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Earth
Urani looked over the readouts on the modifications to be done the Kinmoku cruisers and frowned. "Kageshirou, do you really think we need that many cruisers with these new weapons?"
Kageshirou nodded. "If not more. Earth has no space defenses. Zero. Their idea of space travel is going back and forth to that tiny little station they built. Do you know how much fuel they waste just getting their shuttles into space?" He sighed, turning to face the young telepath. "'Rani ..."
"Don't. I've heard it enough from everyone, even when they're not speaking. I won't relax until Dema and my sisters are home and Kara is dead." Urani turned a glare on the redhead, only to see him staring at him in shock. "Do you think I don't mean it? I want to-"
"No! I know you mean it. Urani, why didn't you tell us?"
Urani frowned. "Tell you what?"
Kageshirou grinned as he reached over and pulled the younger man's ponytail. "That you inherited the traits of a pure-blood."
Urani's glare returned as he turned to fully face the redhead. As he turned, he caught sight of himself in one of the screens on a nearby computer. "What the- ... I'm a ... girl?!"
Kageshirou had to hold on to the edge of the table to keep from falling out of his chair. "It can be ... a bit ... disturbing ... the first ... first time," he replied, between bouts of laughter. He ignored the glares from the younger alien as he stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, cousin ... let's take you to see Auntie Naru."
"I'm not letting anyone see me like this! It's ... it's ..." Urani sputtered as she looked at herself in the mirror. A distant memory flashed through her mind and she found herself suddenly grinning. "Maybe you're right, Kageshirou. Maybe we do need to see Auntie Naru."
Kageshirou watched his cousin as the grin turned suddenly cold and predatory. "Um ... Urani ... do I even want to know?"
"Kara's premonition. When I got here, I thought ... I thought it meant Rei-chan, but it doesn't ... he didn't see her ... he saw me."
Kakyuu stood in the middle of the living room of the mostly unused house and forced herself to count from one to one hundred in every language she knew. She made it through Kinmokunai, but at ten in Japanese, she screamed. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I MARRIED THAT SON OF A-"
"Dema!?"
Kakyuu jumped and turned to look at her oldest child. "Kageshirou, what are you ... what ..." She caught sight of the black-haired girl behind him and frowned. "What's going on?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Kageshirou eyed her carefully as he stepped into the room. While she had been screaming, her powers had flashed. He was grateful she chose not to do this in the mansion, but there were still several people around who could have gotten hurt. "What did he do this time?"
"He betrayed us! That son of a ... Alvarson-sama just contacted me. He has proof that Meiya's ship has been transmitting signals back to the Hrrrrunai home-world. And this morning ... this morning ... he-"
Urani cocked her head to the side and watched the redhead as she spoke. When Kakyuu became too upset to speak, she picked up the conversation from the older woman's thoughts. "He broadcast a speech to Earth, revealing Kakyuu-hime as a Senshi. He then proceeded to list the names of known Senshi. We have been ... exposed?" She turned to Kageshirou, wondering what the word meant and was easily able to pick it up from his thoughts. Along with several disturbing images of what he'd like to do to Meiya.
"Dema, if we get everyone to the ships now, we can-"
"No. No, Usagi-sama has already said that ... no matter what happens, we will not run. I just ... had to vent my anger over everything." Kakyuu smiled slightly at her son, then turned to Urani. "Now I know who you are. But I didn't know you could do that."
Kageshirou forced a grin. "Neither did she. We were just on our way to see Umino-san. I think ... I think Urani is the next StarFighter."
Gaea
"So this is the young lady that has caused quite a stir in my palace." Venus stepped over to the young girl and knelt in front of her. "You've got my warriors on edge, young lady. They've never seen anyone that could do what you do before."
Shi grinned slightly and mumbled something in Kinmokunai. At the confused looks, she switched back to Japanese. "Everybody can do it where I come from. But not as quick me and Miyo-" Her grin faded and she stared down at her hands.
Venus frowned slightly. "Who is Miyo? And what is your name? You've not left Rosa's side long enough for me to ask."
Shi self-consciously stepped back against the older woman's legs. "Miyo is ... my sister. My twin." The young blonde forced herself to look up into the vaguely familiar blue eyes in front of her. "My name is Shi Rinai Tamura. I am the second eldest daughter of Lady StarFighter of Kinmoku and Enishi Tamura of Hrrrr. I am Guardian to the Royal Family and a defender of Kinmoku. I am ... alone."
Uranus placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Shi Rinai Tamura ... how old are you?"
"I'm ..." Shi looked down at her hands and started counting on her fingers. She stopped and started counting twice before looking up at Uranus. "I don't know. I think I'm six ... but I didn't have my powers when I was six."
Venus smiled slightly. "It would seem that one of the spell's effects is starting to wear off. You're beginning to remember." She stood, glancing over at the door as Jupiter and Mars walked in. "Where have you two been?"
Mars looked at the three blondes in shock. "How did they ... but they couldn't have ... they didn't pass us."
Shi glanced over at the two women and saw Jupiter looking at her oddly. She squeaked and hid herself behind Uranus' legs.
"Quit scaring her, Jupi." Uranus picked up the small girl and walked over to one of the chairs. "Stay here, Shi. I need to talk to the scary woman for a moment."
Venus waited until the other woman was gone, then sat down beside Shi. "So, little one ... you are the child of StarFighter. Are you a Senshi?"
Shi shook her head. "No. Hrrrrunai can't be Senshis. I ... I don't know what I am."
"Well, don't worry about that, dear. We'll help you figure it out." Venus smiled at the young girl, trying to see beyond the strange, out-of-focus aura surrounding her.
Mi-ko stared at the stone wall and frowned. Ever since Jadeite had taken over her 'training', she had been stuck in her quarters for hours at a time staring at books. She could barely understand the strange almost-but-not-quite-Japanese they were written in and with no pictures to help her, she was sure most of what she was reading was completely wrong. Unless Gporzxnackx really had three heads, two arms and one leg.
Dropping the book onto the bed, she sighed. 'I give up. This is boring. Come on, I was Kunzite, for Kami's sake. There's got to be something better to do than sit here all day reading up on the history of-'
An explosion shook the entire palace, causing chunks of stone to fall from the ceiling and walls. The gray-haired young woman braced herself against the same wall she had been staring at moments before, after nearly being flung from the bed. "What the hell was that?!"
The door slammed open and a strange looking creature stuck it's head in her room. A second head joined the first, soon followed by a third that spoke, "Child. Come."
Mi-ko looked at the thing in shock for several moments until it repeated it's strange request. Deciding that being taken somewhere by a ... whatever that was ... was far better than staying here and being squashed should anything else fall, she climbed off the bed. She ducked into the hall and noticed a fourth head, six arms and ... she couldn't see how many legs as she was grabbed by a pair of arms and carried off down the hall.
Beryl glared at the demons as they ran away from the Throne Room. "Nephlite! What is going on here?!" More demons ran past, completely ignoring the Queen as she rounded on the brunette General. She had just called him to her presence to try and contact the others when the entire palace was shaken by the explosion.
Nephlite smirked slightly as he leaned against a stone pillar. "I'm sure I don't have any clue, your Highness," he replied, watching the demons run. "The demons are too scared for even me to control at this point. I can't get a straight answer out of them. Something about a ... fire in the palace, I think."
Jadeite was leaning against the pillar next to him. "Such a shame, though ... it seems as if the palace is a loss. Or soon will be, at this rate," he replied as another explosion ripped through the floor. There was now a wall of fire separating Beryl from her Generals. As the multi-headed demon came running into the Throne Room, Jadeite turned to the redhead. "It's over. We're leaving this place, and you, to the demons. They have quite a few things they'd like to discuss with you."
Beryl turned her glare on the two men. She could just barely see them through the flames, but knew that whatever control she had had was long since gone. "No matter where you go, you are still mine," she replied. She saw them grab Mi-ko and use the power from the fire and a third explosion to open a portal. "I will kill all of you!"
Jadeite held on tightly to Mi-ko as the portal pulled them away from the Dark Kingdom. As soon as they landed, he could tell that the badly crafted portal had knocked the young woman unconscious. It was only through sheer will-power that he had avoided it. He waited until the familiar but nauseating waves of energy finally receded before opening his eyes. "Thank whatever deity is listening that that's the last time we-"
Nephlite choked back his nausea and forced himself to look up at what had gotten his friend's attention. "As long as it's not demons or that ... monster of a queen ..." he replied as the figure turned to face them.
A woman in a fuku the color of blood stared at the new arrivals curiously. They reeked of the Dark Kingdom, but there was no demon blood this time. There were no Youma jumping out of shadows to fight her. There were no people here to kill. Cronos smiled.
Earth
Naru smiled as she looked at the young woman in front of her. "I wondered why your sisters denied they were StarFighter, but now I see why. You are a Senshi, Urani-chan."
Urani smiled nervously. "I ... thank you, Umino ... -san. I ..."
Kageshirou, also in female form, put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. We'll just sneak you into the training. There are so many around here that one more won't really be noticed." She hugged the younger woman then grinned. "But, for now ... I have to go ... take care of something. Play nice with the other kiddies, 'Rani!"
Urani watched her leave the room, blushing at the images that popped into her mind. It was only after the redhead was gone that she realized one very important fact. "Kageshirou! Kageshirou, wait!" She ran after the older woman, catching up to her in time to see her vanish from the living room. "'Shirou! You didn't tell me how to change back!"
"That's normally not a problem. But then again, we don't change genders." Deja replied. She glanced over the strange girl she had never seen before, but who was wearing Urani's clothes. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Your sisters don't do anything the 'normal' way, either."
Urani was sure her face was now bright red as she turned to face the other girl. "For Kinmokunai, this IS normal. But ... not for me." She was glad her hair had grown over the years since she could now use it to hide her face. "I'm going to go hide somewhere."
"Why?" Deja asked from her spot on one of the couches. "Why bother hiding it? Everyone will know soon enough."
Urani groaned and collapsed into one of the chairs. "Great ... another reason for them to all go crazy when they see me."
Deja muted the TV and turned to look at the other girl. "They don't 'go crazy' when they see you. They go crazy over stuff like Meiya did. If you wanna see crazy, go to the basement." She stood and walked over to the other girl. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she smiled slightly. "You just have to learn what triggers it. Usually, it's emotion. If you calm down, it will probably reverse itself."
Watching her leave the room, Urani sighed. She was used to strange bits of wisdom and cryptic comments from the adults around here, but now she was getting them from the kids? "And to think ... I thought military school was complicated." She glanced up as Rei came into the room. "Hi kiddo."
Rei looked at the blue-eyed girl for a few moments before grinning and climbing into the chair beside her. "I have three sisters, now." She wrapped her arms around the older girl's neck and buried her face in her shoulder. "Just don't leave me like they did."
Kageshirou teleported up to her quarters on the ship, still laughing softly.
"I would ask what's funny, but I'm sure I didn't hear you laughing just now." Tavek turned to face his Commander and was surprised to find a woman smiling at him. "You haven't lost your mind, have you?"
"It's not been proven yet, no." Kageshirou grinned at her second-in-command and walked over to where he was sitting. "Urani ... is a Senshi."
Tavek frowned slightly as the red-haired woman sat on his lap. "But I thought only women could become Senshi."
Kageshirou nodded. "That's true. He ... or rather, She ... just got a very rude awakening to her powers."
"Dare I ask?"
Kageshirou's smile faded as a hard look crossed her face. "He's going to do to his Kara what I'm going to do to Meiya."
"I never realized Rei-chan was having such a hard time dealing with this. She seemed to be holding up so well," Usagi replied. After the youngest child of Kou Seiya had cried herself to sleep in Urani's arms, Hiko had told Kakyuu that she was scared. "I sometimes forget that she's only six."
"Rsin-chan and the triplets I knew were scared, but Rei-chan ... I hadn't noticed any changes in her," Kakyuu replied. The two Princesses and Jinia were sitting in the living room of the mansion, watching the young girl sleep. Urani had refused to let someone take her upstairs and was still holding her.
Usagi frowned. "Maybe she is telepathic, after all."
Urani shook her head slightly, glancing over to the two older women. "She isn't. Both the girls and Dema told her that she had to be brave while they were gone. When she saw me as a girl ... she got scared that I was going to leave too."
Jinia frowned. "Urani-chan ... do you think she'd be more comfortable being somewhere else until Seiya-chan comes back?" When the younger woman nodded, she looked at the two Princesses. "That settles it. Rei-chan, Urani-chan and Hiko-chan are coming to live with us."
"What makes you think it will help?" Usagi asked, frowning slightly.
"Easy, she's not been living in my house for a year. And she won't be turning every corner expecting to see one or all of them," Jinia replied. "Besides, she needs time to get to know her brothers."
"And that will be easier away from here," Kakyuu replied, frowning slightly.
Usagi's frown deepened. "But this is her home."
"No, it isn't. Rei-chan thinks of the Guard ship as home," Urani replied, hugging the smaller girl. "I ... I don't want to stay here anymore."
Kakyuu nodded slightly, standing. "I'll go pack Rei-chan's stuff. Urani-chan-"
"Mine's still packed, so is Hiko's. You learn to live light at military school." Urani smiled a little as Kakyuu walked out of the room, grumbling about sending babies into war.
"I think they'll break you of that habit soon enough," Usagi replied, smiling. "The girls love to collect things."
"Don't you mean 'the Shitennou' love to collect things?" Urani asked.
Usagi smiled sadly. "Yes, I guess I do. I didn't know you knew that word."
"I know what my sisters are, even better than they do. There were never any secrets between us." Urani glanced down at the sleeping girl in her arms and smiled. "Looks like Rei-chan will be the same way."
"You really shouldn't be reading her when she's sleeping, Urani-chan," Usagi replied.
"I'm not. She's telling me."
Jinia frowned. "Um ... what's a Shitennou?"
"The Shitennou were Endymion's generals and friends of the Senshi during the Silver Millennium. Miyo-chan and Shi-chan are reincarnations of two of them," Usagi replied, smiling slightly.
"Do you think that Minako could be one of them?"
Usagi shook her head, frowning as she glanced at Jinia. "Mina-chan is Sailor Venus, Sakuma-san."
Urani chuckled slightly. "She means Mi-ko-chan. Her full name is Minako."
