Mina sat up and grabbed the nearest man by the throat. There were two of them, she noted. The fellow she assailed was a man of short brown hair, a classically handsome British-blue-blood-in-a-suit-and-tie fellow of romantic elegance, and a nearly undefinable boyish quality about him. As she focused on him, she began to see traces of colour that should not be there normally… she saw reds, oranges and yellows in his form. She closed her eyes and put her free hand to them.
“What have you done to me!” she demanded in a somewhat desperate tone. The man she had been holding must have tried to speak. She heard choking and gasping sounds. She relaxed her hand slightly, just enough for him to talk.
“Think, Mina,” he gasped, “had we desires to molest you, would we not have at least,” he took a shallow breath, “restrained you? I have healed you. Nothing more.”
It was not so much that she could hear him breathing, it was, that by choking him, she could feel his breathing efforts. She let go and hesitantly opened her eyes. The colours were gone. At least until she focused on someone, or something. She winced and shut her eyes again.
“That would be the Thermo-Imager.”
Her eyes opened, her hand flew out and grasped the 'doctor' by the collar of his white formal shirt. “You've got some nerve,” she began.
“Saving your life?” he finished. “Perhaps. Though I doubt the alternative route would have been your first choice.”
“Maybe,” she snarled, letting him go. Another debt I don't need. “Why? And where's Usagi?”
“Usagi was captured by the Coalition,” Randy supplied with some measure of unrest. “Before you ask anything else, know that a rescue effort is being organized.”
“Organized!?” she snarled. “Is that it? How does that make any sense?”
“Okay, you're getting a little ahead of yourself, and us,” the light haired brunette sighed as he ran a hand through those short lengths. “We'll tell you everything… under a certain condition.”
Anim paled. “Condition nothing! Either you tell me what I want to know, or I turn this dump into a flaming heap,” she gritted, reaching for a vibro dagger on the inside of her right thigh.
“Okay, go for it.”
“Uh…” she stopped and considered her situation. These guys meant business. She switched the dagger off, an awkwardly mute expression on her pretty face. “Uhm… what were you guys saying?”
The light haired young man gave his dark haired companion a “you see? It worked” glance, and proceeded to elaborate. “Here it is: You've been separated from your companions by a force you know little to nothing about. We're going to help you by rejoining you with your friends.”
“Uh-huh, sure, who? You tell me, okay?”
“Deal,” he replied nonchalantly. “Usagi Tsukino, Rei Hino, Ami Minuzno, Makoto Kino, Mamoru Chiba, and a couple who describe themselves as Luna and Artemis. The latter three we have located, and offered sanctuary.”
“Whoa,” she started, caught off guard by his accuracy. “Couple? Sanctuary? Located?!”
“Well, yes. I expect you'll want to converse directly with them. That can be arranged, provided we have a deal.”
“Deal? That's not nearly going to hook me,” she replied very conditionally, before her voice became somewhat mousy. “Well, um, actually, it has, but I want to know more. Like who the heck are you?”
“My name is Carl, I replaced your damaged face and eye. Randy here,” he gestured towards the stocky man beside him, “supplies everything else. This building, for example, belongs to him.”
My damaged… face… No, no it’s a distraction. I’ll, I’ll… worry about it later. “So why help us?”
Carl fell silent, accepting a glance from the black haired fellow apparently named “Randy”, and nodded.
“Knowledge,” he said. The doctor held his silence.
Feasible, she though, unmoving as sat there for a while, the depth of her concentration visible. “You want to study us.”
“Not exactly. Our interest is much more, shall we say, abstract. The point of it is, what if I were to say we could tell you more about yourself,” Randy offered. “If I were to offer you safety.”
She considered this. “Obviously you know enough about me to know that I have nowhere else to turn.”
He remained silent. The question remained unanswered.
“And if I tell you creeps to take a flying leap…?”
“You've been running for a very extended period of time. I don't honestly believe you wish to continue that lifestyle,” Dr. Silver piped in, certain of the painfully self evident truth.
“You'd be surprised,” she noted halfheartedly. “I've managed pretty well over the last year. Oh, I'm sorry, you probably already knew that.”
“Actually, we didn't. Not in detail anyway, aside from your black market alliance,” the brown haired doctor observed to her, paying some tribute to her apparent intelligence by offering information that was more than obligatory. “Your choice in the uniquely moral Valance Carosa led us to believe you still have hope for the future.”
“Basically, we would disavow any knowledge of you if you decided to turn us away,” Randy concluded, finally able to slip a word in edgewise. “I assure you that we would most regret having to do that.”
She fell silent once again, praying in her mind that she was not being taken for a fool. “So how long have I been out?”
“A week and three days,” the doctor supplied.
She nodded, masking her surprise easily. “If you really know what's up with Artemis, send him in. I want to talk to him.”
“I'm afraid it's not that simple. They are currently residing in England, and we are not.”
“Okay… you can tell me this, though… how is,” she hesitated for a half instant, “um… he doing?”
“I don't honestly know if it's my place to tell you.”
“You're too nice to be a government type,” she replied sharply. “I don't get you. Not that it actually matters, or anything. Screw it. Tell me. It can't be that bad.” She knew however that it certainly could, and probably was.
“He's human. As far as we can tell, he's always been, though he insists he was a feline before his arrival here.”
“He was!” she blinked, falling silent.
“So he's not crazy.”
“Bloody hell no,” she groaned. “Though I feel like I'm poppin' a few loose… Where did you say he was?”
“England.”
“Oh hell…” she squinted, gleaning just how much weaving destiny had added to her personal tapestry. It was a cinched knot.
“The explosion that separated you brought them to there, just outside if New Camelot.”
“They weren't there when that happened!”
Doctor Silver shrugged. “I don't blame you for not trusting me. I could be deceiving you, but somehow, I think, even if I am - which, I assure you, I am not - you would know.”
She fell silent. He was right, after all. She could read his emotions. Words were much easier to falsify than the latter. “I'm sorry,” she said halfheartedly. “But trust you I won't… until I've talked to Artemis.”
Then at least you don't deny the truth, Mina.
She startled. Stay out of my head. I'm not Mina anymore.
The British doctor sighed. “Perhaps a bit of your history will settle your attitude somewhat.” He heaved a deep lungful of air. “You come from Earth. Tokyo, specifically. There, you - apparently - fought creatures from another universe who were looking to take over. In that respect, these two realities aren't that different. It's just that here, there are a multitude of races out to dominate, rather than just one. You and your - it's five, I believe - friends continued to subvert them, until an elemental lion appeared and brought you here through a strange blue portal. Am I right so far?”
“To a 'T',” she admitted. “Go on.”
“That 'strange portal' is what's called a 'rift', around here. They have an unfortunate habit of linking one dimension to the next. More of
ten than not bringing what we call D-Bees and other unusual, powerful, and more regularly than we'd like to admit, dangerous beings to our world. What to we do about it? Arm up, for the most part. Of course, that doesn't include the magic users, and psychics who make use of their own abilities to survive.
“When you arrived, you had no knowledge of the powerful beings who exist here. So, when the Splugorth Slaver barge appeared, they took you without a fight. You were all taken to Atlantis, and held until you would have been sold. Until a young woman by the name of Sivil Nira determined that she could escape.”
‘Nani?!' Anim gasped, eyes wide, quite aghast. 'How do you know that?'
‘I was her superior, and friend,' he replied sharply in the same language, making Anim feel somewhat guilty.
“I never asked her to die for me,” she stated weakly, dropping back into English, somewhat uncomfortable by his unerring ability to understand her, knowing further than on any terms her words meant little.
“It was her job, Mina. That is all. What you feel is… not in my control, but your future choices are very much my concern.”
Anim could not speak, nor meet his eyes.
“In any case, you succeeded. You fled to a supply vessel bound for Europe. Apparently, you fought some Blind Altara Warrior Women when you attempted to escape the ship. There was an explosion and the rest… you know, not us.”
“I guess you want me to fill you in.”
“If you would be so kind.”
“Okay, but I want to know how picked that info up. Mamoru and the others,” her eyes wandered wistfully, “there's no way they would've known any of that.”
“What Mamoru knows is for you to discuss with him,” Randy noted with an odd amount of consideration for one in his apparent position. “As for the rest of it, suffice to say that we have very - observant friends,” he finished. “Any other questions?”
'Hai,' she said, “This eye thermo-thingy you gave me is really annoying. How in hell do I control it?”
“That will take time for you to learn, but I will teach you.”
“That's a comfort,” she replied sarcastically. “When do I get back together with my friends?”
“I think we may be able to arrange a meeting.”
Despite the sarcasm in her tones, Mina had never felt happier in her life, and more afraid.
@~%~~~
Mina could not be satisfied, even though her saviours made every effort to appease her. Randy supplied her with what he said was a 'secure' place to live. She accepted it and spared what gratitude she could muster.
The most exciting event over the course of the next few months consisted of her meeting with Artemis, Luna, and Mamoru. The trip itself took nearly a week to complete, due to the rifts and other distractions. It turned out that they were indeed living in a place called 'New Camelot,' and were, for the most part, quite comfortable, if not worried for the future.
Entering the abode of Artemis and Luna altered Mina's relationship with her feline guardian forever. Standing there, looking at him, stunned, gazing over his six foot tall form swathed in white and blue robes, his silver hair cascading past shoulder length, eyes of blue gem's beauty, she wondered which Goddess had blessed him. Nevertheless, it was Artemis, and there was not a solitary doubt in her heart. Even in a different form he seemed so familiar.
ʻArtemis-san…' she whispered as she ran to him. He caught her in his arms, weeping as she did, half-expecting her arrival to be another dream. As he held her, he realized they had truly been reunited, and that there was still some hope.
'Mina-chan?' a familiar voice hesitantly inquired.
'No,' she replied subconsciously. As her eyes fell upon this woman she instantly recognized her. 'Luna-san, I…'
'So sorry,' the purple haired woman replied, closing her eyes as if pained. 'I understand, Anim-san. Is that what you are called now?'
'Um… Hai, Luna-san. But I don't understand! I should be happy to see you. And I am, but…'
Luna gazed at her expectantly. As Anim watched through the windows to her soul, she began to note a glimmer, one of pain, one so familiar, it struck a chord of deeply entangled agony within.
'Luna…' she offered uselessly. What was there to say?
'There is hope. I almost thought we'd lost,' Luna spoke softly, and tread ever more delicately. 'The senshi…'
'There are no more senshi!' Anim snapped furiously. 'Gots damn, Luna-san! Can't you see that? Usagi, Rei, Ami, and even Makoto are gone! The Bishoujo Sailor Senshi are no more!'
Luna seemed calm despite her friend's outburst. 'How can you say that? Of all the girls, you should understand…'
'Understand what?' Anim blurted harshly, bringing a hurt look to Luna's face. 'That I can scrape by? If… I can't. I don't know if I can hope.' She was crying. Tears poured rapidly over her bright red face while she stood there in confused fear and sorrow. She bowed her face as her hands reached up to cover it, and she felt Artemis near her.
“No… back, please…” she whispered, stepping away and falling into the delicately patterned crimson couch, where she wept in quiet for several minutes.
She was utterly flabbergasted. After all this time, to still be intent on the future of the senshi. How could they ever return? Even if they could, how could they stand a chance against the NegaVerse? If they had overrun Earth, they stood a better chance spending the rest of their 'lives' here, their home in exile!
'Luna-san,' she gasped in a choked, raspy voice, 'Hope is that we do not give up. Are you not happy to see us?'
Artemis put his hand on her shoulder as he sat next to her, all concern and sympathy. He understood her emotional position very intimately.
'Mina-san,' he paused a moment for her to protest, which she did not. 'You are. I am joyed beyond all words. That you have changed so much… it does not affect my love for you.'
That name… yet just then, it failed to bother her. There was so much pain behind what that name represented to her, but facing them, human as they were, and exuding such undiminished faith seemed to make it bearable. She gazed up, face flushed from the crying, and held her eyes, asking, wanting her to say it mattered.
'There has never been anyone else more important to us,' she said very softly, very much the sole mother figure, in heart, and presence.
She blinked, and glanced at the floor for a moment before sharing her heartfelt expression of thanks in facial adornment and vocal arrangement with her mentors, and guardians.
'Thank you.'
@~%~~~
Even with the apparent honesty of Dr. Silver - who's first name was Carl, she learned - she realized that she was continually tense. How could she relax for a single moment? She was indeed waiting, but it was not for the information offered by her would-be-saviors. She was waiting for the betrayal, waiting for the next battle. Randy offered a training room, where she could spar to her hearts content. She found little enjoyment in the diversion.
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