Serena hated lying to Ron like this, but how could she ever get him to believe that she was the princess of a magical kingdom that had been destroyed a thousand years ago, returned to the Earth by the power of a magical crystal and her mother's will that she and all her court be reborn in the present? If she hadn't experienced every poignant moment of that life herself, she wouldn't believe it either! Now she had to find the others. She was so worried about them all, but especially Endymion. She crossed her arms in front her and closed her eyes as she remembered his jet black hair and sapphire eyes.
She jerked her eyes open with a start. She had felt a faint pull. Had he felt her search for him? Was he searching for her as well? She knew he was much stronger in his mental powers than any of her friends, excepting, possibly, Mars. Her pulse quickened with excitement. She hurriedly pulled on her shoes and grabbed a jacket. She scribbled a note for Ron telling him she was just going out for a stroll, and walked out the door and down to the front lobby. When she stood outside the entrance she closed her eyes once again and quested for Endymion. She felt a faint tug again, to her left. With a glad little cry she opened her eyes and walked off in that direction.
*****
"I'd love to chat, Mako-"
Mina watched in surprise as a look of pain crossed Mako-chan's face. She leaned in and whispered, "My name's Lita now. Please call me that." Mina shrugged and nodded.
"I have to bring the take-out we ordered home. Maybe you can come over and visit?"
Mak-Lita shrugged. "Just a second. Let me find out if I can get the time off." She walked over to Mr. Huruta, who was the only manager in right then. "Is it all right if I take off for a few hours? This is an old friend from Japan."
Mr. Huruta smiled kindly and nodded. "We're not too busy right now. Go ahead. Will-" He looked uncertain for a second. "Will you be coming back?" To Mina's surprise Mako gave him a quick hug and nodded.
"Of course I will, if you want me. You're like my second pair of parents." He patted her gently on the shoulder, and with a smile she turned and left.
They walked down the street, Mina leading the way back to her house. "Well, Mako-sorry, Lita, when I tell my family you work at the restaurant that cooked this, they'll be amazed. They all loved you cooking!"
Mako smiled. "I stopped for a long time, but eventually I got back to it. Go ahead and call me Mako. Calling me Lita will raise too many questions with your parents."
"Why'd you change your name, Mako?"
"I got in some very bad trouble with the law. I'm actually here illegally. My papers are fake, but they're expensive fakes-almost undetectable."
"Illegal! Mako, what KIND of trouble?"
She shook her head sharply. "You don't want to know."
Mina decided the topic was just too uncomfortable. She moved on to something else important that was on her mind. "I think it's really weird that we both had the same kind of vision on the same day. I wonder what could have caused it?" Mako shook her head, indicating she didn't know. "You know, when it hit me, I was Sailor V."
Mako-chan's head jerked up at that. "You've gone back to being Sailor V?"
Mina nodded, then continued. "The reason I'm bringing that up, is that despite being in semi-senshi form, it still knocked me out for at least an hour. Whatever happened, it was something powerful, and unusual. And then soon after that we find each other." Mina trailed off, and they both walked in silence for a while, thinking. Another thought struck Mina. "You know, I insisted we try your restaurant today. I just saw it in the phone book and decided we really needed some good Japanese take-out. I wonder if I was somehow drawn to it because you were there..."
Mako shrugged. "It could be. If that's the case, though, I'm surprised Rei didn't find me first. She's the most sensitive to that sort of thing. Isn't it strange that we're both here, though? In the same city in the United States? What are the odds of that?"
Mina shot her a smile. "You're right, they're almost nil! I can tell that even without Ami's computer. C'mon, let's run, we need to talk this over with Artemis!" The girls set off at a run. Mina smiled. The excitement of a new lead thrilled through her body, the quickening of her heart told her a new chase had begun. This was the same feeling she'd sought after Usagi died, after the Sailor Team had fallen apart, when she was alone, in England.
*****
Minako sighed. At times it was nice to be back in England. Since she and the other girls had grown apart, there wasn't really anything to keep her back in Japan. At other times she missed her friends with a need that was so all possessing that she'd break down and cry for no particular reason. She did worse in school than usual. In Japan, that would have been disastrous, since she'd been holding on to passing grades by her fingernails there. Here it just meant she was getting C's and high D's more often than normal. She just felt listless. Since she'd become thirteen, since she'd met Artemis, she'd always had a purpose-an enemy to battle, a goal to fight and die for. Now, the normal life of a fourteen year old girl seemed less than pointless.
*****
"Alan! Big sister!" Minako threw herself into Katerina's arms. Katerina had never mentioned a thing about her trip to Japan, and neither had Minako. Even though it still hurt to see her and Alan together, Minako swallowed her pain. The happiness of seeing her two close friends again made up for any anguish she felt. They laughed and told jokes as they walked.
"So, Minako, how long are you going to stay in England?" Alan asked as they strolled down the narrow, busy street.
Minako smiled. "I don't know. Dad got transferred, but he moves around so much...." she shrugged.
Katerina gave Minako a look out of the side of her eye. "I haven't heard anything about Sailor V in news lately."
"I've given it up." Minako kept walking, and it took her a few seconds to realize that she'd left Alan and Katerina behind. They stood still, staring at her with surprise. She turned and walked back toward them. "Do you remember Sailor Moon, the other senshi I was with that one night?" she began.
"What night?" Alan asked, confused.
"The night we fought," Minako began an explanation.
"FOUGHT!? What's this, Katerina? Minako, I didn't hear anything about this!"
Minako looked at Katerina. "Why don't you tell him what happened, then, Katerina." She wanted to give her big sister a chance to tell the story the way she wanted it told. A small part of her shouted that now was her chance. She could tell Alan about how Katerina betrayed her and almost killed her, and maybe he'd leave big sister for her, but she pushed that thought down as far as she could. <It wasn't her fault-she was a tool of Queen Metallia. That type of thought's beneath me.> She waited to hear what Katerina would say.
"I heard that Sailor V was alive, and in Japan, so I went there to see if she'd somehow made it out of that burning warehouse. When I got there, I was captured by some of Minako's enemies, and forced to try to trap her and her friends."
"Friends?" Alan had obviously heard none of this.
"I wasn't really Sailor V anymore, Alan, I was Sailor Venus. I'd met the rest of the Sailor Senshi, and we were fighting the Dark Kingdom. They used her to get at me and my friends." Minako fell silent again.
Katerina shot her a look of gratitude and understanding. Minako could see in her eyes that she knew what this was costing Minako. "I almost-I almost succeeded, but Sailor Venus and her friend Sailor Moon stopped me, and healed me instead of killing me. So I left. When I got back I told you that I'd heard from Minako, and that she was still alive, but I was too ashamed to tell you about what I almost did." Katerina hung her head a little.
<Even though you didn't tell him everything, just now, I see how hard it was for you admit as much as you did, onee-chan.> Minako brought up a bright smile. "So now I'm back!" She grabbed Alan's left hand and Katerina's right and began to hum softly to herself as they continued to walk. Then Alan asked the question she'd been dreading since this conversation started. Since she'd seen them both again.
"So, why aren't you Sailor V? Or Sailor Venus? Didn't you want to stay with the other senshi?" Alan asked, after he'd thought over what he'd just been told.
"We-we were fighting an alien who remembered us from the Silver Millennium-"
"The what?"
Minako waved her hand to indicate it wasn't important. They could deal with her being a super heroine, but she doubted they'd believe she was part of an interstellar noble class that died out a millennium ago. "We were fighting an alien, and we defeated it, but one of us died." She heard Katerina and Alan both gasp in horror. "Sailor Moon was our leader-she was the princess we were supposed to guard. She held us together. When she died, we fell apart." Minako shrugged. "I can't become a senshi again. It almost feels as if fighting on without Sailor Moon would be betraying her somehow." Minako sniffed and struggled to hold back the tears that struggled to come out. She wouldn't cry in front of Alan. He'd always thought of her as brave. He already didn't love her. She couldn't lose his respect as well. Katerina looked down at her with concern.
"You mean Sailor Moon died? Oh, Minako, you should have told me! This must have been so hard for you!" That undid her. With a forlorn sob she flung herself into Katerina's arms. "Go ahead and cry, Minako. You'll feel better." Her hand stroked Minako's back gently, as her mother's had when she was a small toddler, crying over a spill she'd taken or a dish she'd broken.
Alan put his arms around both of them. "Crying isn't a weakness, Minako. Once you're done, it gives comfort and strength."
<At least he doesn't hate me for this!> Minako gave herself entirely over to her grief for the first time since everything had happened. They stood like a pillar in the moving stream of people that surrounded them, going about their business; an island of stillness, while Minako's tears helped her begin to finally heal the gaping wound in her soul. She loved her parents, but when she was with Alan and Katerina-then she truly felt like she was at home.
Suddenly a nearby department store echoed with screams. The three of them let go of each other to try to see what had happened, but all they could see were people piling out of the shop. Katerina reached into her jacket and pulled out her gun. She gave them a determined look. "You two stay here. I don't want you to get hurt. I'll go see what's happening." She stuffed the hand that held the gun into her roomy jacket pocket and strolled into the store. Minako watched worried. She looked over and saw the strain on Alan's face. He gave her a tight smile when he saw she was watching him.
"She always runs into danger like that. I don't really like it when she's in danger, but she's an Interpol officer-I can't stand in her way-no matter how much I want to."
Minako was struggling with herself. She wanted to help Katerina, but she didn't want to become Sailor Venus. It was still too painful for her. She came to a decision. "Come on." She grabbed Alan's arm and dragged him away from the front of the store, into a dark, abandoned alley. She didn't know if this would work anymore, but she couldn't' let anything happen to Katerina. She reached into her pocket and brought out two pens, one old, one new. She pulled out her old pen and held it up to shout, "Moon Power Transform!" She felt the old power caress her as she transformed into Sailor V. She stood still for a split second, to try to remember what Sailor V was, then with a bright smile for Alan she dashed toward the store Katerina had disappeared into.
It was dark, and silent. The familiar chill of fear and adventure crept up her spine as she cautiously made her way through the store. She was tempted to call for Katerina, but she didn't want to give herself away. She noticed that this was a jewelry store, and the glass cases had all been broken. She heard a noise in the back room and silently vaulted over the broken cases, being careful not to make a noise when she landed on the other side. She looked through the doorway to see if anyone could see her, but it was pitch black. She walked in, sticking close to the wall. As she got closer to the source of the noise it slowly grew lighter, and she stopped when she saw what was producing the light. One of the robbers was holding a flashlight on Katerina. She had her arms above her head, and Sailor V noticed that her gun was lying useless on the floor. Another robber had his own weapon trained on her, and the owner lay dead at her feet. Sailor V know she only had a split second. With a thrill of fear and excitement she cried, "Crescent Beam!" and aimed for the thief holding the gun on Katerina. Even as the laser beam was still speeding toward the robber she dashed toward Katerina, and knocked her over. As she reached her she heard the unmistakable sound of a silenced gun going off near her. A breeze tickled her cheek, and she felt Katerina convulse in her arms as she tried to knock her out of range. "Onee-san!" She shrieked. With a snarl of anger she turned whirled to face the two men. The one she'd aimed at with her beam was lying on the ground, unmoving. The other man who'd been holding the flashlight had dropped it to the ground, and her glaring eyes caught the dull glint of a gun, misshapen by the bulky shape of a silencer screwed onto the muzzle. He was looking at her with fear in his eyes when he suddenly cocked his head. Sailor V listened and heard it too-police sirens. The man desperately brought his gun up to take another shot. "Sailor V Kick!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. The gun flew out of his hands, and landed with a metallic clatter. The man shook his hand, but still didn't make a sound. "Sailor V Punch!" Her fist made a satisfying thud against his jaw and he flew across the room to crash into a concrete wall. His head cracked against the wall and he fell to the floor. Sailor V was about to finish him off when she came back to her senses. She turned her back on him and knelt next to Katerina. "Onee-san..." she shook her gently, and then heard the police come into the store. "In the back room!" she called. "Someone's been shot! Call an ambulance!"
*****
As soon as Katerina and Alan were safely in the ambulance and on their way to the hospital Sailor V slipped into the alley again and transformed back into Minako. She'd wanted to get in the ambulance with Alan and Katerina so badly, but if she'd let the police know she was aquaintted with them, Katerina and Alan would never be left alone. As Minako, she whistled down a cab and took it to the hospital.
*****
Minako slowly walked into the waiting room. She saw Alan hunched over, his head hidden in his hands as he silently stared at the floor. Minako knelt next to him and put her hand on his knee.
"Alan, is she all right? Have you heard how serious it was?" She held her breath as his tear streaked face lifted.
"They're not sure if she's going to make it. From what they could tell in the ambulance, it was close to her heart. She was still alive when they brought her in. Since we've arrived they haven't told me anything. I want to rush in and demand they tell me what's going on, but they're trying to save her life-I don't dare disturb them."
Minako couldn't hold back a sob. <Not this too! Hasn't enough been taken from me?> She wanted to throw herself into Alan's arms but she felt as if that would be a betrayal of Katerina. <If I'd moved a little faster. If I hadn't hesitated....> "It's my fault, Alan. I should have gone right in, instead of letting her go on her own. She'd be okay right now if I hadn't hesitated." She wrapped her arms around herself when he didn't move to comfort her, or tell her she was wrong. <He believes it too! It IS my fault!> She huddled in a miserable ball on the floor. Her shaking shoulders and muffled sobs were the only signs she gave that she was alive. Alan stood up and walked over to her.
"Minako?" He shook her softly. "Minako? I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault. I know how painful it was for you to transform, after your friend died. The police said that if she survives at all, it'll be because of you. You threw yourself into mortal danger to save Katerina. Don't ever blame yourself. Blame that man that shot her." When Minako didn't make any response except to cry harder, he enfolded her in a comforting hug. "You caught the man that shot her, and you nearly got killed yourself, Minako. That's more than anybody should ask of a fifteen year old. Don't be hard on yourself." Minako finally lifted her head. She wiped her wet cheeks and sniffed quietly.
<I love it when he hugs me. But he doesn't love me the way I love him. I'm just a little sister to him. Katerina-he loves her!> Minako forced herself to stop thinking about how unfair life was. She closed her eyes and hugged Alan back. Just because he didn't give her everything she wanted in this hug, didn't mean he wasn't giving her anything. She accepted the comfort he offered. <I'll always love you, Alan. If I have to do it as a little sister, I guess I can.>
When she quieted down, Alan pulled away a little. He smiled tremulously. "Feel better?" he asked. Minako nodded. Just then a doctor walked in. He was a wearing a crisp white coat. Too crisp. He must have changed before coming in to tell them whatever news he had. Minako caught a glimpse of blood on his arms as he put them behind his back.
"I'm looking for a man named Alan? Is that you sir?" Alan nodded.
"How-how is she?" Minako asked, breathlessly.
"She's alive for now. The bullet missed her heart, but it was tough getting it out. We don't know how things will turn out yet, but she has a chance. We'll have a better idea how she'll be doing in a couple of days. From what the police told me, she owes one to Sailor V if she makes it through this. From the way the bullet lodged, she was already moving out of the bullet's path when it hit. If Sailor V hadn't jumped over to save her, the bullet would have gone straight through her heart and she'd have been killed instantly." The doctor looked down at Minako with a tired, kind smile. "Are you her daughter, miss?" Minako blushed and shook her head.
"Katerina is my onee-san. My older sister. I mean, she's like an older sister to me. I've known her for a long time. I'm really worried about her." The doctor nodded.
"We've done what we can for now. You should both go home and get some rest. We won't have any news for a while. If you'll leave your phone numbers at the nurses' station they'll contact you as soon as we find out anything else." The doctor smiled once again at both of them and turned to go. Alan and Minako looked at each other for a second.
"Come on." Alan held out a hand to her. "I'll take you home."
*****
Alan and Minako spent the whole next day together. Without Katerina there, Minako often felt jealous, and wanted to tell Alan everything Katerina had left out. She managed to keep everything to herself, but it got harder as the day went on. They jumped every time the phone rang, and waited breathlessly while one of the other answered it, hoping it was news about Katerina's condition.
Finally Alan spoke up. "Minako, what is it?"
"What's what?" she asked, confused.
"When Katerina told me about what happened in Japan, something passed between you. Neither of you told me everything. And it's on your mind now. It driving you crazy, and it's starting to drive me crazy. Just tell me what you've hidden from me. You'll feel better, and I know for sure I will."
Minako stared at him. How did he know? "I can't, Alan, until I can in front of Katerina. It involves her. If she doesn't want to tell you, I won't either."
"Have you two had a fight or something?"
Minako smiled painfully. "No, not exactly. When she was a tool of the Dark Kingdom, I almost killed her. But we are fine now."
"It involves me, doesn't it, Minako? You should tell me. Just as if I were your big brother."
Minako choked and laughed at the same time. "I can't. I'm sorry. I-I have to go." She dashed to the front door and out into the street. Paying no heed to the cars that slammed on their brakes to avoid hitting her, she ran home, crying.
*****
"Minako? Honey?" Minako looked up as her parents walked into her room. <Uh-oh.> They had that tentative look parents had when they had to break bad news, and were worried about how their children would take it.
"What, Mom, Dad? Do you want to talk to me about something?" Minako put her homework aside with a grateful sigh. She wasn't thinking clearly enough to get any of it done anyway. She sat up straighter.
"I know you're glad to be back in England, dear. You get to see many of your friends here." Her mother sat down next to her on her bed and took her hands. "Unfortunately, your father just received another transfer. They want us to move to the United States."
Minako closed her eyes with a sigh. Not this. Not now. She felt the bed shake again. Her father was seated on the other side. "Your mother and I have discussed this, and we're concerned that you're moving around too much. It would be difficult, but we wondered if maybe you'd rather stay here. Your mother is willing to stay in England with you, while I live in the U.S. to work. You could finish out high school here, with people you already know."
Minako thought. "I don't know, Dad. When do you have to leave?"
"In a week and a half. I know it's not much time, but I just received the transfer today."
"Can you give me a day or two to think about it? I don't really know yet." Her parents smiled.
"Of course we can, dear." Her mother patted her back. "Take a while to think about it."
*****
Alan called her the next afternoon after school. "The doctors said that Katerina's still unconscious. They still don't know whether she'll make it. I'm going down to the hospital. Do you want to come with? We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to." He offered an olive branch. Minako smiled.
"I'd like that, Alan. Thanks."
When he showed up at the door, she smiled brightly and chatted about her day, partly to help him avoid thinking about Katerina's dangerous condition, partly to let him know she wasn't mad at him anymore over their argument. When they arrived at the hospital and entered Katerina's room, her voice trailed off into silence. They sat silently on either side of her bed for about an hour. There wasn't anything to say.
Suddenly, Katerina groaned softly. Alan and Minako leaned close. Her eyes opened, and she smiled faintly. "I think that's the best sight I could ever hope to wake up to," she whispered to them. "My two best friends in the world by my side, worried about me."
Alan jumped up into the air with a whoop of joy. Minako clapped her hands with delight. "Onee-san! You're going to be all right!" At the noise a nurse bustled into the room and began to busily take note of different instrument readings. She left again, with a happy smile on her face. "I'm so sorry I didn't get there sooner." Minako had to unload her soul of it's guilt. Her mind knew she wasn't responsible for Katerina's injury, but her overactive sense of responsibility insisted she apologize. Her onee-san reached out to take her hand. She winced in pain, but held tightly to Minako's hand.
"Don't you dare apologize! You saved my life!" Just then a doctor entered.
"You'll have to leave now, we need to assess your friend's condition." The doctor smiled. "This is a very good sign, though. Wait in the waiting room for a little while, and if she's up to it, you can visit Katerina again when I'm finished."
Alan and Minako nodded and did as they were told.
*****
Minako truly was happy that Katerina was going to be all right, but she still couldn't suppress feelings of jealously. She sighed. She'd been planning on asking to stay here, but now she didn't think she could be happy here, watching Alan and Katerina together. Maybe she just wasn't mature enough to be able to be happy for them. She didn't know. But she did know that if she stayed her, and saw them every day, eventually she'd get in their way. And they were happy together. She had no right to ruin their happiness because she wasn't happy. She would move to the U.S. with her family. She couldn't bring herself to tell Alan or Katerina. It would be too sad to tell them this right after they found out Katerina would recover. She'd just leave, and write them a letter from the U.S., explaining where she had gone. It would be easier for her that way.
*****
"Well, honey, here we are! The United States! What do you think?"
Minako smiled. Her parents were trying so hard to cheer her up. She looked at them mischievously. "I think it looks pretty much like any other airport I've ever been in."
Her father laughed. "At least that's true! There's only so many things you can do with an airport." He grabbed his wife and Minako's hands. "C'mon, I'm going to escort you two beautiful ladies to the luggage pick-up!" Minako's mother giggled. Minako smiled.
"I want to get to the luggage quickly. Artemis probably didn't enjoy the plane ride." From across the lobby a loud meow sounded Artemis's agreement.
"Well, Minako?" her father asked after they all had their luggage. "Where do you want to eat?"
Minako thought. "I think we should eat at McDonald's. It's the most famous American restaurant in the world-it should be our first meal in the United States."
"McDonald's it is!" her father concurred.
"I think," Minako stated as they stood in line, "I think I'm going to go by the name Mina. It sounds a little more American, don't you think?"
Her mother looked at her oddly. "What exactly happened back in England, dear? You've been acting strange the whole last week."
"Nothing, Mother. I'm just trying to grow up."
<I'm just trying to forget I ever loved Alan. I'm just trying to forget what it was like to be Minako. That's the only way I can ever stand to see him or Katerina again.>
*****
Artemis was still angry at her for getting arrested by the police. He hadn't spoken civilly to her for weeks. But when Mina and Mako told him about both of them having the same vision on the same day, he stopped to think.
"I'm embarrassed I couldn't get over my anger enough to broach the subject of what exactly happened that day with you, Mina," he began. "because if I had, we would have realized something like this was going on sooner. I had a similar experience myself, while I was listening to your arrest over the radio. Something strange is definitely going on here." He hopped up on Mina's desk and turned her computer on. "This may not be on a par with Ami's computer, but let's see what I can find out." As he typed he turned to Mako with a smile. "It's good to see you again. I was worried about you."
Mako blushed. "You had reason to be. I really lost it when Usagi died. She was so important to me."
Artemis turned his head away. It was sometimes hard to read Artemis's feelings, but Mina had known him a long time-he was hurting as well. "She was important to all of us," he whispered, then began typing again.