Storyline Name: Twisted Nightmares
Creator(s): Sailor Neptune
Forum: Tokyo City (Present time, takes place during SuperS)
Advanced or Relaxed: Advanced
 

Plot Summary:

 

Details on any necessary information:

 
Restrictions:

Canon Characters:
- Senshi: Outer Senshi (Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn)
- Villains: Queen Nehelenia
 
Otaku Characters:
- Otaku Villains: Two Otaku Villains will play major villain roles in this RP, EriEri replacing the Amazon Quartet and Fox's Eye replacing the Amazon Trio.
 
Daily Youma/Lemures will be treated as NPCs


OOC Thread: [Twisted Nightmares OOC]
 
Member to Character List:
 
Senshi:

Sailor Uranus - Sailor Neptune (Tsuki)
Sailor Neptune - Verdandi
Sailor Pluto - Sailor Pluto
Sailor Saturn - Sailor Pluto
 
Villains:

Nehelenia - Available
Fox's Eye - Vbabe
EriEri - Verdandi
 
 

Yet another race against the best racers in Japan had been won by the blonde senshi of the wind and there was no doubt why she was called the best junior racer in Japan. Haruka took the helmet off from her head, her hands having a bit sore feeling in them from the long race and her shoulders having the wonderful feeling of lightness when the height of the helmet finally relieved. She shook her head lightly as she was finally able to breathe fresh air inside her lungs, the blonde hair dancing in the air for few seconds. The thing she loved in racing the most after the speed was the moment when the race was over and she could take off her driving suit and accessories, the feeling of lightness all over her body, filling her with new strength. Her teal eyes were going through the public, trying to search for one certain person from the crowd of cheering people, but she couldn’t spot the teal haired woman anywhere close by. In her mind Haruka wondered if she had already gone inside to wait for her to arrive since they had agreed that she wouldn’t stay in the crowd of all the racing fans waiting for Haruka as the blonde knew that walking in a crowd like that would be quite impossible.

Surrounded by cheering screams, most coming from her fans, Haruka passed her racing car and headed her way towards the dressing room where she had left her all of her belongings. Little by little the voices and noise lowered down until a complete silence followed her steps when she walked through the hallway, every single step she took echoing from walls and hard floor. The silence reminded her of the times when she ran literally inside the wind, alone, unreachable for all creatures in the world but for the one person – the teal haired beauty who Haruka had the chance to spend her life with now. Her strong hand on the door handle the other one opening the door with the key, a smile rose to her lips as she thought about Michiru and the family life all the Outers were living now after the battle. When the door closed and locked the blonde was already in front of her small closet and put the other key to the lock to open it.

Quickly zipping her dark blue racing suit open and slipping away from it the blonde took the white blouse from the now opened closet and pulled it over her head, straightening the sleeves of the little bit loose shirt. The blouse had silvery buttons, also in the end of the sleeves which made it have a classical and stylish look. Haruka had left the circle earrings that were one of her trademarks in her ears for the whole race and was now pulling her dark miniskirt up to her legs to the hips. Wearing the slim cut skirt Haruka took the ends of her blouse and tied them to her waist, the high waist of her skirt ending up upper than where her blouse ended now.

Putting her bare feet into the heeled ankle length boots the blonde woman stood up, even taller than earlier when wearing those navy blue boots, and walked to the sink to put her hands under the faucet, cold water running down to her hands. She splashed the refreshing water on her face and stroked the playful blonde bangs up from covering her eyes, the teal looking into the mirror. The she turned back to her closet and took the bottle standing on the bench she had sat on, sipping water from the almost transparent bottle she used to carry with her almost all the time. “She must be waiting for me already” she smiled, her teal eyes glimmering a bit. Packing all of her belongings faster than in half minutes Haruka left the room and walked towards the end of the hallway, her bag thrown over her shoulder as she carried it.

She could hear the voices of few people from the other side of the door she had come to but the biggest crowd was for her and Michiru’s luck still outside as the people were waiting for the racers to leave the venue and to walk through the crowd, maybe giving few signatures if they felt like it. The blonde shook her head for the view she had in her mind when thinking about the poor racers who were probably going to spend half of their day writing and giving signatures to people and trying to get away from the crowd without being stopped as yet more fans arrived to the venue. Haruka opened the door and a warm smirk came to her face when she saw Michiru in the middle of the room, facing her. Beautiful as always was the first thought that came to the blonde’s mind when her eyes met Michiru there. What else could she probably want to see after a long race than her own goddess? Haruka walked to her with few steps and wrapped her arm around Michiru’s shoulder, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the teal haired woman’s. “I hope you didn’t have to wait for long, Michi” the blonde woman smiled to the all so familiar and captivating deep blue eyes, looking at her gorgeous lover.

ooc:

The race was going exactly how Michiru knew it would. Haruka was a strong driver, and the others had difficulties keeping up with her. Although Michiru never quite understood how Haruka could figure out the best ways to tackle a sharp curve, or how she knew just when to break or when to accelerate, Michiru knew that it was something that Haruka loved.

And that made it fascinating to watch as Haruka won race after race.

Outside of her private viewing box, the cheers from the crowds were deafening. Michiru was thankful that she was not amidst them right now. She didn't do well in crowds.

Now that the race was over, Michiru smiled to herself as Haruka was accosted by reporters and fans alike. She moved to the door and exited the viewing box. There was no possible way to get to Haruka through her adoring fans, so Michiru would do as she usually did, and simply await Haruka in a room where they could be alone.

There were still crowds to push through, those fans who were preemptively going to the racers' private rooms in hope of getting signatures, but they parted for Michiru easily enough. She smiled to each of them as they met her eyes, and she was thankful that the crowds that attended races were not the usual type to have heard of the classical violinist Michiru Kaioh.

Entering the room, and shutting the door behind her, Michiru breathed in as the loud cheers of the crowds died down just a little.

Such noise often gave her a headache.

There wasn't much to do while waiting for Haruka to return, and there was no real way of knowing just when Haruka would show up. It usually depended on just how many fans had been able to get a hold of her after the race.

Michiru walked around the room, glancing at the sparse decorations. She couldn't help but to imagine how she would like to redecorate it so it would look much more classy.

The sounds of the crowds suddenly increased in volume, shouts and screams clearly audible even through the closed off room. It was amusing because she knew that there was only one reason why the crowds would suddenly become so much louder.

The door opened soon after that, and Haruka slipped into the room, closing the door quickly behind her. As Haruka turned to look at her, their eyes met, blue on teal, and Michiru found herself staring. Haruka's hair was messy again, but the look suited her like always.

Haruka made her way across the room and put her arm around Michiru shoulder, and Michiru leaned into her, their heads resting against one another. "I hope you didn't have to wait for long, Michi," Haruka said, a smile on her lips.

Michiru returned the smile, feeling suddenly calm and warm. She leaned in a little closer and said, "Waiting for you always takes too long." Before she allowed her sentimental words to sink in too much, Michiru pulled away just a little, and looked up into Haruka's teal eyes once more. "We should make our way to meet Hotaru and Setsuna, they'll be waiting for us."

Taking a glance towards the shaded window, and still hearing the sounds of the crazed crowd outside, Michiru giggled softly, leaning back against Haruka's side. "Although, perhaps we should wait until you won't get dismembered by adoring fans."

Setsuna stepped out of the car and into the parking lot of the racetrack gracefully, even with a tight pencil skirt and black stilettos on. Walking around to the other side of the vehicle she opened the door to let little Hotaru out so that they could wait for Michiru and Haruka.

Smiling down at the girl, Setsuna's thoughts slid into memories as visions of the previous fight began to dance in her conscious. Had it been only such a short time ago?

Shaking herself free of those thoughts she forced her mind onto other things. Such as Hotaru's growth. She had seemed to be growing at an abnormal rate for most children, but then again a Sailor Solider slept within her soul. Setsuna felt sorry for her. She would never have the chance to experience a long and fulfilling childhood as most did.

And she could understand that.

Being the direct heir to the job of Guardian of the Time Gate, Setsuna didn't get much of a childhood either. Most of her younger days were spent studying and honing her combat skills in preparation for her tedious task. But it wasn't something she looked bitterly upon, and she was sure that Hotaru would feel the same. Being Guardians gave them lives full of peculiarities and it wasn't a bad thing. Lonely sometimes, sure, but not bad. Just different.

But with Hotaru's growth rate new worries sprung forth in the Outer Senshi's minds. When Hotaru awoke as a Senshi, would she still be the harebringer of death and destruction that only came around at the end? Or would she be different? Would she have the chance to be an actual Senshi that fought the enemy alongside the rest of them instead of repeating the same tragedy over and over again?

One could only hope.

As Setsuna stood with Hotaru and waited for the others to arrive she hoped with all her heart, that their little girl would get a chance to be different.

Hotaru waited impatiently from the backseat of Setsuna-mama's car, watching the statuesque woman walk around the car. Kicking her feet, she noticed that she could now kick the back of the seat in front of her. The young girl paused for a moment, sure she was unable to do that the day before. Her deep violet eyes took on an unusual seriousness for someone as young as she. Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, and Setsuna-mama had never talked about it with her, but Hotaru felt something about herself was different.

In fact, Hotaru wondered, something seemed different about her whole family. Not that she cared one way or the other, but from what she'd read and witnessed in her ventures in public, they all seemed to keep people at a distance aside from each other. She wondered why that was, and hoped one day to find out the reason.

As Setsuna-mama opened the door, Hotaru jumped out excitedly, attempting to mask her mature thoughts with child-like behavior. She hoped they didn't have to wait long, nothing about the activities around the race track interested the young girl, aside from people watching. Even that had finally begun to lose it's appeal after a few visits, as so many of the interactions and tasks people were involved with were much the same.

She leaned against the car, looking down at her feet, idly kicking at a stray pebble, watching it bounce across the parking lot as she brushed a strand of her dark hair from her face. "Setsuna-mama, how long do you think until we'll see Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?" the child asked, beginning to grow fidgety from lack of activity. She usually had a lot of patience, but after the car trip over here, she wanted something to happen, and fast!

Hearing Michiru’s answer as she returned the smile back to her, Haruka couldn’t help her lips from deepening the smile she had first given to the teal haired woman. Michiru’s smile was so beautiful that it enchanted Haruka in a way she couldn’t explain with words and naturally her own lips formed a smirk or smile as an answer to the teal haired woman every time she smiled to her, the blonde woman finding it irresistible to not to return the warm smile that always made her day.

Haruka was relieved that she had managed to get to the room they were in now without fans following her and trying to get autographs from her as she had decided to decline to sign anything or they would end up spending the whole day trying to get to the car. Otherwise Setsuna and little Hotaru would have to wait for them for hours but the hallway had unfortunately had windows and now that Haruka’s fans had seen her, even only through the glass, the shouts and screams had increased in volume.

Her teal eyes on the deep blue Haruka listened to her lover’s words and nodded agreeing to what Michiru had said. The teal haired woman’s next words made Haruka smirk as she knew what Michiru referring to and a light chuckle left her lips before she answered to her lover, leaning closer to her. “I don’t mind if I get dismembered by people as long as you just remember me ” she whispered warmly to Michiru, the smile staying on her lips. They couldn’t stay for too long as the blonde knew that the crowd could get much worse in just few minutes and that they would be stuck if that happened. Haruka let out a light laugh “I don’t think we’re able to exit using the hallways as they all are probably crowded but we can always use the back door” she said grinning a bit, even though all exits would be full of people they still had an ace card to use if needed.

Haruka had placed her hand gently to the other woman’s delicate shoulder and was just about to lead her through the shortcut that was better for them to use in the current situation but stopped only after one step as something hit her consciousness and the blonde stood still as she felt something being very wrong. Her mind and soul could feel it, something was approaching the Earth with fast speed and threatening it with a pitch black aura. The power was completely different from the aura of Pharaoh 90 or Mistress 9 and the blonde knew that it would promise nothing good to come; they had to stop the new threat before it could invade the Earth.

Only giving a glance to Michiru as a sign and as an agreement that they needed to get out of the room Haruka tightened her hold of the other woman’s shoulder and lead them to a door that would get them to another room where they could possibly transform without anyone seeing them in their Sailor Uniforms. At this point Haruka didn’t care if rumors of her suddenly disappearing from the driving place would spread as getting to a quiet place was more than mandatory.

When the blonde woman had gotten them to the other side of the room, using one of the back doors she quickened her pace, heels clacking on the floor of another, this time windowless hallway. Haruka’s eyes scanned over the room as she continued walking forward and led Michiru around a corner where they could possibly transform and get outside to see what the current situation was. Haruka’s thoughts moved partially to Setsuna and Hotaru who were outside waiting for them to arrive and now they apparently had to fight off a new enemy. She thanked the stars for Setsuna being with Hotaru as she would take care of her if she and Michiru were driven to a tough battle and the tall woman would get the small girl safe if she was to face a situation where the enemies would be threatening her.

The blonde nodded to her lover, her eyes serious like always in a battle and she lifted her hand up, shouting the familiar phrase to transform into a Sailor Soldier. “Uranus Planet Power Make-up!” Haruka shouted but at the same moment as the last word had left her lips something struck her and made her feel empty inside.

She could feel her powers storming inside her body but wasn’t able to release them like she had always done, unable to transform. Her body was like a core stopping her powers to come out to reach their top and no matter how many times she would’ve shouted out the transformation phrase it was not use as her powers were like they had locked themselves for a reason she couldn’t figure out. Haruka lifted her gaze up to Michiru to face her lover’s blue eyes, her own eyes asking the question she had asked inside her mind. “Michiru?” she asked her teal haired lover. Were their powers in the purest truth just sealed themselves and if so why? Would they just need to accept the fact and do nothing while they felt that something was threatening the Earth?

Michiru returned the smile at Haruka's comment, but she said nothing in response. Anything she said at the moment would lead to them spending more time in this room, and they couldn't afford to do so when Setsuna and Hotaru were waiting on them. So she just smiled and made a mental note to continue this conversation at a later time. Preferably when they were back home and alone in their bedroom.

As Haruka explained the best way for them to leave, Michiru nodded. She agreed, although it was still amusing to think of Haruka being mauled by her adoring fans. But then that would lead to a little bit of jealousy that Michiru would never admit to, so leaving in a secretive manner was much preferable.

Before they even took a step towards the exit, a dark and nearly thick feeling covered her consciousness until it was all she could see, all she could feel. It was an overwhelming sensation of being in the dark and so incredibly alone. Michiru could feel this presence, this terrible and powerful presence, coming closer and closer with each passing second. It was unlike anything she had felt before, and completely different from Mistress 9 or even Pharaoh 90. Their last opponents had been simply pure evil and darkness. This new presence had something else tinged within it, something palpable and almost sad. Before Michiru could search for more clues, it was suddenly gone.

A mere warning of what was to come.

It left Michiru disorientated, and she looked towards Haruka for confirmation and support. Haruka's teal eyes met her own, and without needing to say anything to the other, they moved as one towards the exit. They couldn't waste time talking when they both knew the implications of those warnings they both felt. They needed to transform and figure out how best to tackle this new threat.

Michiru pushed away the worry she had for Setsuna and Hotaru, because she knew that Setsuna would be strong enough to take care of Hotaru if anything attacked them. Hotaru would be safe, Setsuna would never let something happen to their beloved daughter.

The tight grip of Haruka's hand on her shoulder helped Michiru feel a little more grounded even as her head continued to pound from the dark sensations that still lingered in her consciousness. Haruka always had that affect on her.

As they moved into another room, Haruka began to move even faster but Michiru had no difficulties keeping up with her. She never did. Together, they turned a corner, and then Haruka nodded to her and as one, they raised their hands and shouted their transformation phrases.

"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"

Instead of the rush of power, the feeling of being completely surrounded and supported by the ocean, it was like something struck her, blocked her. Michiru's hands clutched at her chest, frowning down at herself and breathing heavily. Her chest felt like a gaping hole, stinging as if something had physically harmed her, but it was her own powers working against theirself.

She could feel her power, dormant and both hot and cold beneath her skin. But it was as if they were all stuck, unable to transform her.

"Michiru?" Haruka's voice sounded confused with just a hint of panic, but Michiru did not have the words reassure her lover and she looked away from Haruka's eyes. She was feeling the exact same kind of confusion and panic. For years she had been able to rely on her senshi powers, to protect and to fight with. And now they were blocked off from her.

A vital part of herself had just been ripped away from her, leaving her feeling naked and weak.

"I don't know," Michiru was able to say, though her voice was barely a whisper. "Is it that dark presence doing this?" But that was a frightening thought. How powerful could this new threat possibly be?

Now with no powers to fight with, Michiru felt a new kind of panic settle within her chest. What if Setsuna was unable to transform as well? What if she and Hotaru were attacked?

Michiru looked up and met Haruka's teal eyes once more. "Hotaru. Setsuna. We need to go to them." She reached out and grasped Haruka's hand, her grip tight. It helped her feel just a little better, drawing strength from Haruka in a way she could never explain. "How do we get to them from here?"

Setsuna was staring off, thinking about the future and Hotaru when the feeling came to her. It was inexplicable, suffocating, and sticky all at once and for a second, Setsuna panicked. She began to shake and her eyes were wild with fear. She had never felt something so menacing and dark before. Not even when standing guard at the Time Gate.

Taking a deep breath she stilled her shaking hands and centered herself. She focused her mind on one thing and one thing only. Transforming and fighting this dark presence.

She raised her hand and spoke in a strong and sure voice, "Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"

She expected the familiar feel of the Time Vortex and her own power flowing over her in a constant stream of energy. She expected the tingling sensation as he body changed into a stronger and more powerful vessel. She expected everything to disappear around her as she was transported deep into her own mind as she transformed.

What she didn't expect was nothing at all.

She felt the pressure in her chest. It usually only lasted but a second as her power rushed from her body and then allowed her transformation. But it felt blocked. Having her power locked up inside her was extremely uncomfortable and she even fell to her knees in surprise.

What was going on?

Looking up at little Hotaru the panic began to resurface. How could she protect her if she couldn't transform? Why couldn't she transform at all? Had her position as Sailor Pluto and the Guardian of Time been stripped from her? Setsuna didn't know if she could handle that. Her duty was her very life. How could she go on without a purpose?

No. She felt her powers swimming anxiously inside her. She was still a Sailor Guardian and still the protector of the Time Gate. She just knew. Something else was hindering her.

But what?

She returned to her feet and swiftly shoved Hotaru back in the car. Her intuition told her to go to the back door to find Haruka and Michiru. She needed to talk to them; see if they too were hindered by this unknown force.

She hoped and prayed that they weren't.

(In a Different Setting - The Villain's Lair)

Fox's Eye sat cross-legged in front of the laptop in his preferred outfit, nothing. He peered curiously at the skin and tilted his head to the side, and then frowned. With a short grunt, he slammed the cover of the laptop down and pushed it aside. It felt so wrong! He had been looking unashamedly at pictures of young, female red foxes and young, female humans in order to figure out who he would feel attraction toward. He didn't feel as if he had figured out anything constructive and, perhaps, was more confused than before.

With a pout, he crossed his arms over his chest and sniffed the air. Then, he sighed and stood up, scratching his leg with his foot. Maybe he should be more constructive and determine what would be the best approach to carry out Nehelenia's wishes. If the plan was well-thought out, then perhaps he wouldn't need any reproving or corrections. He wanted to please her and EriEri.

~~~~~

Clutching several sheets of paper in his hands, Fox's Eye approached EriEri's chambers. Some things about the human world confused him, for instance, how do you open a door if your hands are full? He stood there and pondered the situation for a moment, then settled on kicking the door. He kicked the door with his right foot once, and then waited. When nothing happened right away, he kicked the door with his left foot, and then waited again.

The sheets of paper in his hands were the details of his plan. He wanted to perform a reconnaissance mission, so he could gather more information. Fox's Eye didn't feel as if they had enough information to construct a plan with a different (set of) goal(s). They knew that this planet had defenders, the Sailor Senshi, and they had already captured them. But, what if there were more defenders? He wanted to send one moderately weak enemy just to check, so they would be certain that there were no other threats or surprises. If EriEri thought it was a bad plan, then he was prepared with another suggestion.

EriEri lounged in her bed, braided hair spread around her as she looked up at the dark ceiling. The soft blankets felt good against her naked skin, but such comforts were still strange to her. Sometimes the bed was almost to comfortable and she would have to end up sleeping on the floor. But at times like now, it was nice to simply lay down and do absolutely nothing.

Although she could never relax all the way. Her body was still ready to jump at any hint of an attack or threat. Ever since she had begun to work for Queen Nehelenia, there hadn't been any hidden predatory animals waiting to make a meal of her, but EriEri had learned a long time ago that it was always good to be extra cautious no matter the setting.

As she laid there in the silence, EriEri's mind turned to that of her beautiful Queen. It was a constant pastime for her that sometimes she found her mind wandering without her leave, and it was quite frustrating.

Before she could get too lost in her own thoughts, there was a sudden bang on her closed door. EriEri jumped up from her laying position and was on her feet within two swift movements. She stood on her bed, crouched low and staring straight at the door, waiting for something to come out from the shadows.

When nothing else happened, she slowly allowed herself to relax, just a little bit.

And that was when the second bang sounded and echoed through the silent room. It was then that it occurred to EriEri that perhaps someone was wanting to get in, and that made her even more suspicious.

Still keeping her body taut and ready for a fight, she approached the door and reached out, opening it in quick motion. Once the door began to open, she hid to the side of the door, only daring to peek her head out in curiosity.

Standing in her doorway was Fox's Eye, naked and clutching an unkept pile of papers in his hands. EriEri relaxed instantly upon seeing who had been attacking her door. She left the side of the doorway and stood in front of him. There was a time when she really liked Fox's Eye. Found him fascinating and strangely easy to understand. But when Queen Nehelenia seemed to take a liking to him as well, EriEri decided that she no longer liked Fox's Eye. She didn't want any competition for her queen's affection.

She eyed him with a frown on her lips. "What do you want?" She paused, and shifted her position. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

OOC:

The child had been waiting patiently with Setsuna-mama, having resigned herself to leaning against the side of the car and withdrawing into her thoughts. Hotaru gazed up at the sky, watched the wind rustle in the trees. Her thoughts were serene, taking in all that was around her with the fresh eyes of her youth. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed happily, glad to be alive - but suddenly, her peaceful thoughts were interrupted.

Hotaru was not sure where it came from, something within herself - or outside of it. But it was an uncomfortable feeling causing her to shiver and look to cling to the safety of Setsuna's hand. However, her adoptive mother appeared to be experiencing a similar feeling - only her actions following were utterly confusing. Hotaru watched in bewilderment as her mother raised her hand and called out, "Pluto Planet, Power, Make up!". Hotaru was thoroughly confused, but all her thoughts turned to concern as soon as she saw Setsuna collapse.

"Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru cried out, unsure of what to do - and now frightened. Her mother looked up at her, and Hotaru could nearly see the gears of her mind working. For the moment, it was apparent that Hotaru would get no comfort from Setsuna-mama, as she proceeded to grab the child and shove her into the car.

Hotaru could do nothing except watch in bewilderment and fright, her small body trembling and her violet eyes wide, as her mother ran off towards the building.

The slight panic that was visible from the look in her eyes was pushed aside from Haruka’s mind when she saw her lover breathing heavier than normally. Her own chest felt like a dagger had stabbed it but the real cause of the feeling were her powers that had been blocked and were now burning and storming inside her body.

It felt too strange to explain the feeling as Haruka had used to transform and fight using the powers of wind and skies for years and now those powers were inside her, still unreachable and that fact alone made her frustrated, not even mentioning the anger that had begun to grow inside her heart when she paid any slightest thought to the possible enemy that neither one of the women knew. “Michiru are you all right?” The blonde approached the smaller woman to give her the only support she could offer in the current situation, to be close to Michiru if she needed her.

What worried Haruka the most was the thought about Setsuna and Hotaru being on their own if the soldier of time couldn’t transform either and the fact that her lover who she could share every single thought and feeling with was avoiding her eyes by looking away. Haruka knew that they could face any kind of situation if they just relied on each other and she tried her best to ignore the physical distance between her and her lover. Despite the gap the two of them had between them Haruka felt being on the same mental level with Michiru as she had always been and that calmed her mind down a bit. They both felt alike as they didn’t know what had happened and why, and the blonde was sure that they also shared the same urge to find out the reason behind the dark presence so they could protect their planet, no matter how.

Haruka put her hand on Michiru’s shoulder hoping that her lover would look into her eyes and that she could be able to speak to her like she had always had. But the answer the teal haired woman gave to Haruka made her feel cold inside. No, it was more the voice she spoke in than the answer itself. The barely hearable whisper Michiru had given to Haruka made her even more anxious than the dark presence they both had felt as hearing her lover’s voice as it was now, unsure and barely a whisper, made Haruka worry about the teal haired woman even more.

Few minutes ago the both of them had been ready to fight with the same urge as they always had but after they found out the inexplicable cold truth of their powers being ripped away from them they had simply been left there to fight against their own minds and fears. Michiru’s whispered suggestion made sense and Haruka , feeling exactly alike about the situation, wanted to get her hands to the dark power that had ripped their powers from them, no matter if she had to do that with bare hands and alone if she just were able to return everything back to normal.

But they did not have time to stay in the room standing since Hotaru and Setsuna could be in danger. If Setsuna couldn’t transform either it was way too risky for Hotaru and Setsuna to stay in a place where they could be attacked directly and if the situation was like it seemed to be Haruka’s and Michiru’s help in a possible battle was vital.

Haruka trusted the dark haired soldier with all her mind but any of them would be in a danger if the enemy would attack when they were unable to transform. Nonetheless the blonde soldier would fight with all she had if she had to. Her lover seemed to have been thinking about the two other Outer soldiers at the exact same time as Haruka as she said that they needed to get to them fast.

Michiru grasped Haruka’s hand, holding it tightly and Haruka squeezed her tinier hand gently. She would give Michiru all the support she ever could and if it just could make Michiru feel any better, she was happy about it. A slight smile rose on Haruka’s lips as the gaze of her eyes was straightforward when she answered to her lover’s question. “Yes. We’ll use the back door that’s few doors from this room” she told Michiru and quickly leaned down to her lover, only a breath away from her face. “No matter how, we will get through this, all of us” she said, her voice steady and determined as her teal eyes were looking straight into the blue oceans she faced when looking into Michiru’s eyes.

Haruka had decided to protect their family despite the fact that she couldn’t transform since they were still soldiers in the end and she wanted Michiru to know her decision. The moment lasted only few seconds and after she had said the words her heart desired to speak out, Haruka turned around and grabbed her lover’s shoulder with her left hand, like she had used to do so often that she didn’t even notice it unless Michiru was not beside her and she walked alone. She took few steps further and within few seconds her pace had quickened from a walk to a fast run. Feeling Michiru beside her gave Haruka even more determination as she was ready to do anything for her or for any member of their new family. She only wished that Setsuna and Hotaru were both safe and that the older woman had not lost her powers like the two of them had.

Seeing the small smile upon Haruka's lips brought Michiru more reassurance than she thought possible in this situation, but she stayed close to the other woman. Being near Haruka always made things seem a little clearer and easier to deal with. "Yes. We'll use the back door that's a few doors from this room."

Michiru didn't have a chance to reply as Haruka moved closer to her, their faces close to one another. Michiru stared straight into Haruka's teal eyes and listened intently as Haruka continued by saying, "No matter how, we will get through this, all of us."

And Michiru believed her. Not just because it was Haruka that said it, as Michiru knew that Haruka could be wrong at times, just like everyone else. And it wasn't even because Michiru believed it herself.

The reason she couldn't help but to trust and believe in what Haruka said was because of the strength in those teal eyes. Determination gleamed and her expression was steady and unwavering. It drew Michiru in like moth to flame, even without her realizing it, and never being able to pull away. Haruka often had that affect on her.

Those eyes could convince her of anything.

She gave a small nod of affirmation, though she didn't have anything else to add. Instead, she leaned in to Haruka's touch as the other woman grabbed her shouldler and they began to move together towards the back door that Haruka had mentioned. Michiru still felt the after effects of not being able to access her powers, and her mind felt slightly fuzzy and it was hard to concentrate fully on what was going on around her, but she pushed those feelings away and focused simply on putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as she could. Her family needed her, and they had to get to Hotaru and Setsuna as soon as possible.

As they past through another door, Michiru had the feeling that they were getting close to where they would find the other half of their family. She didn't know the lay out of the racing building as well as Haruka, but her own intuition helped in other ways.

Michiru reached out and opened the next door, and standing past it was Setsuna. The green-haired women seemed outwardly calm as only Setsuna could, but after having known her for so long, Michiru recognized the signs of Setsuna's stress and she knew without having to ask that Setsuna could not access her powers, just like Haruka and herself.

Michiru offered a small smile in seeing her friend, though her mind was already racing with possibilities again now that her hope had taken a strong hit. She had hoped and hoped that Setsuna would still be able to transform. What were they going to do?

"Are you okay?" she asked, walking up closer to the taller woman. She paused and glanced around before turning back towards Setsuna to ask, "Where is Hotaru? Is she okay?"

OOC:

Setsuna was about to push through the back doors of the building when Haruka and Michiru burst through. A small fraction of hope sprung up in her heart when she realized there was a chance that they could transform. But that fraction was crushed when she saw the frenzied worry in their eyes and she knew that they were in the same situation as her.

"I'm fine. Hotaru is fine. She's in the car waiting on us and awfully confused, as am I. What is going on? Do you feel the disturbance?"

She started walking back towards the car with the wind and water senshi following close behind her. They needed a plan of action against whatever was going on. They needed to protect each other and more importantly, they needed to protect Hotaru.

She stopped a few yard away from the car when she confirmed that Hotaru was still there and safe. Setsuna turned to the others and gave them a look that said it all. Something menacing was hindering them and they all knew it. The question was what to do about it in their current state?

"We need a plan."

OOC:

Thankfully, Fox's Eye did not have to wait very long for EriEri to come to the door. He was not entirely sure what he could have done if kicking the door did not work. EriEri answered the door, also naked, but Fox's Eye didn't care. Most of the time he and EriEri were both naked, so it seemed normal to him.
He eagerly held up his paperwork plans with a hint of a smile. "I came up with a reconnaissance plan. I wanted to get your approval before I approached Queen Nehelenia." EriEri did not seem to like him as much anymore, but he was not entirely sure why. He was still getting used to being a human, so he supposed he could have easily missed some sort of social cue. Humans did not act like foxes, so the social cues he knew were not quite right.

"We capture the Sailor Senshi already, but I thought it would be a good idea to check again to see if we missed any defenders of this planet." It would be rather dim-witted of Earth to only have a handful of defenders. He expected another group of defenders to come forward, so he wanted to know who they were and if they existed.

Hotaru sat back in the car shortly after Setsuna-mama disappeared from view. Her small hand resting on her chest. She could feel her heart pounding, and hear the rush of blood in her ears. Completely confused, she closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears that threatened to spill over. If she was confused and frightened before, she was utterly terrified now. First, the unexplainable feeling. And now, her mother had run off, leaving her alone in the car with her thoughts.

Hotaru sniffed as she wiped at her tears, trying to calm herself by looking out of the window. It was a perfectly calm summer day, she could see the ripples of heat rising off of the pavement, and the dust that blew up from the pavement. She looked to the trees, and to the clouds drifting in the sky above. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, but she no longer felt like sobbing. The hair on her neck was still on end, but she felt as if she was getting her fright under control, leaving the lingering unease behind.

She scanned the crowds again, hoping Setsuna-mama and the others wouldn't be too long. As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she saw them emerging from the distance. Hotaru breathed a sigh of relief, and tried the door handle, longing to be with her family. However, the child lock was engaged, and she was left to sit and watch her parents from the inside of the vehicle.

She sighed and sat back, watching her parents with curiosity bewilderment. Why weren't they coming to get her from the car? These thoughts momentarily overrode the unease from before. At last the subtle body language of her parents registered in her mind, and she knew something was wrong. At this she began to get restless, and wished nothing more to be out of the car, with her family, at least able to hear what they were speaking of, even if she wouldn't understand.

She sighed in exasperation and sat back in her seat. Although she no longer felt unsafe, due to the presence of her family, she could not shake the ominous feeling from before. She had a feeling that perhaps this is what they were discussing, and it drove her crazy. Restlessly, she began to swing her legs, kicking the seat in front of her as she waited for to join them.

After few doors, a time that felt like they ran inside of time not even one second passing but all the surroundings staying still, Michiru opened the last door to the parking lot and the two of them came face to face with Setsuna who had apparently left the car to search for them. Even though seeming as calm as the green-haired woman was able to, Haruka still recognized the uneasiness in her friend’s garnet eyes that told her what the blonde had been afraid of, but also prepared for; Setsuna wasn’t able to transform either. Haruka couldn’t help it but to silently curse under her breath knowing the current situation they all were in, but she stayed calm as it would only be their loss to lose the slight control over the situation that they still had and she would do everything to keep it like that.

Before Haruka could ask a single question Michiru had expressed the exact same thoughts as Haruka had in her mind. Waiting for Setsuna to answer to Michiru’s questions Haruka had her glance on their car where Hotaru probably was. Deducing from the look on Setsuna’s face Haruka was almost certain that Hotaru was safe and sound but still hearing Setsuna stating both her and the little girl being okay though confused, was a relief to the blonde, a relief that caused her to sigh lightly. Answering to Setsuna’s confused questions Haruka kept half of her focus on the wind and sky to read every single small sign and warning that her element could give her about the darkness that had managed to disturb the balance of their powers and somehow probably also the balance of their home planet.

“We did. We’re not sure about what happened but we both felt the disturbance and that something is definitely wrong in here right now.” Haruka told the guardian of time. The blonde started walking to their car alongside the other two Outer Sailor soldiers as they had to make sure to keep Hotaru safe if they were attacked. A worry about the young girl filled part of Haruka’s mind when she thought about how confused Hotaru must feel when she did not even know about her powers as a Sailor soldier and thus the darkness was even more unexplainable for her than for the older women. They had to protect one another and especially Hotaru since she would be an easy target for their enemies if they were to attack them. And this time they would fight against the darkness alone, like they had used to, but this time in one group, not individually.

Haruka was relieved to see Hotaru being fine and in the car but for a minute she had to keep herself from walking to the car door and assuring the little girl that everything was okay. Stopping some feet away from the car Haruka’s gaze was straightforwardly directed to Setsuna when she stated that they needed a plan. The wind soldier nodded firmly to the older woman in agreement to what she had said. It would be too dangerous for all of them to move alone in this area when they did not know literally anything about the new enemies and if one was to get thrown in a battle they needed each other’s powers and skills.

“From this moment on I think it’s best for everyone’s safety that we do not leave anywhere alone, none of us” Haruka stated and continued. “When our powers do not work how they used to we’re easy targets for the enemies, especially Hotaru. Before we gather any information about this dark power and find out the reason why our powers stopped listening to our commands we need to concentrate on protecting each other and prepare ourselves for a possible battle in our civilian forms” Haruka knew that their former experience of fighting would be conclusive in the situation they were pushed into, making them have even a little bit of advantage.

Glancing over the parking lot and feeling the sun hidden behind dark clouds as the wind blew harsh the blonde kept her guard up for a possible threat. The area around them was almost clear of cars and the wide open lot was almost a too perfect place for anyone to attack them, which kept Haruka’s teal eyes lightly narrowed. “This isn’t the best possible place for us to be in right now” her voice clearly stating what her thoughts were. “And I can’t guarantee how long this place will be clear from the fans of racing. I think we should discuss about situation more when we’re home” The blonde suggested as she knew that they wouldn’t be in peace for much longer if any of her fans spotted her, not even mentioning if they were to be targeted.

Haruka’s eyes focused on Hotaru inside the car when she saw the tiny girl swinging her legs while sitting in her seat. A light smile rose on the blonde’s face as she walked closer to the car and opened the back seat door with the keys she always kept in her pocket. She leaned down to Hotaru and gently laid her right hand on her head, meeting the young girl’s purple eyes. “Hey Firefly, I’m sorry we kept you waiting for so long” she gave Hotaru a warm smile, telling her that everything was fine when the three older women were with her.

Michiru felt instant relief at Setsuna's words and she followed with weak legs back to the car. Seeing Hotaru sitting inside of the car, safe and unharmed, Michiru closed her eyes for a moment, just to let that feeling sink in. Hotaru was safe and her family was together as a whole again. For now, that would be enough.

Setsuna was right in saying that they needed a plan. All of these strange events were piling up and it was impossible to know what to do next when none of them could transform to fight against whatever was happening. How would they defeat enemies without access to their powers?

Was it even possible to have a plan in this kind of scenario?

Michiru looked back over towards the car, peering in to see Hotaru once more, and she knew that this was no time to allow panic to settle in. She took in a deep breath and pushed away all of the uneasiness.

That was when Haruka began to speak, her voice strong and sure and it made Michiru feel stronger in turn.

“From this moment on I think it’s best for everyone’s safety that we do not leave anywhere alone, none of us," Haruka stated. Michiru agreed, and Haruka continued on to say that they needed to be prepared for a possible battle in civilian form. It wasn't something that Michiru had allowed herself to think about, but she knew it was inevitable. She could still feel that uneasiness inside of her, like something thick that wouldn't wash away from her skin.

Things would only get more difficult from here.

As Haruka explained that soon they might have racing fans come into this area, Michiru moved closer to the car and opened the opposite door from Haruka, peering in to Hotaru. She heard Haruka greet their daughter and Michiru smiled, calmed by the sight of Hotaru. "Are you ready to go home?" Michiru asked. She reached out and touched Hotaru's hand in a soft gesture. It was more for herself than for comfort. It helped her confirm that this was all real.

Michiru leaned in a little further and placed a kiss on top of Hotaru's head before getting out of the car and walking over to the passenger's side. She sat down and turned back to look at the others. There was a tension in the air that couldn't be denied.

"Let's hurry home, we can talk more freely there," Michiru said, reiterating Haruka's earlier words. "I think we all would appreciate a more comfortable environment."

EriEri was pleased that Fox's Eye had come to her with his plans. It made her feel a little more important and she liked the idea that it gave her a clear reason to make Fox's Eye do whatever she wanted. But she didn't want him to know that. She kept her face void of any emotion as she listened to Fox's Eye explain the situation to her.

When Fox's Eye went on to say that he wanted to make sure they had not missed any defenders, EriEri frowned. "We did a good job," she stated, still frowning. "We didn't miss anyone."

But the idea of having failed Nehelenia in any way was more distressing than the indignation that she was feeling. She would do anything for her queen, even extra work.

"What is your plan?" EriEri continued to ask before Fox's Eye could say anything to her last comment. She was not happy with this situation at all. It would be much better if she had come up with the plan herself, but her curiosity won out in the end. It wasn't so bad working with Fox's Eye, all in all. Not really. He was an interesting person that EriEri liked to watch.

Deciding that she didn't want Fox's Eye feeling too pleased with himself, EriEri added, "It better be good."

The drive home was intense with worry.

Every second spent in that car added to each senshi's fear of the impending attack. None of them liked being trapped in that compact metal box, and Setsuna could feel that. Even Hotaru seemed to be a little worried about her guardians' worry.

When they finally arrived home, Setsuna jumped out of the car and ushered the rest of them inside. She felt better knowing they weren't as open to an attack as they were in the car, and being at home added to that too. She had all of her research and information in her library and she was hoping there was something there to help them get their powers back.

Turning to the others, she knelt down in front of Hotaru and gave her the warmest smile she could muster given her anxiety. "Sweetie, I need to talk to Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa alone for a little bit. Is it ok if you go work on your recreation of the Big Bang for a little bit? We'll call up to you when you can come back downstairs."

She glanced at the other senshi at the mention of Hotaru's capability. The girl's growth had sped up considerably in the past few weeks, including her understanding of the creation of the universe, which Setsuna guessed was a warning of this new threat they felt.

In all honesty, Hotaru's rapid growth, both physically and mentally, disturbed Setsuna a bit. She wasn't afraid of Hotaru per se, but more afraid of the life Hotaru was losing to the senshi inside her. And a new enemy being around didn't help her dire situation at all.

Which meant they would either have to destroy the enemy before it cause her awakening, or watch in horror as the Senshi of Destruction was reborn again.

But a part of Setsuna doubted that having Saturn be reborn was such a bad thing. It all stemmed from the events of the battle with Pharoh 90 and Mistress 9. They all thought Saturn had awakened with the intention of destroying the Earth and all in it, but instead she destroyed the enemy and ended up being sealed back into Hotaru and began living with her and the others as her family.

So did that mean that Saturn wasn't the harebringer of Destruction anymore? Was she actually just a Sailor Senshi like the rest of them?

OOC:

Uh-oh, EriEri did not seem to take kindly to the implicit suggestion that they had not succeeded in capturing all of the defenders of Earth. Fox's Eye began to feel a little uncomfortable. But, he had a good plan and it was logical to make certain they had covered all of their tracks. He puffed up a little as he re-assured himself. It would be bad if they had not been as successful as they had thought and were caught off guard by another set of defenders. Queen Nehelenia would not be happy with them if that happened to be the case.

"Of course, we did a good job." Fox's Eye said proudly. He held up the papers as he said, "But it would be illogical if the Earth only had one set of defenders. We need to check." He pointed to a diagram on the first set of papers, "So, I propose we send out a small reconnaissance team to see what the Earth's defenses are like now that the sailor senshi have been captured." Fox's Eye flipped to the next page, which further described the page. "We can ensure Queen Nehelenia's success and maybe we can begin implementing the next step of her plan during the reconnaissance mission."

Fox's Eye was quick to assure her but EriEri frowned as he continued on. He held up papers with words she didn't care to read and he pointed out papers with diagrams that she didn't understand.

But she did understand his words, and she knew that he had brought up a good point. It bothered her that she hadn't thought to double check things, just in case. She was supposed to be the better one! But time and time again, Fox's Eye proved to be intelligent. It annoyed her to no end.

"If it's to ensure Queen Nehelenia's success, then go ahead with it," EriEri told him. She was trying to come up with a way to steal the praise for this, but she wasn't having much luck. It was because of those papers. She would never be able to explain what they said, and that would look suspicious.

Giving up for now, EriEri made a mental note to come up with an even better plan to aid Queen Nehelenia in a future endeavor. Then she could show the beautiful Queen who was the best underling.

"Go show your plans to Queen Nehelenia," EriEri continued. "The sooner the better. If there are other defenders, we need to deal with them quickly." She watched Fox's Eye for just a moment longer, as she liked to do since he was so strange and interesting.
But then she looked away, ignoring that weird feeling inside of her that she didn't understand. Was it... affection? For the little fox? That would be stupid.

EriEri walked fully out of her room, and stood next to Fox's Eye. "Actually, I'll go with you." Any reason to see her Queen was good and EriEri wasn't about to stay in her room while Fox's Eye was able to bask in their Queen's presence. Her heart raced at just the thought of seeing beautiful Queen Nehelenia.

And if she could figure out a way to take the credit while they were there, then that was even better.

OOC:

Although Eri-Eri had limited interests in the details of Fox's Eye's plans, he was not bothered. He seemed partially oblivious to her lack of interest, because the man was more absorbed in explaining particular details. After he finished his explanation and received his companion's approval, Fox's Eye beamed a proud smile. Eri-Eri hadn't necessarily congratulated him, but she had given her approval to go ahead. That was more then enough.

He perked up with pride and stacked his papers together neatly. "Thank you, Eri-Eri. I knew I needed to come to you, first," the man turned fox said, as if she had added something truly note-worthy to his plans. He turned to walk away, but stopped when Eri-Eri announced her intent to accompany him.

"Of course," he chirped happily, walking away from Eri-Eri's room.

Sometime later he waited patiently outside for Queen Nehelenia to allow him and Eri-Eri to enter.

The meeting with Nehelenia didn't go quite as EriEri had planned. There had been no chance at all for her to take the credit for this idea, but at least Nehelenia had seemed to like the idea. Though she also had seemed angry that they had not taken these cautionary measures beforehand...

EriEri had tried to pin the blame of that onto Fox's Eye but it hadn't gone over very well. Queen Nehelenia had not been in the mood to listen to their excuses, and did not seem to care much who had been at fault. All she cared about was that it was fixed and dealt with immediately.

Outside of Nehelenia's chambers, EriEri let out a disappointed sigh as she stood next to Fox's Eye. They had just left their Queen's chambers, and now they had work to do.

EriEri turned towards Fox's Eye and frowned. Even through she had heard the explanation twice, EriEri still wasn't quite sure she understood what Fox's Eye truly planned to do. It had been the whole reason she was not able to steal the praise for the plan in the first place. It made her both embarrassed and angry. Why was he better at this sort of thing than her?

Her frown changing to more of a glare, EriEri crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So... what's our first step?"

Haruka laid her hand gently on Hotaru’s head like she had used to do countless times in the last half years and after she had greeted the young girl she moved aside to let Michiru take her place. She stood in front of the driver’s door, leaning against the car while her eyes didn’t stop keeping watch of the surroundings of the parking lot even for a second. A small smile awakened on her face when she let her other eye quickly glance at Michiru and Hotaru, listening to her lover talk to the little one.

She loved to follow all their discussions with each other, seeing them both smiling so warmly, but now her will didn’t gave her the peace to focus on follow them. Keeping watch she was prepared to fight at any moment and her body could definitely feel it. The wind kept getting stronger minute by minute like it was reflecting the storming feeling Haruka’s chest held. The burning desire to get a grip of a steering wheel and to drive so fast that she could feel the wind hitting her face at full force was trying to distract the blonde’s thoughts but she tried to ignore it, now wasn’t the time to think about those moments she had spent driving.

When Michiru got out of the car Haruka opened the driver’s door and sat down, shutting the door after her and then waited for Michiru to walk to the passenger’s side. Haruka opened the door for Michiru from inside and turned her head to look to the backseat where Hotaru was sitting, checking out that the little girl surely had her seat belt on. Even though the blonde didn’t always bother to put her own seat belt on when she was driving in daily traffic she made sure that the other passengers, especially the ones with glowing purple eyes or teal, sea like hair, always had theirs on.

Even inside the car the air was thick from tension and unknown darkness and Haruka decided that it was better to keep the driver’s window open so they all wouldn’t suffocate from the loss of fresh air. She was used to cold wind blowing straight to her so the possible cold wouldn’t bother her, on the contrary it could make her feel more relaxed than how she was now. Reiterating Haruka’s earlier words Michiru asked them to hurry home. “Yeah.” Haruka answered and turned the key which made the car’s engine to awake once again. One more time Haruka glanced over her shoulder to see that all their family members were in and safe, and then moved her eyes on the side mirror to make sure that there was no one behind them or possibly watching them from a distance.

As expected, the atmosphere did nothing but grew thicker as the Outer Sailor soldiers were on their way home. But despite the ominous darkness lurking its way around them all, the wind and speed did make Haruka a bit less restless and frustrated as she could focus her thoughts better on the road and the rushing wind that surrounded her. Still, the drive felt much longer than what it actually was and Haruka noticed herself thinking about their new enemy throughout the time that they were on road. No words were exchanged on her part and needless to say, a normal discussion would only feel unfitting, the only exception to that being if it was for making Hotaru not to worry about her three mothers and their sudden change of mood.

After the long drive the four of them were finally home andHaruka got out of the car right after the engine was asleep. After she was standing on the yard, she took deep breath to feel the fresh air filling her lungs. The blonde then locked the driver’s door and walked to the passengers’ side of the car, opening all three other doors for her family members. It felt good to be home in a place you knew and if anyone, or rather anything, would try to attack them, they had more advantage in here than in an unknown place. Haruka was ushered inside their mansion by Setsuna who then knelt down to Hotaru giving her a warm smile. Haruka nodded to Hotaru and smoothed her hair. “I’ll join you soon after Hotaru. Go ahead.” She promised the girl, trying to cheer her up.

Haruka caught Setsuna’s hint of Hotaru’s powers and knew what the older woman was thinking about as their thoughts were alike. Hotaru’s exceptionally fast growth had sped up significantly in the few past weeks and the growth affected both, mental and physical age. It wouldn’t take long until Hotaru would figure out that something was going on and the danger she could get in if the three women did not protect her was a serious threat. Haruka was worried about the Sailor Soldier powers that slept within the small girl and how the new enemy could affect them since in the worst case Hotaru could end up awakening as Sailor Saturn before the other three Outer Sailor soldiers could deal with the enemy and seal it for good. Still, Sailor Saturn had not destroyed the world in the present, unlike she had done in the time of the Silver Millennium so could there be a chance that when she was reborn, she became a Sailor senshi who shared same mission with all of them?

Haruka’s worry was not limited to Hotaru’s powers only, though. Her current life as Hotaru Tomoe, a normal young girl, was shortening by every step the new enemy took and seeing Hotaru once again losing her normal, happy life was something none of the Outers would allow. “We need to start our research as soon as possible” Haruka said. “Starting out like we did back in the times when we were in Mugen Academy could work. We had literally no information of the Death Busters when we started”

ooc:

When Queen Nehelenia displayed displeasure at the lateness of Fox's Eye idea, he began to cringe and pout. His ears and tail did not outwardly display his feelings in this human form, but everything else about his body posture explicitly showed his discontent and shame. Not likely out of pity, but Queen Nehelenia did praise him lightly after Fox Eye's adopted a submissive posture.

EriEri had tried to take some of the credit for his actions, but appeared to back off when Queen Nehelenia displayed her displeasure openly. Fox's Eye would have gladly given EriEri the credit. After all, she was smarter and he desperately wanted to please both women.

They had left the chamber and EriEri turned to Fox's Eye. She asked about the next step of the plan. Fox's Eye smiled lightly, still a little hesitant to make bold moves after having been scolded by his queen. "Follow me, we need to fetch two scouts." He said, leading the way to the darkness which contained the lemures.

~~~~~

(OOC: Feel free to respond, but I'm skipping ahead to the scouting mission. I'm going to subtly hint that Fox's Eye is nearby. Feel free to place EriEri with Fox's Eye, if you decide she'll tag along)

Having already received their orders, two lemures approached the outskirts of downtown. Enough human milled about in this area of the city to attract the attention of any leftover warriors of justice, if there happened to be any, and the defenders would come running if an attack took place. The lemures had been told to attract as much attention as possible. In other words, the lemures had the run of the place and they enjoyed every minute of it.

Fox's Eye did not directly involve himself in the attack, because he needed to take notes on the outcome of the attack. He concealed himself a distance away from the general area. He would not need to interfere if any defenders appeared. After all, this was a scouting mission and he could not scout if he involved himself in a fight. No, the lemures would likely die if any defenders appeared. If not, well... the humans would know they had little hope left.

One lemure called loudly with a deep growl to announce his presence. The other lemure did the same, which began a brief war cry contest between the two. Then, the two separated and began the attack. Anything or anyone they touched was flung out of the way or subjected to either water or knives. Massive destruction would attract the most attention, after all.

Yet again the speed filled her mind, making all her surroundings seem blurry like they were covered by mist. All her thoughts were now devoted to the current moment and her mind never wandered after she took a grip of a steering wheel or sat on a motorcycle's seat though she had to admit that she regretted her decision to leave alone a bit. Despite they had agreed not to spend a moment alone after the new enemy had awakened and landed on their planet, Haruka kept her mind about leaving for a short drive to let her thoughts run free again even though she knew the possibility of the moment of peace getting cut short.

But she would enjoy every passing second like they were the last ones when she could still drive. The wind brushed her helmet making the noise reach her ears as she speeded up her motorcycle. When speaking the truth, she was not actually very far from their mansion for two reasons, the first one being the promise they had made and the second being the fact that these roads were almost never filled with traffic which gave her a great opportunity to drive as fast as she wanted to.

Suddenly Haruka felt the wind had changed completely in just few moments and she slowed down to catch its possible message, or warning, better than when driving at full speed. There was definitely something wrong close by, but the wind delivered the message much more obscurely than usually. Maybe it was somehow related to the new threat that none of the Outers knew much about? That would explain why the warning felt different than before. No matter what it would be, Haruka felt the urge to check the nearby area for any signs of enemies. She speeded up again, this time heading towards the area the wind had blown from.
 
Not soon after Haruka had turned to the road the led to the outskirts of downtown, the wind carried a completely clear message of horror, screams that came from the direction of the closest crossroads. Haruka didn't need to get much closer to the place when she saw numerous people running to the opposite direction and she had to stop driving so she would not hit any of the oncoming scared people. Quickly she parked her motorcycle on the edge of the road and began to run towards the place everyone was escaping from, but the panicked crowd made it hard for her to run fast since she could not avoid bumping into someone on her way.

When she finally got to the crossing, she took a glace at the area from behind a building to stay hidden. But what she saw beside her eyes was surely not something she had expected to witness, a massive chaos of screaming people, water and knives, caused by two monsters who looked to enjoy every single moment. "They're completely different than the daimons we used to fight against" the blonde noticed. The two monsters with their weapons and techniques looked like they were a part of a circus and unlike daimons, these two seemed to have no specific target. Instead, they were causing a massive chaos and destruction by using their attacks and that made Haruka worried. There was no option other than taking down the enemies by their own hands and before anything worse would happen. She and the other Outers had to fight.

For the first time in months Haruka opened her communicator and brought it closer to her face. "Michiru, Setsuna, there are two monsters at the biggest crossing of the outskirts shopping area. The damage is bad, they're causing a massive destruction." They needed to fight against the monsters together but the option of Hotaru left alone when the monsters were this close to their mansion was unthinkable. Someone had to stay with the small girl and protect her if needed. And they did not have much time left to destroy the monsters before the chaos would spread over the whole district.

ooc:

"Chronos be damned if I don't find at least one shred of helpful information!" Slamming yet another book closed Setsuna hissed out her mounting frustrations and tossed it across the room. She was getting no where. Not one book in her vast library had any kind of information about why the Senshi's powers were malfunctioning and it was beginning to drive her up the wall. She had even checked through what was left of Silver Millennium's documents but there seemed to be nothing on Senshi losing their ability to transform. 

Huffing out loud Setsuna leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. She had been searching for many hours non-stop and it was beginning to take its toll on her. When she had begun her search she had thought there would be at least some kind of legend or lore about this situation, but now with her books scattered around her and her eyes straining and bloodshot, she wasn't so hopeful. 

"Spitting out curses and accusations does not get me anywhere." Resting her head against the table in front of her she continued to talk aloud to calm herself. "I just need to keep looking. There has to be something, anything, out there about this." 

Just as she was able to delve into another book her communicator beeped at her and she jumped a bit. The Outers hadn't used them in so long she wondered why she carried it with her anymore. But her wandering thoughts were brutally interrupted by Haruka's report of monsters terrorizing the city. Without saying a word she took action and rushed to find Michiru in the living room. 

"Did you get the message from Haruka? Something's going on in town. One of us needs to go help her and the other needs to stay with Hotaru. "

OOC:

Human cries of fear mixed with lemure cries of anger and dominance. The lemure had taken different paths throughout downtown, but stayed within shouting distance of each other. Vehicles lay strewn across the streets and water from a broken pipe flooded the pavement. The majority of passerby's had sought shelter, but the lemure that controlled water played with a decent sized group. The people screamed and ran while the lemure chased and directed them by water and moderate cunning.

The other lemure, that which controlled knives, contented itself with massive property damage. It had particular fun juggling larger-sized items and throwing the items at people and buildings. Loud lemure laughter of excitement filled the air. Police sirens sounded in the distance, but the lemures did not appear to be worried. If anything, their 'fun' intensified.

Fox's Eye silently wished he had a piece of meat to munch on while he waited and observed.