Time has been like this for a while. Dragging on with the days as their lives turned to something that remotely resembled a schedule of someone down the street. Which was weird, to say the least.

Henshin. Battle. Attack. Missions. Success. Failure.

Rinse and repeat.

All of it was so foreign now. They felt idle and frankly…. Useless now. So much was concentrated on their mission, and now that the battles were done and their objective was… somewhat achieved, they were at a loss of what to do. Yes they had lives outside of their duty, and were using those lives now the best they could. It was just unexpected that they would still be living. The fact that they could have perished in their battles at any given time was a clear and present possibility which weighed down on them. Constantly.

Idle minds like idle hands should not be left to their own devices. In any situation.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru were all studying throughout the living room and TV area, with various books open and extra pens scattered about the place, so if one ran out, a new one will be flying towards you via a helpful hand. However that didn’t happen very often.

Hotaru became bored with her books as she sat on the edge of the coffee table with the books open on the clear glass surface.

Hotaru was also periodically throwing small marble-sized paper balls at Haruka, whom was sitting at the end of the couch with her legs crossed, reading a smaller-sized book. Poor Haruka tried her best not to let the onslaught of crumpled paper bother her, and decided just to ignore it for the time being. At least she has put up with a lot more than a few intruding paper balls in the past.

There also happened to be a slight twitch starting to become more and more apparent in her eyebrows. Good. This was a good sign to Hotaru.

It was so quiet in the apartment that the introduction of a phone ringing startled the two in the living room area slightly just before Michiru dropped the dish rag and picked it up off the cradle.

Hotaru also took this distraction as an opportunity to increase the size and pace of her paper madness on Haruka, and the vein in her forehead increased with each one as the Sky Senshi tried to ignore her. As Michiru’s voice was muffled as she faced away from the living area, Haruka could take no more.

Haruka threw her book down on the glass table in front of her and went after Hotaru, whom immediately ran away from her, going around the living room couches and chairs a few times before going behind Michiru herself for guard.

“Get over here!” Haruka demanded as she pointed to the tiled floor in front of her. Hotaru still hid behind her adoptive Mother, gripping onto her arms.

“Do you mind, I’m on the phone.” Michiru said, offended yet calm, before she walked away from the two, to sit down in the still warm seat which her lover once occupied. After a few sweeps of her hand to make sure she didn’t sit down on one paper ball from one of the several piles collecting around the area.

At the same time, Hotaru immediately moved away from Haruka once Michiru left her to fend on her own. The chase continued as the phone call ended, as the fact that Haruka could have easily caught Hotaru any time she wanted to, however it was half joking, - half serious at this point.

Once Michiru clicked off the portable phone, she swept her hand over the surface of the coffee table again to clear a spot, and headed over to a small shelf behind the main couch. While the chase continued through the apartment, Michiru loaded up the camera and took a quick snap shot as the two raced literally by her, and took a few more shots for good measure.

The chase ended finally with Hotaru giving up when Haruka cornered her again, and leaned against the wall as she ducked, and used her arms for cover.

Never again will they mention this.

She will arrive soon. The one that will change everything on this rotten planet. Our master is upon us, and the change will begin. Flesh will meet magic, and our bodies will transform into something that the other worthless humans here will never comprehend.

She will be upon us, and free us from these human confines. We are now the Kindred, and forever shall be.

We shall inherit this world, and destroy the ones inferior to us.

We are the Kindred.

Until she comes for us, we shall wait.



Ami finally had enough.

Especially dealing with Usagi and her studying dysfunction, her mind had finally tied itself into a knot, and only fresh air would be able to relieve the confusion and frustration she felt. It’s true, she wanted her friend to do well, but she wasn’t sure at all if Usagi was putting through the effort she was giving to her as a response. This is the only way a student and teacher can continue working, is if the student continually works on whatever they were trying to work through.

Thinking too much lately has seemed to effect all of the senshi as of late - there‘s no more enemies to battle, no more emergencies. All of them going forward with their lives and careers, but it was always this doubt floating around in the back of their minds, waiting for a moment like this to become a real problem.

So this was Ami’s moment to doubt.

She was going to go to University soon. To be a doctor like her Mother. If she was concentrating on Usagi’s studying as well as her own, would her friend’s education be first in her mind? Would her attention be diverted so much that she would fall behind?

All signs point to maybe.

After all, we can’t have a Future Queen failing her entrance exams. And whichever role she was going to take in the future city of crystal, she would have to do the best she can in this situation. And besides, if she took a different path, no matter how slightly different it was to what she took before, would it alter the future in a significant way? What if the path she took now had such an effect that it would compromise something important?

She would like to hope not.

She would speak to the others as soon as she returned home, and to shake off this doubt as soon as she could. However, the clean air and setting sun was just too irresistible to leave at the moment.

If only she could stay here longer.



A woman ran through the Shizen Koen, half limping from a gashing wound on her leg, her body riddled with scrapes, gashes, and bruises. She had, or used to have dark black hair, now stained with dirt and sticky with blood, her eyes once a bright blue, now clouded over with pain and exhaustion. The same was with her once white and light peach dress with gold accents, now torn in random places, with one of her hands holding closed a tear going all across her stomach.

She kept on whimpering the same words; ‘shrine‘, and ‘Priestess Rei’ over and over again, trying her best to keep her balance as she ran so she wouldn’t inflict more pain on herself than she already has.

The woman ran right by Ami. Ami however, looked around for camera crews and movie trailers and the like, but found nothing. This park was famous for being the setting to many movies, including a Western Film. But there was nothing. Not even a boom mic operator.

Ami quickly gathered her belongings and raced after the woman, having no doubt that she was racing towards Rei’s home. What Ami doubted was her ability to climb those stairs in the condition the woman was in. Ami worried both about her emotional and physical state, the Doctor in Ami surfacing in herself, asking a million questions in but a second.

It took no time at all to reach the woman, and caught up with her as she lost her footing on the first stair and almost fell. But of course, Ami wouldn’t let that happen. The woman was still able to stand, but barely on her own power anymore. She was panting and looked wild and desperate, and still mumbled those two words over and over. Like those words comforted her, helped her keep her sanity, perhaps.

Ami offered her hand as a symbol that she was there to help her, but the woman was hesitant, and reeled away from her, afraid. Ami then put both hands out, as a symbol that she had no weapons with her, and decided just to try to reason with her. The shrine needed one less raving idiot running about; they already had one in odango.

“I’m a friend of Hino Rei.” Ami said calmly, the woman almost collapsing onto her immediately afterwards for support.

Both relieved (as either one could be dangerous to the other), the two stumbled their way up the steps to the Shrine, with Ami fairly certain that Rei was there at this time of day.



“Should we tell the others?”

The young Miko had asked her brown haired friend here half an hour ago, and have been speaking to each other since. The two stayed outside the shrine in the bird sanctuary area to the side of the Shrine itself, as Rei has been cooped up inside, trying and failing to find any kind of word from the spirits. Makoto was filling up the bird feeders, while Rei did her usual job and swept in the area. The leaves were falling quickly this year, and it was difficult to keep up with them, especially considering her current situation.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to worry them, but on the other hand, it might be important.” Rei worried, methodically sweeping the ground as the thought very hard on the situation with the counsel of a good friend. One that she trusted at that. “For the first time in a long time…. I don’t know what to do about this.”

There was an awkward pause. Knowing her friend, Makoto considered briefly, she would have to carry most if not all of the conversation.

“Think of it this way; it couldn‘t hurt.” Makoto pointed out. “If something effects you, it effects all of us, Rei.”

“I know.” Rei paused. “Believe me, I know. But this has been happening so gradually ever since Sailor Galaxia and the Starlights left, I just brushed it off as just the calm after the storm so to speak up until now. But… I don’t know.”

“If we’ve learned anything at all in the past years, is that it’s better safe than sorry. Even that thing with Usagi and Selene a while ago, it’s the same with you, Rei. We can’t brush this thing off.” Makoto explained, worried now. “Rei, this might be dangerous to your health and even your life. We don’t know unless we tell the others and let them know.”

“Especially now. We need to preserve the peace of Earth for Crystal Tokyo.” Rei said almost monotonously at what Makoto would have said next. “I know, Makoto, I know. You‘re right… I’ll tell them in the morning.”

“See? I didn’t even have to tell you that.” Makoto joked and laughed before continuing. “You did most of the convincing.”

Rei smiled from her friend’s encouragement, and finally finished the bulk of her chores. The outside air and the friendly company were doing her some good, as she felt some of the weight on her shoulders that has been accumulating over the past weeks slowly lift up. She was glad for times like these, especially now as a good friend can do wonders.



At the same time, back at the Shrine, the two friends stayed in a comfortable, calm silence until the hurried, uneven footsteps interrupted it. It was Ami, helping a young woman up the stairs, whom afterwards both collapsed after the last step leading up to the Shrine. Rei and Makoto ran up to the girl and knelt down so they could hear her more clearly.

“What happened, Ami?” Makoto asked quickly, placing a hand on the shoulder of the woman.

The woman took a few more breaths, after days of running, and looked directly to Rei.

“…. Priestess Hino Rei?” she asked as she whispered, still panting from her efforts just to get to this point.

“Yes.” Rei said, concerned as she nodded her head. “Can you tell me your name?”

“My name…. Is Yoki… Priestess Yoki…. I have traversed many worlds to get to you. Please, you must listen to me!” The woman now known as Yoki panicked, nearly fainted onto the stone ground. Luckily, Makoto was able to catch her before any more harm could befall her.

“Makoto, please help me take her inside the Shrine.” Rei asked, helping Yoki to her feet to try to get her to rest on a softer surface than stone. Yoki stumbled the first few steps, but the majority of her weight was on Makoto and Rei, thankfully, with Ami close by.



It was not known just how long Yoki had been traveling; it could have been days, weeks, or possibly even months on end she had spent rushing to seek Rei. What was also a mystery of how Yoki would know about the Priestess being from a planet so far away from Earth, never to mention how much of a reputation that Rei had outside of the surrounding worlds at all.

Rei had helped Yoki wash her hair, and left her so she could clean herself off in privacy from the remains of her journeying, and was slow going since there were so many open wounds. Afterwards, Rei gave Yoki a spare Priestess garment, one that was used as a spare for a time like this, and helped the woman dress her numerous wounds. What remained of her previous dress was stored away in a box, in case Yoki would like it back at any time in the future. Although it was doubtful.

Meanwhile, Makoto and Ami had set up a Futon roll on the guest room’s floor for Yoki to lay upon to recover, but she refused to rest. Makoto fixed up some tea and some tea biscuits from the kitchen, slightly disappointed that there was basically no more preparation than boiling water.



The trio were now settled in the room with Yoki wrapped up comfortably seated on the futon, ready to hear what Yoki so desperately needed to tell them.

“I come from a Planet quite far from here.” Yoki began as she sipped her tea, trying to warm up her hands. “My world was beautiful; grand trees, high buildings, exquisite art, literary works and music. We did have our troubles, but overall, we were very happy. I was a Priestess in the High Temple of Ciarna in the largest city on the Planet, which was inside a much larger Castle, in which the ruling family resided.

“But… Then there was the day she came.” Yoki choked on her words, and suppressed her tears. “She…. She was merciless. She decimated the entire Kingdom within hours. Her powers were unimaginable. She killed families, men, women and children. I was in the central castle protecting the royal family, whilst my Princess morphed into the senshi of our planet and met her death to the hands of Sailor Syrin. After she was done with the Princess, she turned her sights to the royal family, and slaughtered them in front of my eyes. I don’t know why she spared my life. Quite possibly that I would flee the planet and come to seek your aide.

“I heard of Sailor Syrin beforehand, though. She was a criminal from the Chaos Wars so long ago. Sailor Syrin was once one of Sailor Galaxia’s most trusted Generals, but fell under the spell that Chaos wielded, and turned against her, and took out several hundred of her army as she fled from combat. She has been taking out her anger on the stars ever since, mercilessly killing on a whim, and committing unspeakable acts of terror upon the peoples in the Galaxy.

“I fear for my life, Priestess Hino. Please, I must ask for asylum here and protection from this criminal. Please, will you and Sailor Moon help me? You’re my final hope.” Yoki finished, crying fully now, tears rolling freely down her cheeks upon having to remember the horrors that she had to endure. Makoto, Rei and Ami were now looking at each other, half in amazement, and half in shock. It wasn’t every day that someone came from millions of kilometers away. It wasn’t long until…

“We’ll help you!” Makoto stood up, enthusiastically, as she readied her mighty fists for one mighty smack down.

“We’ve been looking for something to do.” Ami said from the far wall. Rei came over and knelt down in front of her guest.

“You have the protection of our Senshi. You will be safe here.” Rei obligated herself, along with the rest of her friends to battle against whatever would come next thanks to this woman they barely knew.

“We’re going to need to call the others. They should all know right away.” Ami pointed out. “I’ll contact Usagi first.”

While Ami contacted the rest of the senshi through their standard issue communicator, Rei and Makoto tried to make their guest as comfortable as possible. The three shared stories, and tried to empathize - as much as possible - with Yoki’s situation. Yoki was still shaky at this point, but will be forever grateful that Rei had decided to take her in and give her the protection she has been seeking. The very inkling of thought that Yoki had about Sailor Syrin, no matter how faint it was, sent shivers down to her very core. Yoki expressed this fact to the other two while Ami was still speaking to the others, and in turn Rei and Makoto tried to keep her mind off of the current situation, sharing stories about mindless things; makeup, television, movies, even old legends of Earth.

It wouldn’t be long now until the others started to pile into the Shrine. Ami tried to express it to Minako and Usagi especially that their enthusiasm, when usually it would pick up the spirits of the others, would not be appropriate right now, taking into account Yoki’s fragile state. Anything could and most likely would upset her, making the situation worse than it already has become.

< The next little while should prove to be really interesting. > Ami thought, while making small talk with the Hikawa Jinja’s new guest.



The next few days were uncomfortable at the very least. Yoki was especially jittery, and there was no less than one of the senshi at the Hikawa Jinja at one given time. The constant looming of doom from above due to this Sailor Syrin character had them all worried, as they didn’t really know what to expect from this new refugee or from her enemy. For all they knew, they were on borrowed time, waiting for the axe to fall from above.

What was even more puzzling is the question why none of them had heard of this Sailor Syrin before. Was this senshi so dreadful, so fearsome that her name was never mentioned since her betrayal? Everyone’s minds were so fuddled up with unanswered questions and worries, that it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

For Rei though, this was something that she most certainly had to put to the back of her mind. Since she did a great job long ago helping to put together one of the neighborhood festivals, this year she was one of the head organizers to the Aki Matsuri, or the Fall Seasonal Festival. Or so she was voted to be. Something like this came at the worst time actually, but she figured it would be a great diversion from the current events in her life.

It would certainly get her out and about from being cooped up inside the Shrine, straining herself for one of her once comforting visions. It could quite possibly pick Yoki’s spirits up, and would give Rei a chance to introduce some of Japan’s culture to her. Couldn’t hurt at all, if she did it right.

Could this Sailor Syrin be the reason she hasn’t received visions? Did the powers of this senshi grow so enormously that it was effecting her own powers of sight? Were the gods not communicating to her because Sailor Syrin was upon them, dooming them to death…

… or was it Sailor Syrin‘s own doing, as she was already here?

Chapter Eight