Sailor Moon V * The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts Episode Five * "Time Enough For Love" Mina stood before the apartment door with a frown on her face. Come on, she thought to herself, I know you're in there. She knocked loudly for a third time and listened intently. "It's not locked," said a faint, slurred voice from within the apartment. Mina blinked and opened the door. Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this? she thought as she stepped into her friend's apartment. She immediately stepped back out as a wave of fumes escaped outside. "Yick, Leda, what is that awful smell? You burning lunch or what?" The blonde took a deep breath of fresh air and went back inside. She stopped dead in her tracks as a horrid thought occurred. That better not be cigarette smoke or I'll kill her.... "Where are you?" she called out. There was the sound of something hitting a hard surface. "I'm over here, in the livin' room. Whazzat 'bout lunch?" came the oddly flat voice from the back of the apartment. The frown on Mina's face deepened as she walked towards the living room. She's starting to sound like Ami did when she accidentally got.... Oh, no. She bolted into the living room only to come to a sudden halt at what she saw. Leda was sprawled back on the couch, wearing jeans and a very loose tank top. On the coffee table in front of her was an impressive collection of shot glasses and colorful bottles. A small taper of incense was burning in a wooden holder at the far end of the table, producing a strong but pleasant odor. "Don't tell me," Mina said flatly. "You're drunk." Leda shook her head. "No' quite, but getting there." She picked up a shot glass full of some emerald liquid and held it out towards Mina. "Stupid question, but you want some?" She received an icy stare in response, shrugged, and drank it herself. "Can't say I didn't offer. Ick, that was a bad mix." "I don't suppose lecturing you would help," Mina said, still glaring. The brunette snorted. "You can try, if it'll make you feel better," she said as she proceeded to mix several of the liquors together in a tumbler. The end result was more of the emerald liquid she had offered Mina. She cautiously sniffed the drink and added a small dose of a dark blue liquid. Mina's curiosity got the better of her. "What exactly is that, aside from being green and toxic? And what's with the incense?" "Lethe, and the incense was Rei's idea. Supposed to help me meditate and focus my inner thoughts." Mina blinked. "Did you say Lethe, as in Water-From-The-River-Styx Lethe?" Leda chuckled. "Roughly. Same effect, only it tastes better than river water. Unless you don' mix it right. Then it tastes like sewer water." She waved Mina over to a chair on the other side of the coffee table. "If you're gonna stay put and glare at me all day, you might as well sit down." The blonde sighed as she sat down. "Leda.... Why?" Leda put the drink down and sat back. "Well, why would someone want to drink from the river Styx in the first place?" "According to the mythology, it would make a person forget their past." Leda nodded slowly. "Exactly." Mina's heavy sigh nearly extinguished the incense that was quietly burning in the holder. "Girl, I thought you already knew....." She took a deep breath and calmed down. "What is it this time?" Leda sat up and grabbed the tumbler. "Take a guess," she said as she took a sip of the emerald drink. She made a face and added another few drops of the dark blue liquid. Mina thought for a few seconds. "Memories of your parents?" she suggested softly. Leda shook her head and Mina thought again. She watched Leda take another sip of the green liquid and suddenly remembered another part of Leda's past. "Memories of Jenni, then." She barely had enough time to blink before Leda downed the entire contents of the tumbler. The glass made a dull thumping sound as Leda set it on the table. "That's only part of it." She raised her right hand and spread her fingers. "Five really close friends...." She raised her left hand and did the same, but keep her thumb tucked in. "Four couples. Get the picture?" Mina shook her head in confusion. "No, I don't. Do you think you can explain things to me, or do I have to be sloshed to understand?" Leda ignored the barb and made fists. "Ok. Serena...." she said as she extended her right pinky. "Darian," she said, this time extending her left pinky. She continued to extend her fingers one-by-one as she spoke. "Rei.... Chad. Ami.... Tolaris. You.... Maze. Me....." She trailed off as she stuck out her right thumb and took a close look at her left thumb. "Oops, looks like there's no one for me. Sucks, doesn't it?" Mina was very quiet as she considered the implications. She knew that Leda's parents were killed in a plane crash when she was thirteen and she has been living alone since then. She used to have a boyfriend, but she was dumped shortly after she lost her virginity to him. Deeply hurt, she found the love and comfort she needed from her classmate, Jenni Thorne. The two became lovers until Jenni died in a freak auto accident several months later. Not long after that, Leda was transferred to Serena and Ami's school where she became a Sailor Scout. She's right, she thought. Serena has her family plus Darian, I've got my parents and Maze, Ami only has her mother but she's got Tolaris, Rei's got just her grandfather and Chad, but Leda.... except for her friends, she has no one. Mina stood up. "Anything I can do?" she asked softly. Leda glared at the burning incense. "Yeah. Go away and leave me alone." Mina turned to leave and Leda spoke up again. "On second thought, do you think you could drop by tomorrow night for dinner?" Mina opened her mouth to tell her that Maze was taking her out that night but she decided that her plans could be altered. "No problem. You want me to bring Artemis or the others?" Leda made a face. "You can leave that smart-aleck furball at home, thank you. Rei can stay put as well since I don't need another lecture about this, and I don't think I'm going to want to put up with Serena." "What about Ami?" "No, the vampire can stay put as well. Just between you and me, I'm still quite pissed at her for that comment she made last week. You know, the one you slapped her for?" Mina made a face. "Yes, I remember quite well. Guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night, then." She turned to leave, then paused briefly. "Leda?" "Hmm?" the brunette said as she mixed another drink. "Keep in mind that we're your friends, and while we may not always openly show it, we still care about you. Just don't do anything stupid tonight, okay? The Sailor Scouts would be quite lonely without you." Leda remained silent for several minutes after Mina left. Eventually, she reached out and picked up another tumbler full of the emerald liquid. She held it up to the sunset, watching as the last few beams of light splashed rainbow colors across the rim of the glass. "Here's to friends and memories: Can't live with them, and can't live with out them. Cheers," she said and drained the glass. * * * * She no longer knew what time it was, save that it was night. The majority of the effects of the alcohol had worn off, leaving her feeling only slightly buzzed. But she knew that the hangover would kick in quite soon, leaving her with a headache the size of Jupiter. Perhaps there still is poetic justice in this world, she thought as she retrieved the carefully wrapped bundle from the depths of her dresser drawer. She paused in surprise as she noticed the green satin chemise neatly folded at the bottom of the drawer. Huh, she thought, when did I get this? She set the bundle down on top of the dresser and picked up the chemise. A small card slipped out between the garment's folds to land at her feet. She bent down and picked it up, noting that the card seemed oddly familiar. Curious, she opened the card and read it. To Leda: Hope it fits. Don't you own any clothes that don't have the size tags ripped out? I know you're rather shy about your figure, girl, but how am I supposed to buy you anything if I don't know what size you wear? Not that you'll be wearing this for long.... Congratulations on winning the Regional Cooking Competition, Thunderheart. Love, Jenni. Leda fell to her knees as the memories suddenly rushed back. Jenni had gone to the trouble of throwing a huge party for her, inviting several of her classmates over after class. The party lasted well into the evening before everyone went home for the night. Jenni, however, waited until the last of the guests had left before giving Leda her final gift. "Thought I'd save this for the private party," she had said, her emerald eyes twinkling mischievously. Leda cooed with delight at the gift, deciding it would be rude to not try it out. It fit perfectly, which Leda somehow knew it would, despite her best efforts to keep her figure size a secret. And just as she expected, Jenni's prediction came true.... Leda cried silently as she remembered why she had hidden the chemise from both her sight and memory. That night was the last night she slept in Jenni's arms and felt her soothing touch. What happened three days later would forever be imprinted in her memory and seared into her soul.... * * * * Leda frowned darkly as the phone rang. It figures, she thought as she scrambled out of the steaming bathtub. Just when I get all nice and cozy, some nutball has to call me. She dashed out of the bathroom, not bothering to grab a towel to hide her nude body. Living alone means never having to worry much about clothes, she thought as she grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she inquired, trying not to sound irritated at the interruption. I'll worry about the puddles later, she thought as she dripped water onto the floor. "Leda? It's Michael," said the familiar voice of Jenni's father. Leda smiled. "Hi, Mr. Thorne. What's up?" She decided that she could forgive the interruption of her bath. Had it been anyone else, though, she would have become rather annoyed. "Leda, I think you need to come over here," he said slowly, his voice starting to waver with an unknown emotion. Leda's smile faded as she sensed something was wrong. "Sure.... Umm, is everything alright over there? You sound kinda.... I don't know, odd...." The voice took a deep breath. "Leda.... There's been an accident...." Her blood froze as the voice continued. "And.... Jenni's been taken to the hospital...." She fell to her knees, only partially hearing what else Mr. Thorne said. ".... Car accident.... slid onto the sidewalk.... critical condition...." The puddles of bath water were soon joined by a puddle of quiet tears. * * * * Leda slowly got to her feet and wiped away her tears. The funeral had been a week later, but she remembered almost nothing of the time between the phone call and the church services. The only thing she had of that time period was a small index card with the instructions on mixing up an alcoholic drink called Lethe. Never did figure out how I got that, she mused as she placed the satin chemise back in her dresser. Guess it worked if I can't remember anything from that week. Finishing her task, she closed the drawer and turned her attention to the small bundle wrapped in black velvet, a new set of memories returning to her mind's ears.... "Hey, Ken! Welcome back! How went your trip to northern Japan?" "It was wonderful, Leda. Quite scenic. You should try to talk your Dad into taking you up there some time." "Well, you know how he is about travel...." "Yeah, I know. Listen, I got you a little something from a temple we ran across near the coast." "If it's another one of those stupid charms.... Oooh, feels heavy. What is it?" "Open it and find out." "Spoilsport.... A.... A dagger? Ken, I.... I don't know what to say...." "It's not just a dagger, Leda. It's an original 19th century ceremonial dagger used by the Shinto priests for special blessings and such. I guess you could qualify it as another one of those 'stupid charms' I keep giving you...." "Ken, I...." "Don't know what to say, I know. A simple thank you will suffice, you know. It's not hard to say 'Thank you, Ken'." "Thank you, Ken. But wouldn't something like this cost a fortune?" "Hey, what are best friends for? Just make sure it keeps a low profile. I don't want your parents coming after me for giving their twelve-year-old daughter lethal weapons." "Relax, Ken, I'll keep it hidden, and I swear I won't use it on anyone." "Glad to hear that one, Leda. Come on, I've still got a bit of unpacking to do...." Leda blinked as the present returned. She picked up the bundle and held it carefully, feeling its weight. She moved to unwrap it but stopped as she remembered the promise she made so long ago. Well, I guess I did swear that I wouldn't, my friend, and I'm not one to break my word. The unopened bundle was quickly placed back in its original hiding place. She did her best to forget what she had done but the newly awakened memories continued to haunt her. Not tonight, not now, she thought, but they simply would not be forgotten. She sighed to herself, then winced as a dull ache lanced through her head. So it begins, she thought. I can either overdose on aspirin and try to sleep this off or I can kill my memory with alcohol first, then overdose on aspirin and try to sleep it off. Either way, I'll be hating life in the morning. She sighed again and made a decision. I'll catch hell from Mina later about this, but right now I don't need any more reasons to be hating life. Walking slightly off-balance, Leda left her bedroom and made her way into the living room. She threw herself down on the couch, immediately regretted it because of the headache, and reached for the collection of bottles on her coffee table. * * * * Mina sat in her bed, smiling to herself as she listened to a cat scream somewhere in the city. You would think that after the lecture you gave to Ami and myself that you'd be more discreet than that, she thought. I know we all have our needs, Luna, but you don't have to announce it to the entire city. She almost jumped out of bed as the sound of thunder echoed loudly. She quickly got out of bed and checked the sky, but no sign of any sort of storm could be seen. Mina knew that the odds were very rare that a bolt of lightning would naturally occur in a clear sky, so that only really left one explanation. I'll bet Ami and Tolaris are at it again, she thought wryly as she looked out into the night. A bright flash filled the sky and was shortly followed by an extemely loud thunderclap. Makes me glad Maze doesn't lose control of his powers when we make love, she thought with a smile. Not that I haven't tried to make him.... Mina winced in pain as a third thunderclap split the night. Strange, she wondered, Tolaris usually isn't this loud. Curious, she pulled out her Sailor Scout communicator and turned it on. The rows of frequency-sigils lit up, indicating the available connections to the other communicators. She noted with mild interest that the Mars sigil was ghosted out, meaning that Rei had set her communicator to privacy mode. Mina knew that all incoming calls would be ignored in privacy mode, with the exception of any calls made on the Emergency frequency. She also knew that the only real reason anyone except Rei would use it was so that they weren't disturbed when making out with their boyfriends. However, she thought, Chad is still out on his concert tour of Northern Japan, so she must have some other reason for wanting privacy. Not that they wouldn't be going at it if he was back, she thought to herself. Mina laughed quietly, wondering about Rei's tendency to be turned on by being torn up in a fight. She had a basic grasp of the 'why' part, but she was lost when it came to the 'how' part. Oh well, to each their own. She was reminded of her original purpose when a crack of thunder rattled her bedroom windows. She turned her attention to the communicator and was surprised to find that the Mercury and Lightning sigils were still open. Odd, it's not like either of them to be that careless, she thought as she opened Mercury's frequency. She was even more surprised when Ami's image promptly appeared on the monitor. "Hi, Mina. What's up?" Ami asked. Mina smirked. "Half the neighborhood. Listen, some of us are trying to sleep here, so could the two of you try to tone it down a bit?" Ami looked confused. "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about the lightning outside that's coming from a cloudless sky. Usually that kind of stuff only happens when you and Tolaris are getting quite cozy." The vampire blushed. "But we're not doing anything right now." Mina smiled and made a gesture. "Oh, yeah? Where's your blouse, then?" Ami's blush deepened by several shades. "In my lap because I'm getting my back scratched." Behind her, a hand popped into view, waved briefly, then went back to its task. The blonde blinked in surprise. "Okay.... So if it isn't Tolaris, then what's causing all the lightning?" Ami turned her head to look at Tolaris, who was out of Mina's field of view. "Any ideas?" she asked. Tolaris said something that Mina couldn't quite hear and Ami blinked in surprise. "Are you sure about that?" she said and was answered with an affirmative. Ami blinked again and turned her head back to face Mina. "Tolaris says it feels like its redirected lightning. It's first a cloud- to-ground bolt, then a ground-to-cloud bolt. He says he thinks he's felt it before, but he's not quite sure where or when." Mina thought for a second before the realization sank in. She closed her eyes and let her head smack into the communicator screen. "Oh, no, I think I know what it is now...." The blue-haired vampire blinked. "You do? What?" Mina sighed. "Leda's drunk, or at least she was getting there when I left her apartment a few hours ago." Ami's blue eyes went wide. "You serious?" Mina nodded. "Yeah. She was feeling really lonely for some reason and decided to get sloshed. Why, I don't know." She paused for a second to think. "I'm willing to bet that she's in the mood for a thunderstorm, and is trying to incite one herself. Problem is, she's rattling the windows with her Jupiter Thunder. Do you think Tolaris could cook up a small storm to keep her happy until she sobers up?" Ami turned her head to look at Tolaris, then turned back with a slight blush on her face. "Umm.... sure, but it'll take awhile for the storm to start to develop. Tolaris says that making it develop any faster will give the meteorologists a bad case of indigestion when they try to figure out how it could have sprung up. Not that they haven't already wet their pants about the current lightning storm...." Mina smiled. "Nah, we can just leak a rumor to the media that the Sailor Scouts had it out with some evil forces and that Sailor Jupiter got just a tad overzealous." Ami laughed. "I think that'll work. The storm should be noticeable in about ten minutes." Mina nodded. "Thanks, you two. Good night and sleep well." Mina paused long enough to give them a wicked grin. "That is, after you've finished making Tolaris lose control of his powers again." Her last view was of Ami blushing a deep shade of red before the frequency was closed. Mina chuckled to herself as she watched the Mercury and Lightning sigils ghost out a few seconds later. I love doing stuff like that, she thought with a smile. Her smile faded slightly as she noticed the Moon sigil ghost out as well. Odd, I didn't think Serena ever used the privacy mode, she thought. Mina watched as the Moon sigil faded completely, relit in privacy mode, then started to blink on and off. Mina frowned and queried the communicator's diagnostic hardware. Mina was puzzled at the reading she got from Serena's communicator. What is it doing? she thought as she sent another query to the diagnostics, asking it for an explanation. The blonde smiled as she finally understood. Looks like Serena managed to trip and land on her communicator again. Makes me glad these things are made to handle being dropped or stepped on. Though I often wonder if Luna didn't specially reinforce Serena's communicator for stuff like that.... Smiling to herself, she reset her communicator, took a deep breath, and opened Sailor Jupiter's frequency. I know you're there, girl, and I know you can hear it beeping at you, so you might as well answer it. Several minutes passed before the channel finally opened. The monitor hadn't even fully lit up before the channel closed and the Jupiter sigil ghosted out into privacy mode. Mina frowned. Well if that's how it's going to be, then I'll just let you have it tomorrow. An evil grin spread across her face as she contemplated ways of making Leda regret her behavior. I think I'll start off by making sure you won't forget the massive migraine you'll probably be nursing come morning.... The grin widened as her thoughts slid downhill from there. She quickly reset her communicator and opened up the Star frequency. She smiled as Maze's image appeared on the monitor. "Evening, love. What's up?" he said with a soft smile. "Vengeance. Listen, you busy tomorrow morning....?" * * * * Leda woke up from her sleep and regretted doing so as someone detonated a nuke inside her brain. She waited until her mind stopped burning before trying to think of something to describe the pain. If it were three feet lower, she managed to think, it would probably feel like child birth. She immediately decided that if it was an accurate assessment, there was no way on Earth that she would ever have kids. With her mind in some semblance of working order and the headache dulled to a mere freight train, Leda slowly realized that something didn't feel quite right. She tried to open her eyes but the effort brought a new rush of pain to her head. Moaning in pain, she abandoned the idea and tried to move her arms and legs instead. Her limbs moved briefly and Leda was suddenly aware of the fact that she was naked. This alarmed her for a full second before she remembered that she always slept in the nude. She briefly wondered why and an image of a girl with emerald-green hair came to mind. I'll bet it's her fault, Leda thought. Yeah, I learned it from the green- haired chick.... What was her name again? She racked her brain to come up with a name but the pain made it difficult. Oh, well. Sheets feel nice, though. I'll have to thank her for telling me about this. The sensation of something being amiss nagged her mind again and she continued to search for its cause. She moved her neck and discovered that she had a sizable crick in it. Aha! she thought, this must be it. She started to stretch her neck before discovering that she had a crick in her neck because she was lying on something rather hard. She gave serious thought to simply passing it off as a pillow in dire need of fluffing, but her brain had woken up enough to set off a small alarm. She turned her head to one side and forced her eyes open. She waited until she could focus on the wall before trying to identify the object she was lying on. She was surprised to find that it was an arm, and it wasn't one of her own. Leda's mind froze as it considered this new development. A third arm in bed usually meant there was a fourth lying around, and that both of the spare limbs belonged to someone else. Therefore, she thought, there is a rather good chance that someone else is in my bed with me. That conclusion set off several major alarms in her head and she started to sweat. Ok, she thought, quick summary: I'm in my bed, someone else is in my bed, I'm naked, and I have no memory of my activities in the past, oh, sixteen hours or so. All in all, I think I'm in some very serious trouble. Suppressing the sudden urge to scream, Leda rolled over. "I was wondering when you would get around to waking up," Maze said with a soft smile. Leda immediately noticed that Maze didn't appear to be wearing anything other than a pair of boxer shorts given to him by Mina. Leda hesitated, wondering if this was a bad dream or if she should start screaming now. She vaguely remembered inviting Mina over for dinner, but she thought that was supposed to be tonight. She could have sworn she didn't say anything about bringing Maze, or having him spend the night, but she couldn't be absolutely certain with a sizable part of her short-term memory missing. "Maze," she said slowly, her voice sounding like gravel, "Why are you in my bed?" "It was your idea," Mina said as she entered the room wearing a very tight and translucent nightgown. She sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arm around Maze, kissing the edge of his ear. "Mina, what idea?" Leda said slowly. The blonde wrapped her other arm around Leda's bare waist and hugged her close, moving her body suggestively. "Surely you remember last night," she purred into the brunette's ear. Every single thought in Leda's mind came to a complete halt as she felt a wave of dread wash over her. "Last night?" she echoed with a slight tremor in her voice, her throat suddenly going dry. "You mean you don't remember?" Maze said with a slightly hurt look. His expression changed as he reached over and traced the soft contours of her neck. "Don't worry, I'll remind you," he whispered as he kissed her neck. Mina pouted. "I thought you said it was my turn with her," she said in a very silky and seductive tone. The sound of Leda screaming echoed for several seconds afterward. * * * * "Quit smiling, girl, that wasn't funny," Leda said for the eighth time in as many minutes. She was sitting on her couch in her bathrobe, holding her head in both hands. Her fit of screaming had caused another nuclear device to be detonated in her brain, resulting in an occasional moan of pain. She was dimly aware of the sound of running water as Maze was taking a hot shower. Mina emerged from the kitchen holding a steaming cup of tea. She sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Leda and widened her smile. "Of course it was," she said cheerfully as she set the tea on the coffee table. "Not only was it supremely funny, it was also payback." "Payback for what?" Leda growled as she looked at the steaming cup. She decided she could use something of her own to drink and unsteadily rose to her feet. "What did I do to you to deserve being horrified like that?" she said as she made her way into the kitchen. "Well, you've got your choice: Payback for getting drunk, payback for ignoring me on the communicator, or payback for waking up half of Tokyo with your attempts to create a thunderstorm." "Eh? What was that about a thunderstorm?" Leda called out. Mina chuckled as she reached for the television remote. "Between Tolaris and myself, the best we can come up with is that you were in the mood for a good thunderstorm and used your Jupiter Thunder to try to start one." There was a muffled curse from the kitchen. "Tell me that's another bad joke, Mina. Please say it is...." "Nope," Mina sais as she turned on the TV. "You went ballistic, so I had to convince Tolaris to create a storm of his own to keep you happy." She set the volume to low and started to look for a news station. "Great. How did you get Tolaris to do it? I thought he preferred not to mess with the weather unless he needed to." The blonde giggled. "Simple. I just left him alone in a room with Ami." Leda burst into laughter for two seconds before it became too painful to handle. "Ow, that hurt. So I guess it wasn't a voluntary storm then, eh?" "Trust me, he likes losing control of his powers that way." Leda walked back into the living room carrying a mug of black coffee. "It figures. Most guys I know would. Is it the same with Maze?" she asked, making a gesture towards the bathroom and its occupant. She smiled to herself as Mina started to blush. "Yes, but he doesn't lose control of his powers." She watched with mild interest as Leda took the plastic spoon out of her coffee and tossed it on the table. "Umm, Leda, I think that coffee of yours might be just a little too strong for you to handle right now." Leda paused with the mug at her lips. "What makes you say that?" "It started to melt the spoon." Leda blinked in surprise and looked at the spoon. The plastic edges had started to warp and bend before it was taken out of the steaming liquid. She took a good look at the coffee she was holding before gingerly setting it down on the table. Mina smiled, then turned her attention back to the television. "Ahh, here we go. Mind if we watch the noon news?" she asked Leda. The brunette shook her head and Mina turned up the volume. "....So barring anymore unexpected weather patterns, it should be partly sunny today with a high in the mid 70's. Tonight should be clear and cool with the low dropping to the upper 50's. And the forecast for tomorrow is mostly cloudy with the high hovering around 70. "Recapping our top story, seventeen people are dead and over two hundred wounded in a tragic collision between two commuter trains this morning. No official reason for the incident has been released yet but on-site engineers believe the accident was caused by a malfunctioning switch gate which diverted the south-bound train into the path of the train headed north on a parallel track...." Both girls made faces as an overhead picture of the accident was shown. "All that damage and loss of life," Leda said slowly, "All because of a broken computer switch. Kinda makes you wonder what else could happen if some little microchip gets in a bad mood." "I try not to think about it much," Mina said, still looking faintly ill. "I find it's easier to sleep that way." Leda made a face as the phone rang. "Could you turn the TV down for a bit while I get this?" she said as she reached for the phone. Mina nodded and lowered the volume, still watching the scene of immense destruction on the screen. "Hello?.... Yes, this is she.... What can I do for you, Officer?" Mina blinked in surprise and wondered what the police would want with Leda. Oh no, I hope she didn't do something stupid last night.... Aside from the lightning barrage, but they wouldn't know it's her.... She blinked again as a towel was dropped in her lap. She looked up to see Maze smiling at her, still slightly damp from his shower. "Did you get your vengeance?" he said as he bent down and kissed her. "Very much," she said with a satisfied smile. "Yes, I know him.... His parents? They moved up north not too long ago. I think I have their phone number somewhere. You mind holding for a second while I look for it?.... Thanks...." Leda set the phone on the edge of the couch and started to search for her personal phone book. "Any particular reason the cops are calling you?" Mina inquired. "Yeah, they're looking to get in touch with Ken's parents." She found what she was looking for and started to search through it. "I don't know what they want, but I'm going to try to find out. Ahh, here it is." Maze frowned. "Cops?" Mina nodded. "Slang term for the local law enforcement." "Ah, I see." Leda picked up the phone again. "Officer Jackson? Yeah, I found it," she said, then gave him the address and phone number. "You're welcome. Umm, if you don't mind, I'm a close friend of Ken's and I was wondering if you can tell me if he's in any sort of trouble or anything...." Mina suddenly frowned, a sense of unease creeping over her. I don't like this, she thought as Leda listened to the voice on the phone. She was getting ready to ask Leda what the problem was when Leda's complexion went white. "No, it.... it can't be...!" Both Mina and Maze lunged forward as Leda collapsed to her knees. Maze kept Leda from landing on anything hard while Mina made sure that the steaming coffee wasn't splashed on anyone. "Leda, what's wrong?" Maze asked. Leda weakly waved him off. "A-are you sure?... Yes, I'll be fine.... Do me a favor and have them call me when they arrive.... I'll be okay, Officer.... Thank you.... Good-bye." She hung up the phone and broke into tears. "Leda, what happened? What was that all about?" Mina said, still keeping the coffee from falling off the table. "It.... It's about Ken.... He was.... He was killed in that accident this morning...." she managed to say before she completely broke down and cried into Maze's shoulder. * * * * Four hours later, Leda and Mina were standing in the lobby of one of the hospitals where the accident victims were being treated. Mina had finished talking to Ami on the communicator when Maze returned to the lobby. "It's on this floor, just past those elevators," he said, gesturing in the direction of the elevators. He turned to Leda and put a hand on her shoulder. "My deepest sympathies, Leda. I know what its like to lose close friends, both in accidents and in battle." Leda nodded and wiped away a tear. "My thanks to both of you. Come on, let's go." She let them across the elevator lobby to a set of reception rooms that were being used as a gathering place for the friends and families of the train accident victims. The old lady behind the reception desk nodded as they approached and pulled out a large record book. "May I get your names, please?" "Leda Kino." "Ah, I was told to give you a message when you arrived, Ms. Kino. You're invited to a private reception for the families tonight at eight. Mrs. Stone also wanted to see you as soon as you arrived. She's in room C-3, second door on your left." "Thank you, ma'am. See you guys in a bit," she said to Mina and Maze, then made her way down the corridor. "Can I get your name as well, young lady?" the secretary asked politely. "Mina Aino." "And you, young man?" Maze thought quickly. "Maze Aino," he said. "Older brother?" she asked as she scribbled on the record sheet. "Husband." The old lady looked up from her records. She first looked at Mina, then gave Maze a strange look. Mina was surprised by the answer as well but she pretended as if everything was perfectly fine. "Problem?" Maze said softly, giving the secretary a smile. "None that I know of. Room C-3, second door on your left." "Thank you, ma'am," Maze said, then headed down the corridor. Mina waited until they were out of the old lady's sight before coming to a halt. She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced when Maze gave her a thorough kiss. "Don't start," he said after they broke apart. "I had to think fast back there, and that was the first thing that came to mind. Unlike Tolaris, I don't know what my great-grandfather's name was so I couldn't use it as a last name." "Mmm, are you sure that's all it was?" Mina replied innocently. Maze blinked. Why do I get the feeling I'm about to be caught in a trap? he thought. "Umm, what exactly do you mean?" Mina smiled what Maze would call a predatory grin. "Oh, I just thought it might have been a Freudian slip or something by saying you were my husband." "Depends. What's a 'Freudian slip'?" he asked. "The long definition is fairly complex. In short, a slip of the tongue by which you say something that is on your mind or in your thoughts." The Dragoon blinked and thought carefully. Yes, this smells like a trap of sorts, he thought. "Umm.... Can we talk about this later? Leda's probably waiting for us, and you know how much moral support she needs right now...." Mina's smile only faltered for a brief instant. "Of course. Let's go, then." So much for that tactic, she thought. Guess I'll have to take another shot at it later. They entered the reception room and found Leda hovering just inside the door. "Hey guys," Leda said when she saw them. "Listen, Ken's parents said it would be less boring for me if I were to come for the eight o'clock reception rather than stay here, so unless you want to poke around for a bit, we can go." Mina shrugged. "Works for me. So how are you holding up?" "I'm fine," Leda said as they made their way out of the reception area. The blonde snorted. "Yeah, right. I can usually read you like a book. Try again." Leda sighed. "Ok, so I'm giving serious consideration to going home and crying my heart out again for a few hours. That better?" Mina nodded. "At least its the truth. Come on, we'll take you home. Besides, I'm supposed to be over for dinner tonight, remember?" "Yeah, I remember," Leda chuckled weakly. "I don't remember much after that, but I remember that part. Maze, you're also welcome to stay for dinner. I was planning on making some of my home-made chili." Mina giggled. "You mean the stuff the military uses to jump-start their nuclear reactors?" Leda gave her an amused look. "Okay, already, I won't use as much chili powder this time." Mina pretended to be in deep thought. "I guess that means they'll only be able to use that batch for jet fuel, then." "Hey, if you didn't like it then you wouldn't have eaten three bowls of it the last time I made some." "Well.... Okay, so I liked it. But what about him?" Mina said, pointing at Maze. Maze was busy smiling at the secretary as they left and failed to notice. "What about Maze?" Leda countered. "What about me?" the Dragoon said, slightly confused by the sudden turn of the conversation. "Well, keep in mind that his digestive system is different from ours, and that spicy foods are quite rare in the Negaverse." "What, you don't think he could handle my cooking?" "Well, let's just say that Artemis probably has a better tolerance for spicy foods than he does." "Am I missing something?" Maze asked. "Of course not," Mina said, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. "We're just saying that my cat as a better stomach than you." "Oh, okay...." He trailed off as her meaning sank in. "HEY!" The girls burst into a fit of giggles. "Seriously, Mina," Leda said when she could stop giggling, "You don't think he could handle spicy chili?" The blonde shook her head. "Probably, but I don't want to risk it. I fed Artemis some of the chili you made last time and it wasn't pretty. I had to keep him outside for a week, and I swear he spent the first three days doing nothing but camping out on the litter box." "Why did you keep him outside?" Maze asked with the innocent curiosity of someone who had never owned a pet. Mina made a face at the memory. "He had to, umm, air out, so to speak." "Ah," he said, looking slightly surprised. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Leda, I think I'll pass on having my system flushed out." "Hey, I can understand that. Think you can handle some of my sweet and sour chicken?" Maze stopped dead in his tracks. "Umm...." Mina frowned as she reached up and lightly smacked him. "I could hear that thought from here, Lieutenant." "But that's what you said you were cooking that night we mmmppphhh!" he said as Mina clamped her hand over his mouth. She flashed an innocent smile at Leda and said, "I don't know what he's talking about. You want to accept her offer for dinner, right?" she said to Maze with a slight edge in her voice. Maze meekly nodded his head, not wanting to further upset Mina. "Right...." Leda said slowly, her eyebrows arched up past her hairline. "Well, then, if you two are finished doing.... whatever, shall we be going?" "Of course," Mina said, then turned to Maze. "You will behave yourself, won't you, Lieutenant?" He nodded again and she released his mouth. "Good!" she said, all smiles. "Well then, if that's settled, let's go." Maze watched her gracefully bound down the street. "Someone either wake me up or tell me what I've gotten myself into," he muttered to himself before setting off after the two girls. * * * * Leda smiled knowingly as she started clearing off the table. "Think he'll be okay?" she asked, gesturing towards the bathroom. "I tried to take it easy with the spices, but you can only do so much with Sweet and Sour Chicken...." Mina giggled. "I know. Don't worry about it, he'll be fine. I'm not sure if Ami ever told you this, but Tolaris ate some General Tso's Chicken on their first date and he didn't suffer too badly. Just stomach cramps." "I'll bet that was a fun date," the brunette replied as she carried the dishes into the kitchen. "It was when he was still a Negaverse agent, and that was the same night he found out she was Sailor Mercury," Mina said. "Need help with those dirty dishes?" "No, I got it, thanks. You know, I think I remember hearing Serena talk about that one night," Leda said, focusing most of her attention on cleaning the dishes. "I understand both she and Tuxedo Mask really got trashed." Mina nodded. "Something like that, yes. But it was his love for Ami that saved them, despite the fact that she was supposed to be his enemy. Love tends to do that," she said with a soft smile. The blonde blinked as Leda grunted and said something to herself. "What did you say?" Leda sighed quietly. "I didn't say anything...." "Sure you did," said Maze from behind her. Both girls jumped and the Dragoon smiled. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you two like that." "I can see you're feeling better," Leda said darkly as she continued to work on the dishes. "Trust me, I am. Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Leda," Maze said. "You're welcome, I think. Though I can do without any more of your heart- stopping surprises tonight, thanks," the brunette replied as she finished her task. "Next week, then?" he asked innocently. Leda first glared at Maze, then at Mina. "If I ever wake up with either one of you in my bed again, I swear by Zeus I'll kill both of you." Mina blinked and exchanged a concerned look with Maze. "Umm, are you sure you're feeling alright? You seem to be a bit.... grumpy lately, and I don't mean because of this morning." Leda debated momentarily between sighing heavily and growling at them both. She finally settled on the sigh and busied herself with drying off the dishes. "Okay, so maybe I've been a grump all morning, but one of my best friends just died and I'm still rather shaken. Sorry if I seem to be out of it at times." Maze frowned lightly. "I don't mean to intrude here, Leda, but I think it runs a bit deeper than that. You've been acting rather odd for the past month or so and I've noticed that you don't spend as much time doing things with your friends as you used to." "Kinda hard to when they're always out with their boyfriends," she replied bluntly. "Leda...." Mina started to say but fell silent when Maze laid a hand on her shoulder. Maze nodded his head as he started to fully understand the situation. "I think I'm starting to understand, Leda. The five of you have been rather close friends for some time now and have been through a lot together, right?" Leda nodded. "More so than you would think," she said softly, giving Mina a meaningful look. The blonde caught on to her meaning and turned away, a dark red blush spreading across her cheeks. Maze failed to notice the exchange and continued. "People have the rather disturbing tendency to change after time. People go their own ways, live their own lives, and even close friends will drift apart after awhile." Leda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Mina, didn't we get something like this from Luna last week? Something about maturity and change?" Mina nodded. "Unfortunately." "Leda, is your heart lonely?" Maze asked quietly. Leda blinked in surprise at the question. "What do you mean?" "I've learned over the centuries that there are many kinds of loneliness. Lonely for friendship is one, but lonely for emotional companionship is another form," Maze said softly. "I knew a cadet once who had all the friends anyone could want, but had no one whom she could...." He gestured as he sought for the words to convey his meaning. "Sleep with?" Leda suggested dryly. Maze shot her a dark look. "No, that she had plenty of, believe me. No, I mean someone she could sit down with and be totally at ease with just because they're there with her. If that makes any sense," he added with a shake of his head. Mina tilted her head at an angle, much like a bird looking at something of interest. "So you're saying you think Leda needs a boyfriend?" she said with a mischievous grin on her face, ignoring the look on Leda's. "Excuse me...." Maze shrugged. "Having a significant other does wonders for your state of mind and body. Look at Tolaris. I mean, you haven't known him as long as I have, but his disposition has changed radically since he met Ami." "Now wait just a second...." Mina giggled. "Yes, I think Leda could stand to have a sudden change of disposition. Mmm, I haven't done any serious match-making in a while. This could be fun," she said with a grin. Both Mina and Maze blinked as Leda made a rather profane statement about Mina's suggestion. "Not that I have any clue as to how that translates," the Dragoon said with a discreet cough, "But I take it you don't like that idea?" "About as much as I would like a poison ivy rash," Leda said icily. "You eat with that mouth?" Mina finally managed to say, her cheeks burning a vivid shade of red. Leda decided against her initial reply to the comment. "What I don't need right now is for anyone to try to get me a boyfriend, okay? If I ever get the urge to have one, I'll go looking," she said slowly. Maze nodded in understanding. "I see your point," he said and started to think about something. "Leda, this might sound bizarre, but when was the last time you went on vacation?" Both Leda and Mina blinked at the question. "We're Sailor Scouts, we don't have time for a vacation," Leda said sourly and Mina nodded in agreement. "Ever try to take one?" Maze suggested. Leda opened her mouth to answer, then paused and looked at Mina. "I.... never really gave it much thought, to be honest. I guess our trip to the Hot Springs Resort a few months ago could have been called a vacation." "Not really," Mina said. "I think the idea of a vacation is to get away from stuff like your jobs and most of your concerns for awhile. If you care to remember, our 'vacation' wound up becoming a lesson in Negaverse survival." Maze smiled at Mina. "I hope you don't mean to tell me you didn't get to enjoy any of it...." he teased and she blushed. "Not the part were we got sliced and diced by that catapult-type thing," she said. "The recovery was interesting, but I could have done without having to meet General Rune." "Ugh, I think I've still got a sore spot from that," Leda muttered as she rubbed the small of her back. "You know, if you had a boyfriend, he could rub it out for you...." "Shut up, Mina," Leda said darkly. Mina shrugged. "It was worth a shot." "A bad one at that," the brunette countered. "The point is," Maze said, laying a hand on Leda's shoulder, "That I think you should ask the rest of the Sailor Scouts if they could do without you for a few days. You can use the time to get away from everything and just relax, have some time to yourself to unwind and think about whatever might be on your mind." Leda blinked and thought about Maze's idea. "I'm not sure.... I mean, if something happens and I'm not here...." "Then we'll just have to deal with it like we always do," Mina interrupted smoothly. "Perhaps you do need a vacation, Leda. I mean, having a few days to myself would be a dream right now. No worries about school, no worries about what the Negaverse might do.... Well, okay, just a few worries," she admitted. "But I wouldn't let that get in the way of my relaxation." "Relaxation my butt," Leda snickered, "You'd probably spend most of the time curled up in bed with a pot of hot chocolate on one side and Maze on the other." "What's wrong with that?" Mina said, blushing a light shade of red. Leda waved her hand in the air. "Anyway...." she said and glanced at the Dragoon. "What are you smiling at?" "Who said dreams don't come true?" he said with a wicked grin. "You lovebirds make me sick," Leda sighed. Maze stopped grinning and nodded. "Humor aside, Leda, perhaps you should consider asking Serena if you can disappear for a week or so. You know, get away from everything and everyone just to sit down and think in peace." "Mmm, time to myself without having to watch the two of you drool over each other," Leda said with a smirk. She continued to consider the idea and sighed softly. "Alright, I'll talk with Serena. I'm not sure where I'd go, though." "May I make a suggestion?" Mina said. "I'll probably regret this, but yes," Leda said with a grin. "Try going someplace you've always wanted to, someplace out of the way." "Someplace where you won't have to deal with me, you mean," the brunette said with a snicker. "Not quite," Mina said, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. "It's more like so you won't have to deal with any of us." Leda blinked as an idea started to form in her head. "Hmm...." Maze smiled. "I smell something burning," he whispered loudly to Mina. "She's the blonde, remember?" Leda said as she pointed at Mina. "Not funny, girl...." Maze blinked. "Umm, did I miss something?" "Not really," Leda said with a smile. "What's the dominant hair color of the airheads in the Negaverse?" "Hard to say," the Dragoon replied. "Best guess is light green, but don't tell Captain Whisper I said that." "Maybe. The running joke over here is that blondes are the airheads," Leda said, giving Mina a large smile. Mina snorted. "But I'm not a natural blonde, or did you forget?" Maze blinked in shock. "You dye your hair?" he said incrediously. Leda burst into a fit of laughter, ignoring Mina's dark look. When she was able to regain her breath, she explained to Maze what a natural blonde was. When she was finished, Maze's eyebrows were arched up almost to his hairline and Mina was blushing a vivid shade of red. "He didn't need to hear that, thank you," Mina muttered darkly. Maze smirked and gave Mina a quick kiss. "Perhaps...." The blonde opened her mouth to deliver a scathing retort when Leda coughed loudly. "If you two are going to get into a fight, take it outside. My kitchen is messy enough as it is, and it's going to get worse after dessert so what I don't need right now is for half of my cookware to become exhibits in a minor domestic disturbance." Maze and Mina blinked and exchanged glances. "Umm, what's for dessert?" Maze asked cautiously. Leda smiled and opened up her freezer. "Got your choice. A fruit pie or an ultra-dense triple-layer chocolate cake." "We'll take the chocolate," Mina said instantly, her eyes lighting up at the mention of chocolate. Leda gave Mina a curious look at her sudden enthusiasm as she removed the cake from the freezer. "Ease off, girl, you're scaring me. I would have sworn only Serena got that look in her eyes when someone mentioned chocolate." "She's discovered that chocolate acts much like a stimulant to denizens," Maze said with a smile. "It's sort of like how caffeine would affect a human." "Meaning you'll be wired all night," Leda said with a smile. Maze gave her an evil grin. "Something to that effect...." "Does Ami know about this?" Leda inquired as she started cutting the cake into rather large slices. Mina giggled. "You were there when she told us. Remember the night we came back from the Negaverse and had to spend another night in the cathedral because of the snow?" Leda snickered. "I'm surprised you remember anything, seeing how your sigil was glowing bright enough to give us all vision problems. Can't imagine why it was doing that, though...." "I'll bet you can't, either," Mina muttered beneath her breath, her cheeks burning a cherry red color. Leda paused in mid-motion, glaring at her friend. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she said slowly in a dark tone. Mina sighed to herself. "I.... just.... oh, never mind, Leda. I'm sorry I even said it." The brunette frowned lightly as she put down the knife. "No, seriously, what did you mean by that?" "Here, go set the table for a few minutes," Mina suggested as she got the dessert plates out of the cabinets and gave them to Maze. Maze blinked in surprise at the hint. "Umm.... sure...." he said slowly as he left the kitchen, shaking his head slightly in wonder. "Quit stalling and out with it, girl," Leda said. "Okay, since being blunt seems to be your thing, I'll be blunt with you," Mina said, taking a deep breath. "In short, not only do you need a vacation, you need to get laid." Leda blinked in shock. "Say what?" "I said...." "I heard what you said, Mina," Leda said with a gesture, "I'm just wondering if you haven't lost your senses." She blinked as Mina stepped close and gave her a tight hug. "Leda, you need to trust me on this," Mina said quietly in her ear. "You can't judge life based on a few bad experiences. You have to get out more, try new things, look at life from another angle. Just because it was bad once doesn't mean it'll always be bad." Leda stepped back and regarded her friend carefully. "Keep in mind that the rest of the world isn't cursed with your level of curiosity," she said in a neutral tone. Mina shrugged. "More's the pity." Leda sighed heavily and returned to her task. "So what exactly are you suggesting that I do, aside from the obvious?" "Well, if you happen to go on vacation, just spend some time with a guy you think is cute and take it from there. If something happens between you two, ride it out. If nothing happens, no big deal." The brunette snickered. "Bad phrasing." Mina thought for a second and smiled. "Sorry. Just keep this in mind: they say that a one-night stand is probably the most honest relationship two people will ever have...." "Mina...." Leda said dangerously. "Just a thought...." was the innocent reply. Leda's dark reply was cut short as the phone rang. She sighed as she made her way out of the kitchen and into the living room. "The cake is ready so you can take it out to the table," she called out before she picked up the phone. "Thank you," Mina said as she carried the mass of chocolate to the table. "Hello?.... Oh, hi, Mrs. Stone.... I'm doing fine, considering. How have you been holding up?" came Leda's soft voice from the living room couch. Maze smiled at the huge pieces of cake Mina started serving out. "Should I even bother asking what that was all about?" he said softly as he softly kissed her ear. "No, you shouldn't," she replied. "Here, have some chocolate." "Uh huh," the Dragoon said as he accepted a plate from her. "Does she really need a vacation that badly?" "Just listen to her voice," Mina suggested. "I can, but not right now. I have some friends over here keeping me somewhat sane.... Mina and her boyfriend. I think you've met Mina.... Yeah, that's her.... What?.... Umm, I'm not sure...." Maze nodded silently. "You may be right. I'm not sure which one she needs more, a vacation or someone to ease her heart." Mina gave him a funny look as she started to eat. "I'm shill no' shure wha' you mean," she said around a mouthful of chocolate cake. The Dragoon idly toyed with his cake, not much in the mood to eat. "It's like I said earlier.... She doesn't need a friend right now, she needs...." He waved his hand around as he searched for the right word. "A boyfriend?" she suggested. "No...." He blinked as he found the word he was looking for. "She needs a loved one. Someone more than a friend. Family, for instance." Mina sighed and looked down at the half-eaten piece of cake. "And now she doesn't have any left," she said quietly. She felt Maze's curious gaze on her and she looked up. "Her parents were killed in an airplane crash a few years ago, then her lover was killed in an auto accident, now this. Ken was like a brother to her and the only family she had left." Maze winced at the list of tragedy. "Poor girl," he said, glancing at the living room. "I know what it's like to lose friends and family, but not so close together.... You said she had a lover once?" Mina nodded. "In a sense...." "I can see why she wouldn't want another boyfriend after his death...." Mina coughed discreetly. "Her death," she corrected gently. Maze blinked in shock for a moment, then pretended to clean out his ears. "Sorry, love, I must have had something in my ear. I could have sworn you said Leda's lover was a she." "She was," Leda said quietly as she entered the room. "I can show you a picture of her if you like." She took Maze's stunned silence as a yes and went into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a large pitcher of milk and a small photo album. "Thought you two could use some of this," she said as she set the milk on the table. She sat down and poured herself a glass before she started to flip through the album. "Are you alright?" Mina asked quietly, noticing the faint trail of tears on her friend's face. "Probably. Here," she said and showed them a picture of a young girl with long, dark green hair and mischievous emerald green eyes. She had an impish smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes, as if she were saying something to the camera's owner. "She is beautiful," Maze said. "What was her name?" "Jenni. She was beautiful on the inside, too. Very friendly and caring. She tended to be up to something most of the time but it was never anything troublesome, just things like flowers or a card when you least expected it." Mina quietly stood up and went into the living room, coming back with a box of tissues. She set the box by Leda's elbows and took her seat, pouring herself a large glass of milk. "Mind if we ask what Ken's mother wanted?" Leda wiped away a tear and laughed to herself. "She just wanted to make sure I'd be at the reception tonight." "You are going, right?" Maze asked. "Yeah, I am. It's supposed to start at eight and I said I'd be there a few minutes early, so that gives me roughly an hour to get myself showered and all." Maze snickered. "If you take as much time to get ready as Mina does, you might want to start now...." His humor was short-lived as Mina discreetly kicked him beneath the table. "Keep it up and you'll be sleeping outside," Mina said as she went back to eating her chocolate cake. The Dragoon started to laugh. "I spent almost a full year living in the field during the Mintaka campaign. Trust me, love, sleeping outside is nothing new." "I think the point is that she won't be there with you," Leda said with a grin towards Mina. The blonde smirked and turned the majority of her attention on the cake. "But whom will wind up missing whom then?" Maze suggested. Leda blinked and looked at Mina. The blonde had paused with the fork halfway to her mouth and she was slowly looking up with a very dangerous look in her blue eyes. Leda pantomimed an explosion and started to clear off the table. "If you two are going to start, take it elsewhere. I've got better things to do tonight than to play referee to your little love quarrels," Leda suggested as she worked. "I can't wait to hear this one," Mina said softly, her voice laced with enough venom to make Leda worry about Maze's health for the next week. The Dragoon blinked as he realized that he just might have made a minor miscalculation somewhere. "Umm, perhaps you're right, Leda...." Leda grinned. "Go on, you two. I'll try to see you tomorrow afternoon. If you're still in one piece, that is...." "Do you think you'll need anything before we leave?" Mina asked, her voice regaining a measure of warmth to it. She blinked and turned to Leda, her expression changing from coldness to concern. "I'll be fine, really," Leda insisted. "Thanks for the company." "Anytime," the blonde said and impulsively hugged Leda. Leda returned the embrace with affection and smiled. "Don't forget that we're your friends and we're here whenever you need us," Maze said softly. "With friends like you, how could I forget?" Leda teased. They all laughed for a few moments while Maze and Mina gathered their things together. Maze waved good-bye and stepped outside while Mina held back for a moment. "Leda, about what I said with the vacation and all.... just promise me that you'll spend more than five minutes thinking about it, okay?" she said softly. Leda smiled and suppressed the urge to sigh. "Alright, already, I'll think it over. Sheesh, girl, it's not I'm lonely or anything." "Sure about that?" Mina said quietly and kissed her. Leda froze in place, taken off-guard by the gesture. "Good night, Thunderheart," she said and quietly left, seeming to disappear into the dark twilight within seconds. Leda continued to remain frozen in place for several seconds, the soft voice echoing inside her head like a ghost from her past. She blinked and shook her head, wondering if she was starting to go crazy. Still wondering, she went back inside her apartment and started to get ready for what lay ahead that evening. * * * * Serena smiled as she leaned against Darian. "Thanks for taking me to dinner tonight," she said as they walked along the dark streets on their way to the park. "Always a pleasure," Darian replied as he squeezed her hand. "You feel like taking a bit of a walk in the park tonight? The moon should be up by now and a full one at that." Serena laughed quietly to herself. "Full moon in two days. The only reason I know that is because Luna had asked Tolaris if he would make sure it would be a cloudless night." Darian frowned slightly. "Why did she ask him to do that?" he said, slightly puzzled. Serena shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I think she said something about collecting moon beams or whatever." She sighed softly to herself and rested her head against his shoulder. "Go figure," Darian replied with an equal shrug. He glanced up as he caught motion out of the corner of his eye and blinked. "Hey, isn't that Leda over there?" Serena blinked and looked around. "Where? Oh, I see her.... C'mon, we gotta go talk to her," the blonde said, moving to intercept her friend and dragging Darian along with her. "Hey, slow down, meatball head. Why the rush?" Darian asked as he tried to keep his balance at the sudden change in direction. "Didn't anyone tell you? Ken was killed in that huge train accident this morning...." "Who?" he said, momentarily confused. Serena sighed and slowed her pace. "Okay, remember that lion-type thing we had to fight a few months ago, the one that drained energy from people?" Darian nodded. "I remember now. He was the one we got the ambulance for after it attacked him and Leda insisted on going with him." "Yeah, that's him...." she replied sadly. "Ami told me this afternoon what happened. I've been meaning to call Leda about it but Ami said she'd be busy all night." "Are you sure we should talk to her now? She really looks like she wants to be alone now," Darian said hesitantly. Serena sighed to herself and tugged on his arm. "What she needs right now are her friends. Hey, Leda!" she called out across the dark street. Leda looked up from her thoughts and smiled sadly. "Hey, you two. What's up?" she replied. "Nothing much," the blonde replied. "Question is, how are you doing?" Leda sighed and looked back down at the street. "I'm doing fine, I guess. I take it Ami told everyone what happened?" "Yeah," Serena said softly. "Leda, if there's anything we can do for you, please tell us...." Leda chuckled to herself for a brief moment. "Funny you should say that. Not too long ago I had to pry Mina off my case about sending me on vacation for a few days." Serena blinked. "What? She thinks you should go on vacation?" Leda shrugged. "Yeah. Both her and Maze thought I could use some time away from everything to sit down and just get my thoughts together and all. Go figure," she added with another shrug. "I don't see anything wrong with wanting to get away from everything after something like that happened," Darian said quietly. "Don't forget that we'll always be here when you need us, but having some peace and quiet without any distractions might be what you need if you're having problems or anything." "That's pretty much what Maze said," Leda admitted. "I'm still a Sailor Scout, however, and I'm needed here in case General Rune tries anything again." "Leda...." Serena said slowly, "If you think you need to get away from all this, go ahead. I'm sure we'll be able to handle the Negaverse without your assistance for a few days." The brunette sighed. "I'm sure you could but...." "If something is bothering you, Leda, you need to take care of it before it affects your efficiency as a Sailor Scout," Serena interrupted. She paused as she thought about what she had just said and blinked. "Umm, is it just me or did Luna just come through here?" Leda shook her head and smirked. "No, that was you. Perhaps some of her training has finally sunk in," she said and Darian chuckled. "You hush," Serena said to Darian before turning back to Leda. "I'm serious, Leda. If you think you should go on vacation, then go. I mean, if one of my best friends died I'd probably want to curl up into a ball on my bed and cry for a week, and I wouldn't want to have to deal with anyone until I felt like I could handle it. I'm surprised you're out and around as it is." "Sorry if some of us don't like to cry like you do," Leda teased. "Not that I haven't done my fair share this afternoon," she added sadly. She looked up as she felt Serena's hand on her shoulder, a warm and reassuring grip that the brunette found oddly comforting. "Leda, are you sure you'll be okay?" Serena asked, her tone growing soft as she spoke. Leda sighed and nodded her head. "I guess I will be, given time. It's not like I haven't had anyone die on me as it is...." She blinked as she suddenly found herself wrapped in a hug by Serena. "Don't you dare think about doing anything like that to us," the blonde whispered in her ear almost inaudibly. "We'd miss you entirely too much. Go on your vacation when you get the time and seek the guidance you need to ease your heart." Leda blinked and stepped back, a look of surprise on her face. How...? she thought and looked into Serena's blue eyes. She blinked again when she saw not Serena but the Moon Princess looking back at her. The blue eyes blinked and Leda found herself looking at Serena again. "Alright, I'll go on vacation already," Leda found herself saying. "Any ideas where to go?" Darian asked. Leda nodded slowly. "As a matter of fact, yes. Serena, unless you happen to change your mind, I'll probably leave sometime tomorrow morning. You think you can spare me for four or five days?" "Sure," Serena replied. "I'll have to run it by the others just to make sure, but if Mina's pressing the issue, I don't think Ami or Rei will have any objections." "Thanks," the brunette said and looked up into the sky. "Yeech, it looks like it's getting ready to downpour. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm not in the mood for getting drenched tonight." Serena made a sour face. "Darian and I were planning on taking a walk in the park, but I think we'll skip it if it's going to rain." "You could always go sit in the gazebo," Leda suggested. Serena blinked at the idea and considered it for a full two seconds. "I think we can handle that," she said, leaning against Darian with a smile at the corners of her mouth. Leda laughed. "That's it, I've had it with the lovebirds tonight. I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow before I leave. Good night, you two. Oh, and Serena?" "Mmm?" "Thanks for everything." Serena smiled. "You're more than welcome, Leda. Good night." "Night, Leda," Darian echoed with a nod of his head. He watched in silence as Leda walked down the street, disappearing from sight as she turned a corner. "Darian," Serena said softly, "Do you think she'll be alright by herself for a few days?" Darian shrugged. "I don't see why not. You know how strong she is." "Question is," she replied in a soft, odd tone, "Does she?" He looked skyward as he felt a drop of rain brush across his face. "I'm not sure, but what I do know is that if we don't move and soon, we're going to get more than slightly wet. Come on, the park is this way," he said, taking hold of her hand and leading her towards the park and temporary shelter from the elements. * * * * She looked up towards the sky as she felt the first drops of rain start to fall on the city. Beside her, her thirteen-year-old companion's attention never wandered from the group of figures gathered on the street below the rooftop they were standing on. "So this is the beginning, then?" she heard her ask. She looked away from the sky and regarded her friend's daughter very carefully, once again overcome by how much she had changed from when they last met over a thousand years ago, in another world. "It is," she replied softly. She glanced down in time to see the group split up, the individual going her own way and the couple making slight haste towards the direction of the park. "And you're sure you can't show me the rest?" her young friend asked, looking up at her with hopeful amethyst eyes, eyes that had once been a deep shade of black in the past. She shook her head sadly and adjusted her grip on her staff. "I'm sorry, Helen. The rest takes place in another dimensional time stream. All I can show you is what happened here, in this time stream." Her companion nodded slowly, her dark purple hair starting to sway in the slowly building wind. "You said more happened later?" she asked softly, doing her best to hide her disappointment. "Yes, but that won't happen until quite some time from now," she replied, brushing a stray lock of her dark green hair out of her face. "I can take you there, if you like." Her companion blinked as the rain gently started to fall. "Does this storm have anything to do with what happened?" she asked. "I know Mother had a thing for storms...." A soft smile spread across her face. "This storm will help deepen a bond between two people, but it won't be the ones you seek. That storm lies in the other time stream." Her heart started to feel heavy at the look of sadness on her young friend's face and she reached out to brush a few stray strands of dark purple hair back into place. "One of these days, I'll find a way to access the other streams and you'll see the rest," she said softly. "Thank you," the other replied, only partially cheering up. "Come now, we have to go before we get soaked. I don't want to have to explain to your mother how we both caught colds when we're supposed to be in the Lunar Library on the Moon," she said and held out her staff. "True," her friend replied as she reached out and touched the staff. She nodded and concentrated briefly. The gems in the staff seemed to twinkle ever so slightly before they were both enveloped in a temporal vortex and vanished, leaving no trace of their existence. * * * * The sun was slowly rising in the east when Leda walked up the ancient stone pathway that led to the cathedral. She paused for a second to marvel at how ordinary it looked from the outside, seeming to be just another small, old cathedral forgotten by the rest of the world around it. Ordinary my butt, she thought with a snicker as she resumed her pace. Very few people knew that it once served as the hidden base for a Negaverse general, and fewer still know that it now serves as the hidden retreat for the Sailor Scouts and their Negaverse denizen allies. Leda paused at the side door to the cathedral, momentarily shifting her backpack as she looked around for any signs of life. Okay, let's see.... she thought to herself, Maze and Mina should still be asleep, and Ami and Tolaris are over at Rei's temple doing some type of meditation training-type thingy. That just leaves Whisper and Ra'vel, and I don't see why they would be awake yet so this should be simple.... She blinked in surprise as the door opened in front of her. Who...? she thought before her mind locked up at the sight of the giant crystalline spider standing in the doorway, chiming happily at her. "Umm, hello, Dyvach," she said hesitantly. The weaver chimed back a response and stepped aside, waving several of its legs in a motion to come in. She entered the cathedral and the weaver closed the door behind her, still chiming away in its native language. Leda knew that the weaver was harmless, but it still tended to make her slightly nervous on occasion. She blinked as it tapped her foot several times before making a few odd chiming noises. "Sorry, I have absolutely no clue what you are saying," she apologized. The spider chittered to itself for a few seconds before it suddenly turned a medium shade of purple. Leda shook her head in confusion at the weaver's odd behavior. She then blinked as she heard a soft voice echoing inside her mind. said the more than slightly grumpy voice. Leda blinked again as Dyvach started to rapidly change colors, going from crystal clear to purple and back. "I really wish I knew what you were doing right about now...." she said softly, unsure of the weaver's sudden activity. A momentary disturbance of the air around her was Leda's only warning before she found herself standing face-to-face with a rather sleepy Captain Whisper. Whisper looked at her fuzzily for a few seconds before she grunted softly and cinched her robe a little tighter. "Morning, Leda," she said softly. "If you don't mind my rudeness, what is so important that Dyvach has to start screaming in my synaptic ear at this hour of the morning?" Leda blinked. "Umm.... Nothing that I know of.... I didn't ask Dyvach to do anything, really, he just started turning this weird shade of purple...." Whisper sighed and glared at the weaver. "This had better be good." Dyvach immediately started chattering away, sounding like a set of crystal windchimes caught in a bad hurricane. After a few seconds, Whisper sighed and made a gesture towards the weaver. "Slow it down, already. I can barely understand you when you use single- syllable words. Try to keep it simplistic this time?" she said, still not fully awake yet. It chimed the weaver version of a sigh and suddenly turned a dark purple color. Whisper blinked as a stream of fragmented thoughts entered her mind. She blinked again as the images fell into place and she finally understood what Dyvach was trying to tell her. "I see.... Yes, this is worth it, Dyvach. Thank you," she said quietly in a very odd tone. The weaver chimed back briefly before it skittered off to some remote part of the cathedral. Leda cleared her throat quietly. "Should I ask what that was about?" "Dyvach tells me you're planning to take a bit of a vacation," Whisper replied, ignoring Leda's question. The brunette suddenly became self-conscious of the backpack's weight on her shoulder and she nervously shifted it. "Umm, yeah...." "He also told me that you need to borrow the Silkworm crystal to get to your destination. Is this correct?" Leda twitched as she felt a cold sweat break out across her back. "I had given it some thought...." she started to say. Whisper suddenly straightened and looked into Leda's green eyes. "Of all of the places for a Sailor Scout to take a vacation, why the Negaverse?" she said softly. "I have my reasons," Leda replied, her voice equally as soft. Whisper snorted. "I don't suppose you'd care to share them with me before I let you use the one and only gateway we have between this world and the Negaverse?" she said darkly. Leda chewed on the edge of her lip for a few seconds as she debated the matter. She reached a decision and took a step closer to the telepath. "It would take too long to explain it, so you'll just have to read my mind," she said. Whisper arched an eyebrow and her and said nothing for several seconds. "Very well," she said at length and reached out to brush her fingertips across Leda's temples. Leda expected to be drawn into her own mind again like the last time she let Whisper into her mind, but she only felt the lightest of ethereal brushes. After a few seconds, the sensation faded and Whisper withdrew her hands. Whisper made a gesture and a chair skidded across the room, coming to a halt behind her. She sat down, her face a blank mask as she thought about the situation at hand. "Captain...?" Leda prompted gently. "I can't let you have the crystal, but I can open the wormhole for you," Whisper said distantly. "I will reopen the wormhole in the same place six days later so you can return. Will that be acceptable?" Leda blinked at the sudden turn of events. "Uh.... yeah, that'll work." Whisper stood up and started walking. "Follow me, then," she said, not stopping to make sure Leda was behind her. The two of them walked in silence through the halls of the cathedral, each lost in their own thoughts. They had almost made it to the cathedral's central vault when they were almost run over by an overexcited weaver. Dyvach spat something out on the floor and chimed happily at them. Whisper sighed and picked up the Silkworm crystal. "You could have told me you were getting this," she said dryly. Leda blinked. "Captain, how does he keep doing that?" "Doing what?" "Well, first he knew about my vacation plans in the Negaverse when I made sure no one else knew, and now he gets the crystal before you agree to let me use it," she said, giving the weaver a curious look. Whisper gave the weaver a strange look and it chimed back at her quietly. "I don't know, Leda, but I think that's one question that should be answered soon. As soon as Ra'vel wakes up, the three of us are going to have a bit of a psionic conference. Hopefully that will answer a few questions." "Thanks," Leda replied as she set her backpack on the floor for a minute. She reached into her Lunar Space pocket and retrieved her Jupiter Wand. "Just give me a minute to transform and I'll be ready to go. JUPITER POWER!" she yelled, holding up the wand. Both Whisper and Dyvach took a step back as the energies surrounded Leda and transformed her into Sailor Jupiter. "Mmm, that feels slightly better," Jupiter said with a smile as she tucked her Wand back into her Lunar Space pocket and picked up her backpack. "Okay, I'm ready." Whisper gave her a strange look. "Do you really want to go into the Negaverse, Jupiter? Keep in mind that it's not the most ideal of vacation spots." Jupiter sighed. "I think you know my reasons, Captain." "Unfortunately," Whisper replied, drawing a puzzled look from Jupiter. The telepath cleared her mind and focused her thoughts on the small, iridescent purple gem, unleashing it's internal energies. The energies lashed out and ripped a hole in the dimensional fabric of space, forming a wormhole that led into the Negaverse. "Six days, Jupiter," Whisper reminded her as Jupiter walked up to the swirling vortex. "And.... good luck with whatever it is you're going to do." Jupiter nodded. "Six days, Captain. Please don't be late. And.... Thank you. For everything," she added, and stepped into the wormhole. She felt the slightest of dizzy spells before she found herself standing at the edge of a forest. Not too far off in the distance was a mountain peak, it's base shrouded in perpetual fog and it's peak ravaged by an eternal storm. Mmm, looks to be about a good six hours distant, she thought to herself. She glanced behind her to just in time to catch the vortex close in on itself and vanish. She sighed as she realized that she was indeed trapped in the Negaverse for the next six days. Might as well start walking before the sun goes down, she thought, and hope the natives don't discover me and decide to throw a welcome party. Taking a deep breath, Sailor Jupiter set off towards the mountain and her ultimate destination. * * * * He looked up from his work as a soft beeping noise filled the cave. He blinked as he realized it was the sound of an urgent flash traffic message being received by his communication system. Interesting.... he thought as he rose up from his stone table and walked over to the tiny message panel hidden in the wall. He opened up the panel and hit the print button. The receiver instantly started to print using the thin strips of paper reserved for the highest priority flash traffic messages. He frowned to himself, remembering that the last time such a message came across was when the Sailor Scouts had entered the Negaverse. The printer stopped and he tore off the paper, noting with mild amusement that it didn't do so at the perforations. It never fails, he thought as he held the paper up to the light to read. HINTERLAND CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS, WILL RETURN WITHIN 1 STANDARD YEAR. He reread the message to make sure he hadn't misunderstood it. So they've finally won that after four thousand years, he thought to himself. And now that the war is over, it means that she'll be coming back. Most interesting. He sat down on the cold, hard stone floor, trying to remember everything he knew about the Hinterland Campaign and the almost mythical general who led it. A great many of the Negaverse's past generals had been referred to as dark-hearted, but there was only one Dark General. Nop'tera. He sighed as the very thought of her sent a small shiver down his spine and made his short, black fur stand on end. It was a reaction shared by virtually everyone who knew of her and of her dark powers. He had gotten to know her rather well when she briefly returned to the Negaverse on leave, which made it all the more worse. Few can claim they had a relationship with an eternal vampire, he thought. Of course, even fewer would want to. He was saved from further memories when the beeping noise filled the cave once more. Odd, he thought as he stood up. Two messages in one day? Very, very odd. He reached out and hit the print button, blinking in surprise when it started to print using the strip-paper again. He knew that the odds of two priority flash traffic messages back-to-back were extremely rare. The receiver stopped printing and he tore off the paper to read. SAILOR JUPITER HAS BEEN SEEN NEAR MOUNT ARACHEN. He blinked as a dark chill swept through his bones and he sat down again, all thoughts of General Nop'tera gone like a faded dream. So she has returned, he thought. Interesting. He read the message again to make sure he understood it correctly. And she's around here? Most interesting. A word surfaced in his memory and slipped past his tongue, almost as if he had no control over it. The word seemed to echo softly inside the cave for a very long time, haunting him once again as it did in the past. "Leda...." * * * * Ami's computer was in several pieces, all still connected and carefully arrayed in a small, neat arc around her. Her communicator was in a similar condition, with the exception of having most of its major components gathered together in a careless pile. She sighed quietly as she held up the communicator's tiny transmitter, a device the size of her thumbnail and as flat as a penny. It's about time I found you, she thought to herself as she reached for a miniature screwdriver. She carefully used the edge of the 'driver to pry open the edges of the transmitter, revealing a set of near-microscopic circuits and pair of logic chips. Now, where are the connecting wires on this thing? she thought as she started to look for the tiny wires that connected the chips to the circuits. Ami smiled as she found what she was looking for in only a few seconds. This might be easier than I expected, she thought as she picked up a pair of tweezers specifically designed for very small-scale computer work. She then proceeded to disconnect the wires and carefully pull the chips out of their sockets. She breathed a sigh of relief as she finished the task without damaging anything. Now for the easy part, she thought as she carefully plugged the chips into a pair of unoccupied ports on her computer's daughterboard. Making sure the chips were seated firmly in the ports, she reconnected the 'board to the computer's main power supply and pushed a button on her keyboard. The speaker beeped once to let Ami know that it was running the special program she had written for her task. She relaxed and leaned back against the wall, knowing that the computer would take several minutes to reprogram the logic chips. She glanced toward the other end of the room, wondering what sort of spiritual trick Tolaris was teaching Rei this time. The priestess was in her usual meditative position, resting on her knees before a burning fire, eyes closed, and her face a blank mask of concentration. The only difference today was that she was holding her boku-toh with both hands in front of her, the tip of the wooden weapon almost inside the fire. Tolaris was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the fire, talking to Rei in a low, soothing monotone. Ami couldn't hear what he was saying even with her vampiric hearing, but she knew that he was guiding Rei through some sort of spiritual exercise. The Dragoon's voice trailed off and Ami blinked as a dark, sudden chill swept through her bones. It was the same kind of chill she got whenever Rei had used her spiritual wards against her. She focused her attention on Rei and her jaw almost hit the floor with surprise. Tiny blue motes were gathering at the tip of her boku-toh and were lazily making their way down the length of the weapon to the hilt. Even from across the room, Ami could feel the intensity of the energy that was being focused together. She knew instantly that if Rei were to touch her with that energy, the results would be highly destructive to her vampiric nature. She blinked as she saw the beads of sweat forming on Rei's forehead and noticed that her hands were starting to shake slightly. She must be pushing her concentration to the breaking point, Ami thought. I wonder how long she'll be able to keep it up? Even as the words formed in her brain, Rei's spiritual focus slipped and the energy dissipated with a sharp crack. She sighed heavily and tried to calm herself, letting the boku-toh hang limply in her grasp. "That was...." she tried to say, but was rather out of breath. The Dragoon nodded. "You did excellent, Rei. It took me the better part of a decade to learn how to do that, and you just did it in three weeks." Rei opened her eyes slowly. "Has it been three weeks? It feels like it's been forever," she admitted. Tolaris smiled. "I've been keeping track. Three weeks to the day." "Dear, what exactly are you teaching her to do?" Ami asked as she rose from her position and moved over next to Tolaris. "Teaching her how to focus her spirit to use as a means of defense. In theory, once she masters energy projection, she'll be able to project a type of energy shield similar to the one Maze uses." Rei nodded. "He's teaching me to use a physical focus first. And believe me, this stuff ain't easy," she added. "Judging from the way you looked after you lost it, I believe you," Ami said. She glanced down briefly and blinked. "Umm, I think your sword or whatever you call it is smoking." Rei looked at her boku-toh and suddenly jerked it up. She had let the tip of the weapon rest in the outside edge of the fire, and now the wooden blade was indeed starting to smoulder. She sighed and blew on the tip, causing a tiny ember to flare up briefly before being extinguished. "Great, all I need is to be setting this thing on fire," she muttered. She looked up at Ami and frowned lightly. "You alright? You look kinda.... I don't know, spooked or something." Ami sighed and stared into the fire. "That energy you were projecting was having the same type of effect as when you use your wards," she said quietly. Rei's face became an unreadable mask of emotion, her bottomless black eyes revealing nothing of what was going through her mind. Ami sighed to herself, wishing not for the first time that she could see past that mask, and that she could put up one of her own. Her computer suddenly beeped to itself and she moved back over to her array of electronic parts. She sat down and disconnected her computer's daughterboard from the power supply. "Should we ask what you're doing to that poor thing this time?" Tolaris asked with mild amusement. "It seems that every time I turn around, you've got that thing taken apart." Ami smiled. "Just reprogramming the ROM on the logic chips to handle some of the upgrades I've put into the transmitter array." Rei frowned, her grasp of computer technology not being the greatest among the Sailor Scouts. "I thought by definition, you couldn't reprogram ROM," she said hesitantly. "You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish with sufficient voltage," was the vampire's reply. "Let me guess," Tolaris said. "Wiping the chips of their old instructions before flash-burning new ones in?" "Of course. The only trick is getting the voltage right. Route too much through the chips and you'll wind up with a silicon puddle." Rei smiled, finally understanding something. "Is that why you were in a really foul mood all of last week?" she teased. The corner of Ami's mouth twitched. "Okay, so I made a mess of the first pair of logic chips. But I did just fine now. See?" she said, holding up one of the tiny chips. The priestess shrugged. "Just as long as you know what you're doing." "Trust me, I do," Ami replied as she started to reassemble the miniature transmitter. She heard Tolaris mutter something and glanced up. "What was that, dear?" "Just something Raijen once said. If they say 'trust me,' all the more reason not to," he said with a grin. Ami snorted. "Love you too." Rei stood up and stretched, trying to get a kink out of her shoulder. "Has anyone ever wondered if there's ever been a cross-pollination of schools of thought between human and denizen philosophers?" she said as she rubbed a sore spot. "That sounds awfully human to me." "If there were, then you humans would have gotten it from us," Tolaris said with a small smile. Ami looked up, one eyebrow arched up. "And what makes you so sure?" "Simple," the Dragoon replied with a shrug. "Our society has been around long before humans evolved to the level of sophistication needed for schools of philosophy." "I think he has a point, Ami," Rei said. Ami nodded as she snapped the outer casing of her communicator shut. "I think so, too. There, that should do it," she said as she flipped the device over and reset the memory. She watched as the communicator's tiny CPU reloaded its instructions from the logic chips and warmed up the transmitter array. Almost instantly, the communicator sent out a millisecond transmission on all of the frequencies programmed into it. As the transmission reached the other Sailor Scout communicators, they replied with their own unique signal, verifying that the transmission was a clear one. Ami watched as the rows of sigils lit up on her communicator, showing an available channel to each. She blinked when the Jupiter sigil failed to light up. Bad circuit? she wondered as she pinged Jupiter's communicator again. "Problem, love?" Tolaris inquired as he watched Ami's expression darken. "Not sure yet," she said with a frown as she queried the communicator's diagnostic programs. Ami blinked at the results. Lost carrier? she thought. Impossible. How can it lose the frequency when they're hard-wired? "Rei, can you do me a favor and ping Leda's communicator?" "Sure," Rei replied as she pulled her own communicator out of her robe. She tried to transmit the query and blinked at the results she got. "Ami, what does it mean when it says 'lost carrier?' And what's with the 'no carrier' for your computer?" "It means we have a problem," the vampire replied. Tolaris looked at his own communicator and frowned. "Could it mean that Leda's communicator got turned off?" Ami shook her head. "They can't get turned off, unless you pry it apart and disconnect it from the power source. When that happens, it gives a 'no carrier' message, meaning the carrier wave has stopped transmitting, which is what my computer is doing since I've disassembled it. However, there is a transponder wired into each communicator that tells the others that it still exists. The transponder is an integral part of the power supply so there's no way it can ever be turned off or shut down." Tolaris felt a ball of ice form in his gut. "So what does this 'lost carrier' message mean?" "Well, it means that the transmitter can't find the transponder in Leda's communicator, which is bad since it means one of two things has happened. The first is that her communicator could have been taken out of the transponder's range, which is not very likely. We would have gotten a weak signal warning before we lost it entirely," Ami explained. Rei frowned, an uneasy feeling settling over her. "What's the range on the trans-whatever?" "Roughly two thousand miles." "Too far for her to have gotten out of range since this morning," Tolaris said. "What's the other explanation?" Ami closed her eyes. "Total communicator destruction. I don't mean it being broken into fragments, I mean totally obliterated. Given the toughness of the transponder casing, you'd almost have to use atomics to destroy it." "Can you use your computer to home in on the transponder's last known location?" Tolaris asked. Ami made a face. "Part of the upgrade to the communicators allows them to be tracked by my computer. Otherwise you couldn't pinpoint them. They were designed to be untrackable. And right now, my communicator is the only one that can be tracked." "So Leda's communicator just vanished?" Rei asked softly. "Or was destroyed," was the equally soft reply. Tolaris stood up. "I think we need to talk to the others...." * * * * Jupiter looked up at the clouds as a stiff wind sent a chill across her exposed skin. Great, she thought darkly, all I need is for it to rain when I'm in a short-sleeved blouse and mini-skirt. The wind changed direction for the sixth time in as many minutes and she gave up trying to figure out if it was going to rain or not. She leaned against a large rock for a few moments while she regained her bearings. She was not quite halfway up the mountain and only several dozen feet above the fog line. Ahead of her was a winding path that led up the mountain, something that made her rather wary. She had already had a narrow miss with a patrol on a path in the forest, an event that made her day worse than what it was before. The wind changed yet again, and this time Jupiter could feel the first cold drops of impending rain on her face. And me without my umbrella, she thought sarcastically as she sighed and stood up to move. She froze as she suddenly got the odd sensation that she was being watched. She glanced around without moving her head, looking for any signs that she was being watched. There's no one around, girl, so you can calm down, she thought as she took a few steps forward. She halted again as the sensation returned, this time stronger than before. I don't like this, she thought as she turned in a slow circle. Nothing here but rocks, something that looks like dead cactus, rocks, a thin clump of trees about a hundred yards down there, a large rock, dying grass, and more rocks.... hold it.... rocks.... She glanced up at the top of the large rock and felt her blood turn to ice. The creature was shaped vaguely like a panther, but was much bigger. It was crouched down on all fours, studying her intently like a cat studies its next target. Jupiter wasn't sure which unsettled her more, the pair of black gauntlets on its wrists or the way the almond-shaped purple irises were looking at her. Jupiter sighed and prepared herself to be torn apart. Here I am, alone in the middle of a foreign land whose inhabitants all want my blood, and my only company is a giant black panther who looks hungry. Makes being killed by a lightning bolt almost sound pleasant. Her heart nearly stopped beating as she heard the creature speak to her. "So we meet again, Sailor Jupiter," he said in a deep, resonant voice. Her hands started to shake. I've heard that voice somewhere before, she thought in a haze of mild panic. But where? C'mon, girl, how many talking panthers have you met before? "Or would you prefer I call you Leda?" he continued, carefully gauging her reactions. He saw her eyes widen even more than before and he knew that she finally remembered. Jupiter became perfectly still as she remembered her last trip into the Negaverse.... ....she was grabbed from behind and held in a tight grip, one arm pinning her arms at her waist while the other keeping her from making any sound. The impulse to scream had just reached her brain when her captor started whispering in her ear. "Forgive me, but this was the only way to get your entire attention. Stop struggling and listen to me.... There is a small scouting party headed towards your friends' location, and I believe they are aware that you are the Sailor Scouts. You must return to warn them and quickly. I did what I could to delay them but they should be here within minutes." She stood still while he spoke, not sure of what she should do. She noticed with some unease that the arms holding her were formed like those of a giant cat, with short, dark fur and recessed claws. The thought of being a prisoner of a giant panther didn't sit well and she furiously thought of a plan of escape. "I know you have no reason to trust me," he continued, "But the lives of your friends are in danger." He paused for a moment and Leda felt something soft and fuzzy brush her cheek. "I hope we can meet again under different circumstances, Leda. Now go...." he said, releasing his grip and giving her a small shove, just enough to set her slightly off-balance. She recovered as fast as she could and turned around to look, but he was gone.... "So you remember," he said after a few seconds. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice wavering. "My name is Reish'id. Tell me, what brings a lone Sailor Scout this far up Mount Arachen?" he asked. "The Negaverse is a very dangerous place and Mount Arachen is even more inhospitable." Jupiter paused to choose her words carefully. "I'm not looking for any sort of trouble. I just came here to study the storm at the peak." Reish'id blinked. "You want to study it at this time of year?" "Yeah...." Jupiter said hesitantly. "Is there a problem?" "Aside from the fact that you've got a death warrant signed by General Rune, yes. It's getting close to winter in the northern latitudes and the temperature of the jet stream that brings moisture to this area has dropped almost to the freezing point." Jupiter blinked, unsure of what his words meant. "Meaning?" she asked, knowing that it would probably be bad. Reish'id gave her a curious look. "Meaning that the temperature of the moisture cloud at the peak is dropping just as fast." He looked up at the sky and frowned as a fine drizzle started to fall in the area. "Where is your shelter?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice. Jupiter regarded Reish'id carefully. "Why?" "Because in less three hours, this whole mountain will be layered with a large amount of snow," he replied. He saw Jupiter's eyes widen again and his frown deepened. "You haven't built a shelter yet, have you?" She made a decision and told him the truth. "No, I was going to wait until it started to get dark." "How far away is your point of origin?" She blinked. "My what?" "How long did it take you to get here?" he asked slowly. "Six, seven hours, give or take," she replied cautiously. Reish'id sighed and stood up on his hind legs, startling Jupiter. "You'd better come with me then," he said as he leapt off the rock to land several feet away from her. He turned and started walking up the dirt path. "Why should I trust you?" Jupiter asked suspiciously, still surprised by the fact that he could walk upright. So much for the giant panther theory, she thought to herself. He paused and turned around, his tail lashing back and forth. "A small blizzard is coming and you are alone with no adequate means of defense or protection against the elements. Do you think you have a choice, Leda?" he said softly. His use of her name sent a shiver down her spine. She considered her options and could only come up with one acceptable one. "Since you phrase it that way, I guess not," she said. "But if there's a bounty on my head, why not let me freeze out here?" He gave her a strange look, one that she wasn't sure she liked but one that she wasn't sure she didn't. "Do you wish to die?" "Not yet," she replied truthfully. "Then come with me," he said, turning on his heel and continuing up the mountain path. She remained in place for a few seconds before a gust of cold wind brought her attention to the storm overhead. Already it seemed that the drizzle was getting colder on her skin, and she could tell that the storm was ready to break soon. I really hope I don't regret this, she thought as she followed her strange acquaintance up towards the base of the mountain peak. * * * * No one was surprised at what they saw when they entered Maze's quarters in the cathedral. The Dragoon lieutenant was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants as he worked out on the compact exercise equipment he had set up a corner. Mina was still curled up in bed sleeping, wearing a rather loose nightgown made of green silk. On the night stand beside her was the coffee machine that she had Maze redesign to brew hot chocolate instead of coffee. Rei took one look around the room, shook her head, and headed back towards the kitchen. Ami and Tolaris exchanged looks and the vampire shrugged. "So, what can I do for you two at this hour of the morning?" Maze asked as he flipped upside down on a bar and started doing sit-ups. "We were hoping both of you were up and unoccupied so we could ask you a few questions," Tolaris said as he glanced at the still-slumbering figure on the bed. Maze shrugged. "So she likes to sleep late. Nothing wrong with that." Ami smirked. "We won't discuss why she does, though." Maze grinned. "So that's a given, but if you care to recall, she had a habit of sleeping in before she met me, correct?" "True...." "And you know what they say about old habits...." "That they die as hard as stubborn Dragoons?" she replied with a smile at Tolaris. "You'd better believe that one," Tolaris said with a smile. Maze chuckled, still doing sit-ups at a solid pace. "Bet you weren't so confident of that one after Mintaka," he said, only half-jokingly. Ami blinked as she felt Tolaris's sudden change of mood. "If I recall, Lieutenant, you weren't in the greatest of conditions afterward," he said softly with a slight edge in his voice. "Granted, boss, but I wasn't the one who almost had his k'vesan blown off by someone with a talent for plasma," Maze teased, unaware of Tolaris's change of mood. Ami saw Tolaris tense and for a moment she thought he was going to go ballistic. She blinked as his hands clenched into fists for a moment before relaxing. Do I really want to know...? she thought. Tolaris gave Maze a small smile. "We've all had our little embarrassing problems during campaigns, haven't we, Lieutenant? I seem to recall a rather amusing incident where a sniper with a crossbow ripped you a new ptanka." Maze flushed a dark green color. "You heard about that?" "It's in your medical files." Ami sighed. "Tolaris, I don't care if I have to tie you to a chair and tickle it out of you, but you are going to tell me about this Battle of Mintaka you keep talking about. And don't you dare say it's nothing because you've woken me up twice with your nightmares about it." Tolaris's skin turned as gray as his blood and Maze blinked, only now fully understanding Tolaris's problems with the Mintaka campaign. "Boss, you still haven't gotten over the nightmares from that?" he asked softly. Tolaris shook his head. "No, but they don't come as often as they once did. But you still have nightmares about Asleen, right?" Maze nodded silently. "Yeah, but it's funny in a way. Just when I got rid of them the first time, Mintaka rolled around and that nutcase popped the fuser over the valley. Brought them back big time and I still haven't gotten rid of them yet." Ami reached out and grabbed Tolaris's arm as the Dragoon leaned against the wall. "I really didn't need to be reminded of that, Maze...." he said. "I don't get it.... What happened?" Ami asked. Maze sighed and lowered himself to the ground. "The short version is that someone detonated a thermonuclear device in the middle of a valley where a suspected rebel stronghold was. Problem was, something went wrong that we'll never figure out and the blast effect was enhanced tenfold. Wiped out every living thing for fifty miles and turned the whole valley into a smoking glass crater." Tolaris looked ready to cry. "Maze, did anyone ever tell you how that thing got launched? It's rather simple," he said, not pausing for a reply. "We had a tactical warhead within range as per Queen Beryl's orders and she sent a message to the unit giving them launch instructions. As luck would have it, I was the highest ranking officer in the general area. So guess who had to give the final launch order?" Maze's complexion turned a ghastly shade of white before it hardened into a neutral mask that would have made Rei envious. "You really didn't need to tell me about that, Commander," he said evenly. Tolaris winced. He knew that Maze only used his rank when he was being formal or when he was angry with him. "I didn't have a choice, Maze," he said, referring to the launch of the warhead. "You know that as well as I do that I had to obey the order." "I don't know, Commander, I wasn't there." "Maze...." "But of course you know that I've always trusted your judgement," Maze said as he laid down on the floor and started doing push-ups at a furious pace. "Not to change such a wonderful topic of conversation, but what exactly were the questions you wanted to ask?" Tolaris sighed, knowing that it would probably be several days before Maze would speak to him in something other than a detatched business tone. "We were just wondering if Leda told you where she was going to go before she left. We can't seem to be able to locate her communicator transponder signal, which is a small cause for concern." Maze grunted. "Nope, can't help you. She made quite sure no one knew where she was headed before she bailed out this morning, Commander." Tolaris sighed. "Thank you, Maze," he said and turned to leave. "One question, Commander." The Dragoon paused and turned his head to one side, avoiding the curious look that Ami gave him. "I'm listening." "You know what I have nightmares about and why," Maze said, still using an even tone. "What disturbs your sleep at night?" Tolaris's mouth hardened into a thin line before he spoke. "You honestly have to ask that, Maze?" He heard silence in response and he sighed. "Tell me, do you think I would have nightmares about plasma bolts and infertility when I have that sitting on my conscience for three hundred years? You only destroyed a village of about two hundred. They never bothered to count how many were in that valley," he said bitterly before he left the room. Ami glanced back at Maze in time to see the mask crack, his expression one of someone trying to imagine a degree of horror beyond his comprehension. She hesitated only for a moment before she ran off after Tolaris, catching up with him in the hallway. She slid her hand in his and guided him through the depths of the cathedral to the quarters they shared. She closed the door behind them and led him over to the bed, working at the buttons to his tunic in the process. He gave her a look that clearly said 'not now,' but she gave him a reproving look in return and continued her task. Once that was finished, she quickly stripped off her blouse and bra. Tolaris sighed heavily and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as Ami stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. She then laid down on the bed and drew Tolaris down on top of her, cradling his head between her breasts like a mother does an infant. The Dragoon sighed softly and yielded, closing his eyes and doing his best to ignore the memories. The feel of the ultra-soft flesh beneath his cheek and the sensation of Ami's fingers running through his hair eventually calmed him to the point of drowsiness. He was dimly aware of the rhythmic sound of her heart beating almost directly beneath his ear, a soft and soothing feeling that further added to the effect. "Will you be okay?" she asked quietly some time later. "Maybe in another few centuries," he replied softly. "Do you.... do you think you can tell me about it?" He sighed and turned his head slightly, brushing his lips against her bare breast. "I'll tell you tonight. I guess it's about time I got this off of my chest. Not that it'll do any good...." "Don't think about it now," she said as she brushed her fingertips across his back. "I know it's not much past sunrise, but you look like you could use a nap...." He chuckled briefly. "Held like this, anyone could fall asleep." Ami smiled, knowing perfectly well that was the primary reason she was holding him like that. "Well, go ahead and snooze for a bit. I'll still be here when you wake up, and at this rate I'll probably be asleep too." "Mmm," he said, brushing his lips across her breast again. "First one up gives the other a wake-up call?" "Deal," she said. That was the other reason she was holding Tolaris like she was. Her smile widened as Tolaris unconsciously sighed the same sigh he usually made just before his brain shut down to sleep. And with any luck, she thought to herself, he'll wake up before I do.... Still smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and settled back, her mind already in the process of shutting itself down for a nap. * * * * Jupiter grabbed onto the dead tree just as her legs gave out. She leaned against the tree as the bitter cold caused her to shiver uncontrollably yet again. Already the snow was ankle-deep and she knew it was just going to get worse. She looked up as she felt something grab her arm. "Are you okay?" Reish'id asked with concern. "Just.... tired...." she said as she tried to stand up. She only partly succeeded before her legs gave out again and she collapsed, her whole body numb with cold and shaking violently. She protested weakly when she felt him pick her up and started to carry her further up the mountain. "Put me down.... I can make it...." she managed to say, despite the fact that her teeth were chattering rather loudly. "Of course you can," he said as he moved as fast as he could. He focused his mind inward long enough to gather together enough mental energy to use his powers. "Dark Energy Surround," he intoned as a shimmering black forcefield enveloped them. He immediately noticed a temperature difference as the shield blocked the icy, howling wind and allowed their body temperatures to warm the surrounding air. He had only taken about a dozen steps when his fur stuck straight out as a field of unknown energy surrounded Jupiter. He froze in place and looked down, his eyes going wide at what he saw. Her powers are fading! he thought as he watched her Sailor suit dissolve into tiny motes of light, revealing the brown and white school uniform she usually wore. This is not a good sign.... he thought as he resumed his fast pace up the mountain side. Just a little farther, Leda.... Leda cried out as her transformation finished reversing itself and the shock of the outside temperature hit her full-force. She knew that her suit was designed to lessen the effect of extreme temperature exposure, but she didn't realize just how cold it was. The combination of her weakened state and the shock of the cold caused her to quickly slip into unconsciousness. Reish'id glanced up at the terrain and breathed a tiny sigh of relief when he spotted the cave entrance. He quickly carried her inside, hitting the door control panel with his tail as he passed it. A loud grinding sound filled the small cave as a massive granite slab slid along a hidden track to block the entrance. The slab had barely settled into place before the back 'wall' of the cave slid aside to reveal the entrance way to a much larger and warmer cave. Reish'id only needed to glance at the color of Leda's skin to know that he had to get her warmed up and fast. He carefully carried her into the back of the cave where a thermal pool had formed centuries earlier. The pool was kept at a constantly warm temperature by the steam vent at the far end of the pool. Hopefully this will do it, he thought as he entered the naturally-formed chamber. He carefully set her down on a stone bench and considered his options for a moment. He found that he didn't have many, so he chose the one that he believed would work the fastest. She can kill me later, he thought as he began to undress her. His task was complicated by the fastenings on her skirt and blouse, both being of an Earth design that he had never seen before. He decided that she didn't have much time, so he extended his claws and carefully slashed the odd fabric away from her body. He worked as fast as he dared, trying to keep the damage to a repairable minimum while refraining from slashing her bare skin. He managed to remove her panties intact, a task which he thought would have been difficult at best. That done, he carefully picked her up and carried her into the thermal pool. I sure hope this works, he thought as he carefully lowered her nude body into the thermal pool. He submerged most of her body, keeping only her head above the waterline. He kept her near the edge of the pool for a moment, the water temperature there being only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding air. He then carefully worked his way closer towards the steam vent, the water temperature increasing slightly as he moved. He was halfway between the steam vent and the pool's edge when Leda moaned softly as she returned to semi-consciousness. Reish'id paused and checked her pulse, giving up after a few seconds when he realized that he had no idea what was a normal pulse for a human. At least she has a pulse, he thought as he resumed his slow journey towards the steam vent. He stopped several feet away from the steam vent, the water temperature there being a few degrees cooler than what he guessed to be the usual human body temperature. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as he noticed that her color was returning and that most of her muscles had stopped shivering. Leda moaned again and tried to move, her mind still hovering on the edge of unconsciousness. "Relax, you're going to be fine," he purred into her ear. "Don't try to move, your muscles are still recovering from the shock." Her lips started to move and he bent his head down, the tips of his ears brushing against her lips. She muttered a single syllable before her mind succumbed to the strain of the shock and slid back into unconsciousness. Reish'id straightened back up and blinked, wondering what significance the name had to her. He sighed to himself, knowing that he would find out in due time. But she will be fine, he thought to himself. The knowledge that she would recover was enough to allow him to relax. He studied her closely, not having the time to have done so earlier. She is quite beautiful, he thought to himself as his gaze wandered up and down her nude body. Strange that both humans and denizens feel the need to hide their bodies behind fabrics and such, he thought. He understood most of the reasons why they wore clothes, but as he had no need for them himself, the overall social significance of clothing continued to escape him. He bent his head down again, sniffing her carefully for any signs of something being amiss. Her skin still smelled cool to him, but he knew that it was still in the process of warming up. She smells nice, he thought. Pity most denizens don't smell as good. But then, any species which needs clothes to survive anything stronger than a cool breeze.... When he was satisfied that her body temperature was close to normal, he quickly made his way back to the edge of the pool and lifted her out of the water. He then carried her to what passed for his bed, a large mass of strange fur pelts piled in front of a burning fireplace. He carefully laid her down on a large askiri pelt and proceeded to bundle her up in several others. Between the fire and the furs, she should keep warm until she awakens, he thought. As to when that will be.... He sighed heavily, not exactly sure what to do next. He glanced down at her and saw her expression change as her mind switched over from unconsciousness to sleeping. Perhaps that isn't a bad idea, he thought as he debated the merits of a few thoughts. He arrived at a decision and unwrapped some of the furs around her. He laid down and gently cradled her against his chest before wrapping a pair of large pelts around the both of them. If the combination of the fire, the furs, and my own body heat can't keep her warm while she sleeps, he thought, then I doubt anything ever will. He blinked as Leda shifted against him and instinctively snuggled closer, her back slowly rubbing against the fur on his belly. This should be interesting, he thought as he carefully stretched his arm and leg muscles before settling down to take a nap. She shifted positions against him again and let out a soft sigh, almost as if in contentment. Yes, this should be most interesting.... he thought as he too slid into a world of sleep and dreams. * * * * Ami awoke to the cool sensation of fingertips lightly brushing against her face and neck. She kept her eyes closed and focused on the sensation, letting it slowly awaken her senses one by one. The fingertips brushed against the tops of her breasts and she made a soft, almost silent moaning sound. "Morning, dear," she said softly, enjoying the touch. "It's actually afternoon," said a voice that clearly wasn't Tolaris. Ami sighed darkly and opened her eyes. "Should I bother asking you what exactly you think you're doing?" Mina smiled at her and moved her fingertips back up to Ami's forehead. "Sleeping people are fun to play with," she said simply. "Especially when they're half-naked. It was either you or Tolaris and he might have taken it the wrong way, so I decided on you." Ami's eyebrow arched up. "Oh, and how should I take this one?" she asked with an edge to her voice. Mina's voice dropped to a whisper as she brushed her fingertips across Ami's neck. "Any way you want." Ami blinked, not sure anymore of what Mina was up to. "Uh huh.... Didn't we have a discussion about this awhile back?" "I remember one with Leda, but not with you," Mina said honestly. "Isn't Maze enough for you?" Mina smiled. "Most of the time, yes. But every now and then I wake up one morning and find myself wanting a bit of variety." Ami blinked. "And what does Maze think of this?" "We've worked it out already. As long as I let him know beforehand and get his approval, everything's fine. It works both ways, but he's said several times that he's had enough variety for a few centuries." Ami blinked again, not entirely surprised by her statement. "And what of him?" she asked, making a gesture towards Tolaris. The Dragoon was still sleeping on her chest and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. "He's welcome to join the party," Mina said with an impish grin. This time, Ami was totally surprised. She tried to think but was rather hampered by the shock. "Umm.... I'll have to discuss this with Tolaris, of course. After he wakes up, that is," she said slowly, stalling for time to get her brain straight. "I can wake him up for you...." Mina suggested. "Only if you want to get electrocuted," Tolaris said softly, causing both Ami and Mina to jump. "And believe me, it won't be as pleasant as the last time I electrocuted Ami." Mina made a face. "And how long have you been awake?" "Doesn't matter," the Dragoon replied, only the sound of his voice and the movement of his lips giving any indications that he was awake. "Of course, you don't have any room to talk, since you were awake when Ami and I talked to Maze earlier." Mina blinked. "You could tell?" "Closed eyes aren't always sleeping," he said as he opened his eyes and started to stretch. Ami sighed, wondering if the rest of the day was going to be as much of a headache as it had already been. "Well, now that we all know you're awake, you want to share your opinion on this?" "My opinion is of no concern, but I will say this: If the two of you want to start something, that's fine with me as long as you leave me out of it and I don't wind up hearing about it sometime later. With regard to the reversal of that, I would sincerely hope that I'm not so disappointing to you, Ami, that you would consider seeking out someone else for sexual comfort." Ami laughed softly and embraced him. "You know me better than that," she said softly. Tolaris grunted. "In the intelligence field, there is no such thing as knowing a person better than something. Raijen himself once said you shouldn't put anything past anyone. However, in this case I would have to agree with you on that particular topic," he said dryly. "Your faith is overwhelming," she replied sarcastically. "Is this sufficient for your purposes, Mina?" Tolaris said. Mina nodded. "Works for me, Commander. Thanks.... I think." "Good. Tell me, you came in here for a purpose other than for disturbing the sleep of the innocent, correct?" he asked. Mina nodded. "I talked with Serena and Darian about half an hour ago. Neither of them has any idea where Leda might have gone off to, but they both said not to worry since they think she knows what she's doing." "Thank you," Tolaris said. "Now unless you have something further to say or ask, I would like to try to get some more rest. I have the dark feeling that I won't be getting much of it for awhile, and I don't mean because of amorous feelings." "I understand completely," Mina said seriously. She paused and looked up at him with a curious look in her eyes. "I have two questions, however." Ami sighed and closed her eyes, not really wanting to know. Tolaris only grunted softly. "I'm listening," he said. "Do you think you can tell me