Chapter 10-Whoever Designed Senshi Fukus Was An Idiot
	One youth looked around Juuban University's gigantic cafeteria nervously until
he spotted another brown-haired student. You would never have he was tall unless
you glanced at his unruly feet, which were twice the size of "normal" feet, but
what do you consider "normal?" His slouched position straightened slightly as he
walked over to the one he recognized, shaking long bangs out of his eyes.
Tapping the boy's back with a strong second finger, he muttered, "Hey."
	Discontinuing his conversation with Seishou Kouseinou, he turned around to see
who had dropped by now, popular with quite a few people. Brown eyes widened as
they met eyes a shade darker than his light brown one's, perhaps considered
mahogany. "Konnichiwa, Yuuichiro-kun. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."
	Smirking, he replied, "I thought your fortune-teller powers told you
everything? Do tell me your name, I'm sure they don't call you "Greg" in this
life."
	"Keep your voice down. I didn't call you "Chad," those names are gaijin. My
name is Urawa Ryo, may I present gen-I mean, Seishou Kouseinou?"
	Peering at him through the brown bangs that had fallen back into his eyes,
Yuuichiro grinned. "Konnichiwa, Kouseinou-san. Once our merry little groups
meets up with "Ace", I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."
	Raising one silver eyebrow, the confused general, having noted the exchange
between the two, felt a headache coming on. "Kouseinou-kun is fine. ‘Ace?' Ah, I
recall now, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy, wasn't he?"
	"Quite right. You remember me, High General?" While Ryo glanced at him sharply,
the brunette shrugged at waited for his answer. 'I didn't say anything about our
little....troupe.'
	Frowning slightly, sighing as an onslaught of memories came on again, his
silver eyes lit up with recognition. "You were Princess Mars's friend, the one
in the army, weren't you?"
	While he received a quick nod in reply, another man sitting on the other side
of the table snickered at them and passed them the Time magazine. "Friends, they
haven't discovered aliens on Mars yet, if you haven't noticed. The front page
talks about some actor in London returning to Japan to attend Juuban High, a
Torit Sukareru. But maybe on the planets where YOU weirdos come from but
definitely not on Earth."
~		*		~		*		~
	Resting her chin on her hands, Mizuno Ami tried not to dose off as the teacher
adjusted the overhead projector and droned on....and on....and on. She couldn't
remember when school had been boring and sleep so comfortable-besides this
morning's struggle to get up, of course. Since the projector was in use, her
teacher had turned off the lights....and it would be so nice just to take a
quick wink, ne? Shaking herself awake after she realized that she had really,
truly been sleeping in class for a minute, she flushed a rich plum and looked
around to see if the teacher had noticed. Sighing with relief and scolding
herself for falling asleep, she noticed at the brunette who sat diagonal from
her was sleeping for longer than a few seconds. M and K were quite close in the
alphabet. Debating with herself for a moment, she quickly cast a glance at her
sensei, then stretched out her leg and kicked Kino Makoto awake. Emerald green
eyes shot open accusingly as she nearly let out a yelp, then looked at Ami
gratefully. Unfortunately, the boy next to her had witnessed the strange events
and smirked openly. Leaning forward oh-so-slightly, he whispered with amusement
and sharp sarcasm, "Hey, Mizuno-SAN, sleeping in class for the first time? What
happened, did you not get enough sleep while cramming?"
	Before either of the two could retaliate (Makoto believed, with firm
conviction, that a good kick in an unmentionable place would have done him a
world of good.), the sensei finally overhead a snatch of conversation, the
slightest hint of sound in the room-everyone was snoring. "Excuse ME,
Sukareru-san. It was, in my belief, that the schools in London didn't allow
talking while others were, but you may enlighten me in the unlikely event that I
am incorrect. Iie? Well then, care to share with the class what you were saying
to Ami-san and Makoto-san?"
	"Iie, sensei."
	"Perhaps you'd forgotten that Valentine's Day is not celebrated in Japan (I
have no clue if this is accurate or not, let's just say it isn't),
Sukareru-san." The sensei's sharp eyes flashed, annoyed, muddy brown eyes made a
watery, unreal blue with the technological development of contacts. "Remember,
if I catch you talking more than once, you will stay thirty seconds after the
bell."
	"Hai, senshi." When she had turned back to her notes, running a hand through
dyed-blond hair, he shrugged nonchalantly and hissed to his seat-partner,
"Stupid old bat, isn't-"
	"TORIT SUKARERU!" The whole class jumped, now startled awake, and rubbed their
eyes sleepily. "Thirty seconds after class!"
	Dully, flashing his venomous look to the poor floor (Ami was sure, although her
principles of logic, physics, and science defied her, that it had actually
shrunk back to create a tiny crater in the tiles....but she could have been
wrong, almost every classroom had holes in their floors.), he apologized, "Gomen
nasai, sensei. Hai."
	Makoto gently kicked her blue-haired friend, with a hard detour for Sukareru,
and grinned smugly. "Serves him right."
	"MS. KINO!" the teacher hollered, veins and fake blue eyes bulging out of her
forehead. "Do YOU have something you would like to share with the class a well,
besides joining Sukareru-san after class?"
	Joining the blonde with a hateful glance at the ground, she muttered, "Iie,
sensei. Gomen nasai." Meanwhile, Ami sighed. It was going to be another long
day.......but when had a school day felt short?
~		*		~		*		~
	Savagely, Aino Minako pressed "Delete" about five times, grinding her teeth.
Dryly, Usagi looked up from her manga and said, "I think all the messages are
gone now. Care to stop before you break the poor thing?"
	Blushing, the blonde replied, "Hai."
	"I don't get why you're so angry, anyway. It must be so romantic to have a
secret admirer that leaves you so many phone messages.
	Dryly, she explained (wincing all the while), "It's not exactly secret if I
know who he is, right? Anyway, I don't like the guy, he gives me the creeps for
some reason. Hey, have you seen Artemis? I haven't spotted the old fleabag
around here in a while."
	"I'm sure he'll turn up, maybe okaa-san let him out to go to the bathroom or
something," shrugged Usagi, unconcerned. In HER opinion, the CAT gave her the
creeps, sending chills up her spine. Something about him just seemed mysterious,
unknown to her, and she felt as if she should know the message he was trying to
send her.
	Unconvinced, as the worry in her crystal blue eyes gave her away, Mina agreed,
"Sure..hey, Usa-chan, I'm going to go out for a while, okay?"
	"Where to, the Crown Arcade, with the hunky Motoki-kun? If you are, I wanna go,
too!" squealed the meatball headed teenager, eyes going starry.
	Refraining from laughing, her friend shook her head. "Gomen, but you can go by
yourself."
	"It's no fun alone. So where ARE you going?"
	"Um...." Evasively, Minako thought of the perfect excuse, as the place's name
just came to her mind, almost tugging at her. "There's a shrine around here, ne?
I'm....interested in that stuff, you know, think you could give me the name so I
don't show up looking and sounding like a baka?"
	Raising her eyebrows, she supplied, "Hikawa Shrine. You're not a baka,
Mina-chan. But ooh, watch out! Naru-chan said her boyfriend Gurio Umino told her
the head priestess there is scary, cursed by demons, and that everyone's afraid
of her."
	"For kami-sama's sake, Sere-chan, you don't really believe all that trash, do
you? Arigato, ja!"
	"Ja ne....." Softly, after the golden-haired girl had disappeared, the front
door shut, she added, "I don't believe in that trash, but I don't believe in
what you gave me either. Mina-chan, what are you hiding from me?"
~		*		~		*		~
	"You...you...you!" spluttered Aoao, flying after a hapless Tansei furiously.
"What did you call me?"
	Looking back over his shoulder, he winked at her with bright black eyes and
teased, "You catch me first, then I'll tell you. 'Bright green,' my-OUCH!"
	Sighing, one raven-haired miko winced at the impact of having the small bird
smash into her, she missed the lime-green one by about an inch or two. "What are
you two DOING? Dajibou, Tansei-kun?"
	"I will be...." he muttered groggily, trying to stretch his wings again. After
Rei had opened her hands, hiding her giggles, he managed to right himself and
hover in the air.
	Grumpily, Aoao came back and settled on Makoto, who had just appeared from her
extracurricular *cough* training *cough* activities. Sticking out her tongue at
her new....comrade, she sniffed. "He made fun of me....."
	"Rei-chan, I feel bad for you. You've seriously spent an hour supervising our
guardians?" asked the brunette, eyebrows raised. She gestured at Koori and
Shippou, comparing notes and watching each other warily, Phobos and Deimos
perched on something or another nearby, keeping an eye on the larger Hokushin,
and Tokage with Luna and Artemis, the cats's fur standing up, the lizard
camouflaging wildly. "They don't look too happy, huh?"
	"You bet," she sighed tiredly. "Did Ami-chan stay after with you? She was
supposed to pick up Koori-chan a while back."
	Aoao, hurt at being ignored, flew a bit to land on her charge's head. "She's
outside, talking to some blond girl that wandered here by mistake or something,
and hai, she did stay after. I'll get the fussy crustacean."
	"Arigato," thanked Makoto, petting her gently. The green bird flew off,
satisfied, while she asked her friend, "Are you going to go see that visitor or
what?"
	"Hai, hai," muttered Rei, mind preoccupied with a fire reading that had
displayed a girl so beautiful that her loveliness was almost unearthly, with
shimmering gold hair and large blue eyes....speaking of which, she was standing
at the top of the great stone steps, chatting with Ami. "Konnichiwa?" Both
turned, smiling for some reason. THAT was certainly strange, the blue-haired
girl didn't really smile or laugh that much, to her knowledge.
	"Konnichiwa. Minako-chan, may I introduce Hino Rei? She lives at the temple
with her grandfather, who is the head priest, and my other friend, Kino Makoto.
Rei-chan, this is Aino Minako."
	"Pleased to meet you."
	"Me, too," the girl smiled warmly, and Rei and Ami felt as if a bright light
had suddenly come on, illuminating everything in the dying sunset. "I just
dropped by to see if my cat, Artemis-kun, had wandered here."
	Exchanging an odd look with each other, they simultaneously nodded and pulled
her into the temple, and she didn't protest, despite her surprise. "Artemis no
baka, who is she?"
	The white cat came up, eyes growing wide as he spotted his mistress.
"Ah....konnichiwa, Mina-chan."
	"Nani? Artemis-kun, you talk in front of......three humans, one eagle, two
birds, two crows ("glad she could tell the difference," Artemis muttered),
another cat, a crab, and a snake-EEEE!!!!"
	"I never thought you were the one for hysterics, Minako-chan. Girls, suit up."
	Obeying blindly, knowing there was some good reason for this, called:
	"Jupiter Power!"
	"Mars Power!"
	"Mercury Power"
	While the blonde stood there, staring, Artemis smiled innocently. "Mina-chan,
these are the senshi of Tokyo, Ms. Jupiter, Kino Makoto. Mars, Hino Rei. And
last, but not least, you're the last ("I better not be least, too") one, and
senshi Mercury is Mizuno Ami. Remember Sailor V?"
	"Uh huh," she commented skeptically, backing away from the midnight-black cat
that was glowering threateningly at the misfortunate white one.
	"That was a minor code name for fighting crime in London. (He ignored three
"Nani?"s from the other girls.) You are the fourth and last senshi-"
	"Of the Inner senshi, that is."
	All too patiently, he said, "I KNEW that, Luna-chan, shut it for a moment. As I
was saying *pointed glare*, you are the senshi and defender of Venus, the planet
of love and beauty."
	Sweetly, she asked, "Did you know that, if I wasn't already Sailor V, I would
have fainted?"
	"Oh yeah," he muttered.
	"And lastly, to surprise me, am I supposed to say 'Venus Power!'"
	Weakly, trying to ignore death glares from all the clueless people around him
(nine guardians and three senshi), he replied, "That would be nice.
Transformation pen's in your Lunar space pocket."
	"What in the name of kami-sama is THAT?"
	*sweatdrop*
~		*		~		*		~
	Beaming affably at the three assembled gens, Chiba Mamoru settled into a large
chair that eerie resembled a throne, while the generals uneasily stood behind
the three chairs, two on his left, one on his right. Habit and memories of the
Silver Millennium caused them to act this way, except Kasen, but something was
tugging at him that made him do so. "Be seated. If you haven't noticed,
Souya-kun, that empty chair beside your's is for Kunzite. But that's another
matter," his black eyes went even darker, if that was possible. "We are here to
discuss my buying of our now unnamed corporation and what happens now."
	"Eh........Mamoru-kun? Exactly what are you planning to do? And what part do we
play, as 'uneducated' college students?"
	Strangely, his smile stayed, although becoming rather twisted. "I'm glad you
asked that question, Kyosei-kun. I will be, of course, attending graduate
school. For appearance's sake, of course. We already have our nice cover, I just
have to visit them occasionally and check that they are working and not
suspecting a thing. I want you all to pick some special people, the should and
must be the best. Yosouya-kun, you're in charge of research, the knowledge
department-"
	"And anything crystal," joked Kasen. He gulped, but the ebony-haired prince
just nodded and went along with him, trying not to discuss why he was
so.....peculiar.
	"Quite right. Kyosei-kun, stargazer, you might work closely with Souya-kun
sometimes. You can continue those interesting astronomy habits with any and all
astronomers you can find, see if we can draw power from those balls of gases as
well."
	Since he hadn't gone on to further address the blond-haired, blue-eyed gen,
Tabiki Kasen asked, "And me, Mamoru-kun?"
	"You? Why.....I have a very interesting job for you."
	*gulp* "You...do?"
	"For the most part, you will work with me-for example, finding a trustworthy
secretary. And don't look at her face, if she is a woman" he added sharply. "We
want mind over matter; your own underlings can be beautiful, brainless women.
Onwards. I'll need you also to work with you brother, the poor guy. You're going
to be quite busy, Yosouya-kun. Come up with a quick and efficient brainwashing
method with Kasen-kun, since his powers tie in with auras, that should be
helpful. Anymore questions?"
	Biting back the echoing "HAI!", Kousei Kyosei asked, "When can we start
interviews? As soon as we finish college or whatever? Also, procedures should be
outlined. Should we consult you to approve selections and such, how many people,
for example."
	"Good question, very good," nodded Mamoru approvingly. "I'm glad to see that
your minds haven't gone to pieces during the last thousand years or so.
Interviews? Anytime you want, even tonight, although I would recommend sleeping
in. You can 'cut through the red tape', as they say, for anyone except those
that work the most with you, not necessarily secretaries, but those that will
catch glimpses of...unsettling occurrences and closer peeks at your work. Not
the ones that obey orders blindly, like creating a hundred crystal reflectors.
Speaking of which, have our intelligence department run a quick background check
for your people, though. Who might that be?"
	The blonde and brunette pointed to Kouseki Yosouya, who jumped and waved
nervously. "Uh, hai, I think that's me."
	"Hai," he replied simply. "Another building besides this one is being built in
downtown Juuban, where most of the 'action' happens. Consult the architect I've
hired for details in your offices, you'll each have one. Dismissed, or any more
questions?" The ill-fated and luckless Kasen raised his hand and then yanked it
down quickly, turning a brick red. They weren't in kindergarten anymore, nor
were they required to raise hands. Slightly amused, the black-eyed prince nodded
to him.
	"Eh....who exactly IS the architect?"
	"Oh, stupid of me." Three photographs and slips of paper landed in front of the
three before Chiba Mamoru disappeared. They gawked at the empty chair left
behind while a chuckle was heard, accompanied by, "Meiou Setsuna. The senshi of
Pluto in this life."
	Still staring, Yosouya asked breathlessly, "The one they call 'the
Timekeeper?'"
	"The one and only."
~		*		~		*		~
	Close to tears, senshi Venus examined herself in the customary fuku:
sailor-type uniform with orange skirt, collar, and sandals, white body part,
dark blue bow fastened with a gold heart, a strip of orange fabric that fit like
a choker but was quite comfortable, and shoulder length white gloves ending in
rolls of the same color topped by orange. The small gold dots she had been
wearing were replaced by slightly larger orange circles, and she was beginning
to feel as if she was surrounded by that interesting-hued fruit. Like her Sailor
V uniform, her hair was caught back in a large band of red silk.
	The other's uniforms were the same, while Mars had red where there was orange
and a purple bow, with dangling crimson star earrings.  She was also blessed
with high heels of the same color.
	Jupiter's colors were green and pink, the rose earrings that had been fastened
in her ears in civilian form were still there, as was her high ponytail-although
green (Rei's hair was also still down and flowing, now a vibrant red, causing
Minako to wonder how their hair was going to keep from getting tangled). She
also had ankle-length green boots.
	Ami's short hairstyle hadn't changed, although the tint seemed slightly
different, she had gained a number of small earrings that resembled Venus's,
colors being blue and a lighter shade, and she was gifted to have knee or thigh
length boots.
	  "We...are not...running around in short skirts, gloves, and high heels, boots
or no boots!"
	"Darling, you've got sandals," said Rei dryly.
	"And you've got high-heeled slippers!" she shot back.
	Annoyed, Luna snapped, "There's no point in complaining to us! We weren't the
idiots who designed these uniforms, and be glad they're bullet-proof, not that
you'll be up against them-I hope. Don't ask me who did, I have no clue, senshi
were around before my great-great-great-great grandmother was born. What? Why
are you bowing?"
	Her last question had been directed to the guardians of the generals, eagle,
bird, snake, and lizard. Shippou spoke for them all, still bowed. "Luna, they
are the princesses, the lost princesses."
	"Nani???!!"
	*sweatdrop* Phobos and Deimos glared darkly at them. "You weren't supposed to
let them know about that...."
	"We were princesses?"
	Artemis wished he had never been appointed guardian of the Princess Mina of
Venus, more than a thousand years ago. "I thought you knew when you got back
your memories. Yes, since you all seem to have forgotten, it was the first time
that anyone could remember that all eight senshi were the planetary princesses
and sole heirs to the throne."
	"Girl power!" grinned Jupiter. "Now I see. Wait, there are four others?"
	"Outers."
	"Nani?!"
	*sweatdrops*
	The four guardians not part of the jolly group backed out the door, still bent
at the waist, or whatever they had in substitute. "Our apologies, we'll have to
take some rain-checks for the verbal battling. See you!"
	Koori mumbled, "Wimps," while Aoao chirped in dissatisfied agreement.
~		*		~		*		~
	Walking home through the darkening sky, an unnatural shade of purple, Chiba
Mamoru shivered. He still remembered, quite clearly, the end of the Silver
Millennium and the senshi of Saturn's last words to him.
*flashback*
	"So we meet again, Endymion."
	"Please, Hotaru, do you know where Serenity is?"
	Regarding him with curious amethyst eyes, a bit like Rei's, she nodded. "She's
in the throne room, with her mother and Venus. Be careful, Beryl has new tricks
up her sleeve."
	"I will.'
	As he turned to leave, she stopped him one more time, hair matching her eyes
(usually it was black) blowing about her wildly. "Take care of her, Endymion."
	"What do you mean?"
	"I'm not going to survive this fight," she said softly, hoisting her glaive,
shiny metal reflecting throughout the battle field.
	An icy chill stole over his heart, she was so young. "What do you mean? Of
course you will!"
	Smiling faintly, eerily, she shook her head this time around. "You can't tell
the future, Endy. Only Pluto has, and she has seen these events unfold. Listen
to me now, for what I say will be important in the events to come. Don't ever
break your vow to protect the  princess."
	"I would never do that, and I'll swear it again. I will always, for all
eternity, protect Princess Serenity, the Princess and Heir of the Moon Kingdom."
	Her voice drifted away as she ran towards a beckoning Neptune senshi, aqua hair
and eyes shining sadly. However, it still carried. "Remember, Endymion, you
promised me, and you promised her......you promised me.......you promised
me....."
*end flashback*
	Suddenly covered in a shimmery sheen of sweat, he gasped and tried to draw a
breath. He HAD promised her, before the total destruction of the Moon Kingdom
and the annihilation of his soul. But now, he had a different mission. At all
costs, she was to be captured and drained of all energy she possessed, as well
as any artifacts she retained. His eyes, slowly turning from clear, intense blue
to black again, glowed darkly.
	The voice always present hissed, 'Remember....I want the Silver Crystal!'
	'And you shall have it!' he snapped, still breathing hard.
	Despite his tone and pledge to the voice, his eyes filled and wavered between
the two pigments, Hotaru's childlike voice, even as the Destroyer, carried on
the wind in his mind. She cried, tears flowing freely from luminous purple eyes,
"You promised me, Endymion! You promised her! You promised me.......you promised
me........"
~		*		~		*		~