neck back to the novitiate. Kani groaned. "Here," Wilhelmina called to Maria, "help us get her up." As the three girls lifted the still-woozy fourth to her feet, they came face-to-face with the newest arrival. The Mutter Oberin, a tiny elderly woman in full habit, regarded the quartet. "And what have you done, Rachel, hmm? Trying to scare away what few new converts we might get?" There was a sudden twinkle in her deep green eyes. "Oh, no, Mutter Oberin," replied the novitiate obediently, "it was an accident." "I'm sure you'll be more careful, my child." Then she turned to the other three. "I suppose you came here to buy some of Pfarrer Jahn's little trinkets, hmm?" "Only I did," responded Maria. "They were looking at the grounds." "Hmm. Very well. May God's blessings go with you," the nun said. As she turned away the twinkle vanished for a moment, as if a dark shadow had passed before her. "Come on, Kani, let's get you home," said Wilhelmina. She turned to Rachel and smiled. "It was nice meeting you, er, Rachel. By the way, I'm Wilhelmina, that's Maria, and the groggy one's-" "I heard, Kani'. Thank you and forgive me. Gott mit euch." Maria and Wilhelmina each had one of Kani's arms around their shoulders as they helped her out; Wilhelmina clutched both Kani's and her own satchels in her free hand. As they passed the stand the deacon looked up for a moment, then turned back towards his duties. There'd be another tram tomorrow. Time enough to wait. ***** It was a void, and voids are by definition empty. This one, however, was not. The number 13 tram sat there in the middle of nowhere, a second tram parked beside it. The front doors hissed open and the driver came out. She took one brief glance back, then keyed the outer door close' switch. Then she stopped and took off her cap. She was very tall and very thin, almost as if stretched just a little too much: in other words, a typical youma servant of Jadeite. "What's this doing here, Kigaan?" The driver put her cap back on, straightened up, turned to her questioner, and saluted. "Jadeite's orders, my lord Zoisite. I drive the trams and bring them here. He'll collect the energy later." Her interrogator was an elfin man, dressed in the grey uniform of a Dark Kingdom general. His hair was orange and long, hanging down between his shoulder blades in a ponytail. He gestured dismissively towards the youma. "That'll do, Kigaan. You can go about your business." "Yes, sir." The youma turned and walked away, disappearing into the emptiness. "Seems a waste, doesn't it, Kunzite?" said the general. Another man appeared, coming around the other side of the trams; he too wore the uniform of a general, but he was tall, his hair was silver, and he wore a cape. "It's Jadeite being himself, as always. He tries too much at once. The entire conveyance is filled with unconscious humans. He's probably going to leave it like that until he's collected several. Why not drain the energy now before they're missed?" "Why don't we go ahead and do it ourselves?" "Because, Zoisite, if something goes wrong - as it will - Jadeite will blame it on our interference. Better to leave it this way and let the fool get what's coming to him for sloppy planning. Besides, we have better things to worry about." "Such as?" Kunzite held out a hand; Zoisite took it carefully. A moment later the void was empty again, save for the two trams. ***** "You were late coming home from school today. Where were you?" Papa Hans waved his spoon menacingly, bits of watery soup spraying forth. The subject of his cross-examination stood her ground. "I went with Maria and Wilhelmina to the Nonnenkloster. Maria wanted a medallion." Hans almost choked. "You went to the Crows Nest'?! What, are you thinking of running away and wasting all that education on some superstitious folly?!" "No, I am not. Maria wanted company, so I came. Besides, wouldn't the convent be the right place for me? No dowry, no mouth to feed-" "Kani!" Mama spoke first before Hans could explode. "Sorry, Mama," said Kani, and bowed her head in figurative submission. Sami fought hard to keep the laughter inside him, and found shoving a large chunk of black bread in his mouth effective. ***** "You are certain all is going well? The humans suspect nothing?" The face of Jadeite in Queen Beryl's crystal ball appeared distorted by the curve of the glass globe. "Of course, my Queen. Tomorrow's load will be the final one, and we will then have enough to drain for our purposes." "Can we not drain the ones we have now?" "It will work best when the entire set is complete. Draining some now would mean needing an extra load. Four days would be, I think, pushing it, Your Majesty." "Very well. Have you seen any sign of Matrose Mond?" "No, my Queen, but I'm ready for her." "You had better be." The Queen waved her hand over the sphere and Jadeite's image faded away. "I do not think Jadeite will succeed, Your Majesty," warned Nephrite, standing to one side of the throne. "We shall see, impatient one," Beryl chided. "Your turn may come sooner than you think, or desire." ***** For once, Tristan lay asleep in his cot, having finally succumbed to his fatigue. Andreas, however, lay in the next bunk, keeping a wary and bloodshot eye on his comrade. It had to end soon. He needed his sleep. Tristan needed some peace of mind. But most of all, Andreas couldn't go another day without a romp with the adventurous Greta. Tomorrow would settle things. ***** "Again." "Halbmond Strahl!" The can tottered slightly, one edge curling off a faint wisp of smoke barely visible in the night air. I don't believe it," said Matrose Mond. "Luna, you're the most patient teacher I've ever known. How many tries was that?" "I've lost count," replied the cat wearily. "Well done, Matrose Venus." Venus was too excited to reply. "The question is, can she do it again?" "You would point out the obvious flaw. Okay, Venus, take your time and try it once more," ordered Luna. "Okay." Matrose Venus took a deep breath, held her right hand out, and pointed her index finger. "Halbmond Strahl!" The can stood still for a moment, perhaps as shocked as Matrose Mond and Luna at the neat hole drilled through its centre. Then it toppled over and fell behind the fence. The next sound was that of Luna imitating the can; Matrose Mond stayed on her feet only because she was leaning against a tree. "I did it," whispered Venus. "I really did it." And she flicked back her mane of hair, smiled a little smile, and revelled in the moment. After the shock had worn off, Luna decided it was time to find out what had happened earlier that day. She was very curious about Rachel. "She felt something at the same time you two did?" "Yes," answered Kani, now that she and Wilhelmina had transformed back. "Luna, you don't suppose she's one of us, do you?" "Or one of the enemy?" Wilhelmina chimed in. The cat scratched her head. "I don't know. She could be useful, though. There are whispers going around of an entire tram full of people disappearing this afternoon. Perhaps that's what you three sensed." "All those people at once? What does the Dark Kingdom need all that energy for?" asked Wilhelmina, shuddering at the thought. "Nothing good, I would imagine," Luna replied. "Try to go to the convent tomorrow after school, you two; I'll meet you there." "Right," said Kani, and then she frowned. "Oh no! I promised Mama I'd look after the little ones after school tomorrow; she's got a doctor's appointment. I'm sorry, Luna; I can't afford to get caught slipping up right now." "Problems at home?" enquired Wilhelmina. "My step-father's giving me a hard time. Nothing serious, but if he gets riled he might slap a curfew on me, or worse." "That's too bad, Kani. My Daddy's the greatest. He doesn't mind me being out one bit." "Then it'll have to be you at the convent, Wilhelmina. Can you handle it?" "No problem. I hit the can, right?" "A can, yes. A monster from the Dark Kingdom?" Wilhelmina shifted from one foot to the other, her hands clasped behind her back. "Maybe the monster will hold still for me?" she said hopefully. Luna and Kani groaned in unison. ***** "Two tramloads of people have gone missing; you'd better have something good to say to me," growled Siegfried Koenig. He was not in a pleasant mood this morning. "We've seen how it's done, Herr Reichsfuehrer. We even got readings on where they're being taken." So saying, Tristan handed over a printout of the previous day's scans. Siegfried's expression changed as he leafed through the pages of data. "This is amazing. Gentlemen, my apologies. You have put in an excellent day's work. Now tell me who's doing it. Is it this Matrose Mond?" Andreas answered: "We haven't seen her, Herr Reichsfuehrer, but she could be in disguise. There's a Kloster nearby; she could be operating out of there." The Reichsfuehrer pondered this a moment. "Both trams were reported as leaving the area of the Nonnenkloster shortly beforehand. I think it would be best if you kept an eye on the place, especially in the afternoon, when the crowds are largest. "Yes, sir." The pair saluted. Tristan marched through the door; Andreas made as if to follow, then said quickly to his partner: "I'll catch up shortly". Then he closed the office door and turned back to Siegfried Koenig. "There is one more thing you should know, sir," and proceeded to tell him about Tristan's dual identity. When Andreas had finished, Siegfried leaned back in his chair and thought a moment. "And you decided to tell me without his permission." He then leaned forward across his desk and looked squarely at Andreas. "This changes nothing, for now. Tell no one else, and don't say anything about this to the Leutnant. Continue to keep an eye on him, but don't interfere. We'll see what sort of agenda this Smokingmaske' persona has, and perhaps we can put it to best use - our use." A smile began to cross Siegfried's face; this made Andreas feel uncomfortable. He was grateful when the Reichsfuehrer gave him leave to go. Tristan sat outside on the bench, trying and failing to be interested in the secretary. "What kept you?" he asked his partner. "Oh, the usual. Seems he's heard of me and Greta and so I was entitled to the honour of the SS' speech. I told him it was okay and we were going to get married soon anyway." Tristan looked surprised. "That's the first I've heard." Andreas grinned back. "Same here." ***** Everything had changed in the last few minutes. Eagerly, Siegfried crossed the floor, activated the hidden door, and entered his secret chamber. He sat down at the workbench in front of the felt-draped object, and opened a drawer below. He pulled out a computer keyboard and lengths of cables, and began plugging the cords into a wall socket and the metal base of the hidden device. He had a lead to Valhalla itself. Or perhaps to Hel. Either way, he didn't care. He'd make a deal with dem leibhaftigen Teufel himself - if Siegfried ever found it necessary to believe in such a thing - to get what he wanted. And he had less than a year left. ***** The wind had come up in a cool stiff breeze that afternoon, blowing well inland off the Ostsee, sweeping down across the Pomeranian plains to Berlin's ever-dusty streets. Wilhelmina's long blonde tresses gusted about her as she walked to St. Cyriak's, her back to the wind. One hand firmly grasped her satchel while the other was extended down, holding in place as much of her school uniform skirt as she thought proper. She had no reservations about showing some leg, but it wasn't her desire to reveal all. As she turned the last corner and headed for the open gates, she noticed the lineup at the booth was much shorter than yesterday's. *Either the rumours about the tram have spread, or this was just another passing fad*, she thought. Through the gates she passed, by the queue of customers, and by the booth with the smiling old priest and his somewhat-less-than-happy deacon. In a parked car down the street, Andreas nudged Tristan with his elbow. "Your girlfriend's not here today; it's just the other blonde, the flirt." "Fine; you can go chase her." "No way, comrade; I'm not leaving you here alone. No telling what you'll be up to." "Fine." So they both sat in the car, waiting. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina had reached the gardens. The nuns were hard at work on their plants again. Wilhelmina could see Rachel carefully pruning a berry bush. "Guten Tag, Rachel. You're hard at work." Rachel stopped, turned, and smiled at the new arrival. "Guten Tag, Wilhelmina. I have to keep busy. There's work for everyone here, and I've one of the few pairs of hands strong enough for some jobs." She pushed the brim of her head cover back a bit and wiped her moist brow. Wilhelmina couldn't help but stare. She knew something wasn't quite right about the novice's face, but she still couldn't place it. "So where do you go to school?" she asked instead. "I'm taught here. St. Cyriak's used to be a girls' school until the State took over all education; some of the older nuns were teachers. They may look old, but they work me hard. Sister Klara's got a pretty good touch with a ruler for someone who can barely stand." She smiled and carefully began to replace her headpiece. At that moment, a sudden gust caught the pair. Wilhelmina made a desperate grab for her skirt, barely catching it in time to prevent an embarrassing moment in the history of St. Cyriak's. Rachel's headpiece, still slightly ajar, was blown off her head; it danced away across the neat lawn. But Rachel wasn't making a move towards it. Instead, she'd dropped the pruning shears; both her hands had gone to the top of her head, vainly trying to cover herself. To cover her shame. To cover the fact that she was completely bald. For a moment, Wilhelmina found herself staring again. The wind died down as suddenly as it had come, and the blonde whispered the one word that came to her mind: "Muenchen". There was a place that was never mentioned by anyone in Germany except in whispers, accompanied by a shake of the head. In its forty-year struggle with the forces of Bolshevism, the Reich had finally prevailed. But the cost, the cost.... In early 1979, the crumbling Soviet Union, faced with the grim reality of losing a war of survival, chose to take its rival with it, and launched its primitive nuclear arsenal in one last mad act of vengeance, a dying old man's curse. The Luftwaffe, warned barely hours in advance, performed heroic deeds that day, bombing silo after silo, shooting down missiles in the act of launching. Those that escaped the first line of defence were brought down by any means possible. The head of the Luftwaffe himself, an old veteran of the battles with France and Britain, climbed into a fighter one last time and flew straight into a missile, taking it and four other in the resultant explosion, dying a hero's death. All the missile launches were thwarted. All but one. The city of Muenchen, the city famous for its beer, its sausage, its hospitality - the very birthplace of the Party - in an instant, death rained down from the skies. When it was over, a few horribly scarred survivors crawled out of the ruins of the outlying regions. Young children had lost their hair from the fallout, and perhaps a lot more. Grossdeutschland had won the war, but Muenchen had been the price of victory. At night, there was still a faint glow marking the grave of millions. And Rachel had been one of the survivors. Wilhelmina broke her glance, went over, and retrieved Rachel's headpiece. Silently she handed it to the novitiate, who carefully replaced it on her head. "I should have known. No eyebrows." "What?" "You have no eyebrows, but you can't hide that." "Oh." Rachel lowered her eyes demurely. Wilhelmina reached out and took Rachel's hand. "Come on; it doesn't bother me." "But you're so pretty and I"m so-" "So what? Would you say these bushes are beautiful?" "Yes." "And how did they get that way?" "God made them so." "But He wasn't here pruning them a few minutes ago. He had you do it. There's beauty inside you and, when you smile, we can see it outside you." "Hmm. Well spoken, young Wilhelmina." The blonde turned around at the mention of her name, and recognized the Mutter Oberin standing there. "I only wanted to make her feel less uncomfortable, ma'am." "And you did what you could. Perhaps you'll listen, Rachel, to one your own age, hmm? I've been telling her that same story for years." "Yes, Mutter Oberin," said Rachel dutifully. "You say that now, Rachel, but in your heart of hearts do you believe it, hmm?" The old nun shook her head. "I hate to separate you two but I have a task for your young legs, Rachel. Please go to the chapel, find Pfarrer Jahn, and tell him I won't be in my office at five as planned. Tell him I'll see him after Vespers." "Yes, Mutter Oberin. Auf Wiedersehen, Wilhelmina. Gott mit euch." Rachel sped off on her errand. Wilhelmina picked up her satchel. "I guess I'd better be going, too. I hope my visiting Rachel wasn't an imposition and won't get her into trouble." The nun reached up and put her wrinkled hand on the girl's shoulder. "We've given Rachel everything she could have, but we could not give her friends her own age. You, Maria, and Kani are always welcome here, hmm, yes, always welcome. Besides, I think you might need a place of your own soon enough." Wilhelmina blinked. "Thank you; I'll tell the others. Auf Wiedersehen." She tried not to look back at the woman as she walked away, but when Wilhelmina turned the corner, she could see the Mutter Oberin standing there, a tiny figure swaddled in black, still staring right back. "Where have you been? And where's Rachel?" "Hi, Luna. Rachel's been sent off on an errand. I can't stick with her." "Which way did she go?" "The chapel." Wilhelmina pointed to the small building. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on her. You go to the tram stop and keep a lookout for Kani. I'll try to catch up later." "Okay." Wilhelmina headed for the gates. ***** Luna entered the chapel quietly and saw no one around. Not knowing what Rachel's errand was or where she could have gone, the cat decided to wait. Her patience was rewarded moments later when the girl came out of a side room, stopped in front of the tabernacle, knelt, and began to pray. Stealthily, the cat crept closer. When she was only a few feet away, she concentrated for a moment, trying to sense what she could about Rachel. Then Luna decided to take a gamble. Her brief prayer concluded, Rachel crossed herself and went to get up. Something caught the corner of her eye, though, and instead she leaned over to pick the strange object up off the floor. It looked like a fountain pen; it had a red handle, a gold body, and a strange symbol on top - a heart with an arrow sticking out diagonally. Rachel shook her head and put it in her pocket as she stood up. It would be valuable and the owner would want it back; however, Rachel couldn't think of any of the few parishioners of St. Cyriak Chapel who could afford such a luxury. She would have to turn it in to the pastor, if she could ever find him. Rachel resumed her errand, thoughts of the pen already shoved to the back of her mind. ***** Wilhelmina was leaning against the wall of the convent, keeping clear of the line of people waiting for the tram. Something wet touched her ankle. Involuntarily she jerked her leg away and went "Bleaugh!" before realizing it was Luna's nose that had touched her. The girl bent down as if to pull up her socks. "Don't do that!" she whispered. "It gives me the creeps." "Sorry, but it's not like I can call out your name here." "Oh yeah? Look at all these people. They wouldn't notice if you started quoting Goethe or I turned into a giant chicken." She waved a hand towards the queue; the people all shared a glazed expression. "Strange," Luna remarked. Then she heard the rumbling sound of an approaching tram. "Oh well, it was worth-" "Wait! Luna, oh gosh!" "What's the matter?" "The tram! The tram! It's the one!" Luna scowled. "What do you mean? It looks perfectly ordinary to me." "Don't you see? It's the number thirteen tram." "What? Are you superstitious?" "There - is - no - number - thirteen - tram - on - this - line!" Luna leaped straight up. "Quick! This is it! Hurry up and get inside!" She was halfway across the sidewalk to the open doors before she realized she was alone. "Wilhelmina! Get over here this instant!" "But I'm scared!" "Be scared later! GET INSIDE NOW!!" Luna scampered back, jumped up, and sunk her teeth into Wilhelmina's skirt, trying to drag the reluctant girl forward. The smooth fabric slipped from her bite and Luna fell to the sidewalk. "Come on! Do you want Kani mad at you?" That did it. "All right; you win," admitted the blonde. "I'm going." She got up, smoothed out her uniform, and climbed aboard. Luna followed, ignoring what she thought was her imagination; she thought she could hear her name being called. Then the doors closed and she heard it no more. The bell rang. ***** Rachel was beginning to worry. She'd looked in all the places she would have expected to find the old pastor but had come up empty-handed. She decided to check the booth out front. Naturally, there was no one there, but she could hear the sounds of someone rummaging in the little storage room. "Pfarrer Jahn, is that you?" she called out as she entered. "Only me, I'm afraid. Can I help you?" It was the deacon. Rachel felt a trickle of cold sweat run down her back. "I'm looking for Pfarrer Jahn. I have a message for him from Mutter Oberin." "I can pass on the message for you." Every word from his mouth felt like red-hot pokers in her ears. Now she was focused. Now she knew her hunch was right. There was evil here at St. Cyriak's, and it stood in front of her. "What have you done with him?" Her voice was cold. Jadeite smiled. "I've sent him on a little trip. He should be boarding the tram right about now." As if on cue, the bell clanged a harsh assault on Rachel's ears. "It's you! You're responsible for this!" "Indeed I am. And I think an energetic sort of girl like you deserves to know the whole story." Before the novice could react, Jadeite grabbed her by the throat. "Come with me," he laughed, "and you'll know everything. And then you'll get to know if your God really exists." He waved his free hand: a portal appeared, and he stepped through, dragging his helpless captive with him. ***** When the bell rang, Wilhelmina and Luna watched in horror as everyone else on board collapsed - everyone, that is, except the driver. Wilhelmina ran to the front, where she confronted the woman in the operator's seat. "What have you done with everybody?" "Made their journey a less unpleasant one. Now, why don't you sit back and enjoy the ride? It won't take long." The tram lurched forward. Wilhelmina grabbed a pole to steady herself. She looked out the front window and saw the portal forming, then closed her eyes tightly, squeezed the post, and screamed. ***** "Luna!" Kani called out once more, then realized the doors of the tram were closing. Running flat-out on the slippery cobblestone streets, her feet were sliding and rapidly becoming sore. She calculated the distance, prayed she could hold out. The bell chimed. The hackles on Kani's neck shot straight up. She dug down and ran harder. The tram began to pull away. It was still accelerating from its standing start; Kani had the momentum. Then she saw the shimmering black of the portal appear in front of the tram. She was close, so close.... The front of the tram entered the portal. Kani ran, ran, ran. At the last instant she leaped, caught hold of the coupling of the back of the last car, and disappeared into the black hole. The portal closed. ***** "Wow! Look! We've got two sets of readings - one inside the convent, the other from the tram!" "I know, I know. Hey, Tris - isn't that your girlfriend running after the tram?" "I told you, she isn't-aaargh!" Andreas took his eyes off the road, missing Kani's leap and the tram's vanishing act. His partner was doubled over. "No, Tris, not now," he pleaded. But Tristan was gone. Smokingmaske got out of the car and walked over to where the tram had disappeared. Andreas stayed in the vehicle, keeping a wary eye on his friend's alter ego. This was getting too weird for him. ***** The tram came to a stop in the void, right between the other two trams already parked there. The doors hissed open and Wilhelmina dove out. "Get away from me, you cre-unff!" she wailed before running into the side of the next tram. She toppled over backwards, landing on her derriere. Sitting there, she began to sniffle. Luna landed gracefully beside her. "Get up, Wilhelmina! We need Matrose Venus now!" "But I'm scared!" "As well you should be, young lady." The driver descended the steps calmly. When she was out, she turned to the front. "Welcome, Lord Jadeite. We're ready to begin." Wilhelmina and Luna watched as a second portal opened and the Dark Kingdom general stepped through, still wearing his deacon's cassock. The pair gasped as they recognized the semi-conscious Rachel held in his grasp. He tossed the novice to one side. With a wave of his hand, he was now wearing his grey uniform. "Excellent, Kigaan. This one and the girl you've brought will do nicely. Every little bit helps." He smiled; everything was going as planned. "If you like two, could you do with one more? How about me, for instance? I'm pretty full of energy today - just enough to kick your backsides! Im Namen des Mondes, werde ich Sie bestrafen!" Jadeite and the youma both looked up. Standing atop the far trolley was the familiar figure of Matrose Mond. "What, you here?!" the general snarled. "Kigaan! Dispose of her!" "With pleasure, my lord." Luna leaned over to Wilhelmina. "Now would be a good time." Then she scampered towards the fallen Rachel. "Out of my way, creature!" barked Jadeite at the cat. Luna bared her fangs and tried to sound menacing. Jadeite halted and extended a hand. Suddenly, a beam of light shot out and caught the general on the wrist. "Aaah!" he screamed, pulling his arm back. He whirled to face the source, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "*Another* one of you Matrosen?! Where are you coming from?!" "The name's Matrose Venus, bad guy! You're facing twice the action now!" She stood ready to unleash another assault; Jadeite, taking the cue, created a portal and dove through before Venus could get off a shot. "Drat!" she exclaimed. "That would've really impressed Ka- I mean, Matrose Mond if I'd've nailed him." "Speaking of whom, maybe you should go and help her," Luna ordered. "This monster seems both powerful and cautious." "Okay." Venus ran off to find her teammate. Luna bent down to the still form of the novice. "Rachel, do you have that Stift I left for you in the chapel?" Rachel looked carefully at Luna, her face betraying her disbelief. Slowly, she answered: "Yes. Wait; you left it for me?" "Yes. Now, take it out, hold it up, and shout Marsmacht, schminke!" The girl got to her feet and did exactly as Luna had instructed. There was a blur and a blaze of red, then the girl standing there was no longer Rachel, but Matrose Mars. Well, physically, it was Matrose Mars. Psychologically, it was still Rachel - orphan, Muenchenkind, katholikin novitiate. She looked down at herself, saw the red high-heeled shoes on her feet, the long bare legs sticking out from the tiny pleated red skirt, the form-fitting white bodice, the long white gloves, and her mind rejected the entire concept. None of this was right; none of this was her. There was one more thing bothering her; her scalp itched fiercely. She put a hand to her head to scratch, then stopped when she felt something on her smooth bald head. Except it wasn't smooth any longer. She could feel tiny, rough, bristly somethings she had never felt before. Hair. It was too much; tears began to form in her eyes, and she collapsed to her knees. Meanwhile, Kigaan was proving to be a difficult opponent. Matrose Mond had been ready with her tiara, but the youma was using the trams as cover, making hit-and-run attacks. Matrose Venus' arrival had helped to keep Kigaan pinned down, but Venus was leery about firing her beams at the youma for fear of missing and having them plow straight through a tram, possibly injuring those inside. The two sides confronted one another, temporarily stalemated. Luna put a paw on Mars' knee. "I know this has been a bit of a shock, but we need you now." "A shock? You call this a shock? What I've been through in the last five minutes would kill most people; yes, that's it: I'm dead." "No, you're not, but you and the others will be if you don't help them." Luna's tone was hard and commanding. For the first time Matrose Mars lifted her head and gazed around the void. "Others? What others?" Luna pointed towards the battle. "The poor people trapped in those trams. Also, Matrose Mond and Matrose Venus; or, if you prefer, your friends Kani and Wilhelmina." "What? My - my friends?" She said the word softly, a new experience to her. "My friends need me?" Determinedly, she rose to her feet, ankles wobbling slightly as she tottered on the unfamiliar heels. "Tell me what to do." After a few words from Luna, Mars nodded assent and began her careful walk towards the trams. Kigaan was so intent on watching the other two foes that she did not see Mars come up behind her, stopping a few metres away. "Monster! Turn and face me!" shouted the newest Matrose. "You have brought the holy name of St. Cyriak into disrepute, and I cannot allow that! Feuer Seele!" A blast of fire shot from her fingertips and struck Kigaan. The youma writhed in pain, flames licking at her ragged clothing, and stumbled out into the open. "Mond Diadem Aktion!" "Halbmond Strahl!" The shaft of light wrapped itself around the tiara; together they struck Kigaan. She blurted out a brief death-scream, then faded into dust. Mars stood where she was, mouth slightly open. She'd deliberately caused harm to another living being; now, that creature was dead, in part through her own actions. She looked at the hands that had fired the flames, as if disbelieving their power. Then, she covered the short distance to where Kigaan's remains were fading from view, bowed her head, and prayed for a youma's soul. When finished, she turned to the oncoming Matrosen. "It seems we are fated to be together." Matrose Mond turned to Venus. "Who's she? Did she come with you?" Venus shook her head in reply. Luna arrived. "You all look a little different when you transform; it's so your identities are protected. However, you can have reunions later; right now, we have to figure out a way to get these trams back to Earth." "Maybe that's where I come in, ladies. Care for a ride?" A tram bell sounded, now a single clear note of hope in the empty desolation. Matrose Mond was the first to spot him. "Smokingmaske!" she shouted, and ran to the open door of the lead tram, where he was seated in the operator's chair. Somehow, the three trams were now coupled together, nose-to-tail, ready for the journey back. Mond was the first inside, followed very closely by an equally-eager Venus. Mars and Luna brought up the rear. The door closed and the trams took off. ***** Andreas' blood-pressure was skyrocketing; his pulse was throbbing loudly in his ears. His hands trembled as he lit his fourth cigarette since Tristan's disappearance from the butt of the third, the image of the SS be damned - if he was going to be put on assignments like babysitting a superhero, then he deserved the right to chain smoke in uniform. The meter in his hand registered the change in reality an instant before he saw the nose of a tram poke its way back into the world. The triple-train glided smoothly out of the void and perfectly onto the rails. When all cars were back in Berlin, the trams glided to a halt. An instant later, Andreas saw a fleeing figure in black head for the park. He took off after Smokingmaske, saw him dive behind a tree, and not reappear. Satisfied it was over, Andreas slowed down. Sure enough, when he got to the other side Tristan was slumped against the trunk, holding his head in his hands. "Andreas?" he said weakly. "Don't worry, comrade, I'm here. Let's get you home." Andreas put an arm around Tristan's shoulder and helped him towards their car. ***** "Where'd he go?" Matrose Mond looked around the tram in vain for Smokingmaske. "He couldn't stand the sight of you, so he left?" teased Venus. Matrose Mond glared back at her. People began groaning and shifting. "I think we'd better get out of here before we're blamed for this," advised Luna. "Come on," said Mars. "I know another way into the Kloster. You can hide there." They made their exit and, unnoticed, dashed round the walls of the convent to a disused gate. "Mutter Oberin made me oil this only a few weeks ago; it's a good thing." Once the door was closed on the world, the girls transformed back. It was a shock for Wilhelmina and Kani to see their newest member was the novice. There was one more surprise, however. Rachel put a hand to her head, feeling underneath the headpiece. Suddenly, she tore it off, a huge smile beaming from her face. "Am I going crazy?" Wilhelmina's mouth hung open for a second. "You've got hair! It's pretty thin, but there's hair on your head!" She reached out, grabbed Rachel, and gave her a hearty hug. Kani bent down to Luna. "And now we are three. It means more help in fighting the Dark Kingdom and, hopefully, we're that much closer to finding the Mondprinzessin." Luna nodded. "And it means we need a team name!" bellowed Wilhelmina. "I vote for >die Matrosenkriegerindie Matrosen AmazonenReichsfeinds< (enemies of the state) in an attempt to garner support from liberal politicians opposed to Catholic control of education, etc. Repressive measures were passed by the Reichstag (the German lower house of Parliament). In response, the Catholics founded their own political party (the Zentrum, or Centre), and resisted the oppression as best they could. By 1879, no longer desiring liberal support, Bismarck found means to gradually withdraw the harsher repressions against Catholics. The Church was also more favourably disposed towards the Reich after the death of Pope Pius IX; his successor, Leo XIII, was equally willing to compromise with Bismarck. Mutter Oberin - Mother Superior, the head nun in a convent. "Weiche boeser Geist!" - "Begone, evil spirit!" "Entschuldigen sie, bitte!" - "Please excuse me!" The verb "(sich) entschuldigen" is transitive, but the common usage "Entschuldigen sie bitte" got stuck with the action "pointed wrong". Maybe it was derived from: "(Ich) bitte (vielmals) um Entschuldigung" "Entschuldigung bitte?" "Entschuldigung" (colloquial: " tschuldigung" <---> " scuse me") Other idioms expressing varying degrees of contriteness: "ich bitte um <>" where "<>" can be - Nachsicht ("I'll be doing that again") - Entschuldigung (for a slight mishap like stepping on s-ones foot) - Verzeihung ("it was my fault!") - Verst„ndnis ("I just have to do this, nothing personal") - Vergebung ("I beg forgiveness") - Gnade (life or death, "capital offense") In this particular situation (the girls are in the same age) the short versions (just "Entschuldigung" or "Verzeihung") would be OK, too. another one: "Das tut mir (wirklich) leid" <--> "I'm (really) sorry about that" [the above courtesy Steffen Kremser] >dem leibhaftigen Teufel< - the very Devil Muenchen - the German spelling for Munich. Pfarrer - the honorific for a priest, the equivalent of Father'. ">Feuer Seele!< - "Fire Soul!"