One hundred and twenty women dressed in gray and white sailor fukus stretched out in the courtyard in front of the crystal palace, standing rigidly in four even lines, their expressions blank. A cry suddenly rang out from across the courtyard, and the women all snapped their hands to their brows in a sharp salute simultaneously. Five new women filed out stoically into the courtyard, these dressed in the fukus of the Inner Senshi, and stopped directly in front of the nearest procession.

      "Senshi Ioda," the woman dressed in the red and blue fuku barked out pointedly at the girl before her, "you know the drill."

      The girl fidgeted. "Um... yes, Neo-Senshi Moon." She cleared her throat nervously, then stepped out of her line, and raised both her arms. The women clad in gray and white fukus parted until there was nearly a metre between each of them. "Senshi... attack!" Flares of energy sprung from each and every one of the women's hands and swirled around them like dark clouds. Senshi Ioda looked questioningly over at Moon, who gave a nod. She brought her arms down and immediately, the clouds of energy vanished.

      "Well, Daburu?" a woman with ashen-colored hair spoke up, sounding bored. The woman wore a green and pink fuku, the colors of Jupiter.

      Moon looked at her sharply, but all Jupiter continued to do was study her nails, her expression one of blatant disinterest. A look of anger flashed in her eyes, but she turned back to Senshi Ioda without a word. "Kaisha Ioda, I hereby promote you to High-Senshi, Class C. Make sure to get these troops in tiptop shape before General Mars comes." She calmly strode off, leaving a baffled Ioda to stare after her.

      "She's a woman of little words." Jupiter shrugged, and looked over at Neo-Mercury. "Tell her what needs to be done."

      Mercury nodded. "Are you going after Daburu, Emmeline?"

      The woman made no response except to stride in the direction Moon had taken.

      "What is the matter with you?"

      "My mother is missing."

      "No, she's not."

      "...."

      Emmeline had perched herself precariously on the ledge just beneath where the conversation was taking place, a conversation which she had deduced as being between Neo-Moon and the Elder Senshi Venus. She had found that she could learn quite.. interesting things while perched on that ledge. For instance, she had learned of the Elder Jupiter's affair...

      "Where is my mother, Minako?"

      'On a first name basis..' Jupiter was fairly surprised. She wouldn't be caught dead calling an elder by their first name... at least, calling the Elder Mars by her first name would get her a slash across the face.

      "Daburu, you... you wouldn't want to know."

      Emmeline shifted uneasily. Venus' tone was getting to her. 'What in the world is so special about Daburu Mizuno's mother, anyway..?'

      In a lounge adorned with a neon welcoming sign, located next to the barracks of the Guard Senshi, the only males in the Crystal Tokyo battalion, three women snickered quietly to each other, and snuck glances at the men drinking alone at the other side of the bar. The men were wary of these particular women, however, because they wore the fukus of Neo-Senshi Mercury, Mars, and Venus.

      "I'll take that one." Venus cocked her head in the direction of a handsome, dark-haired man who wore the emblem of the moon. As his face grew considerably paler upon hearing her words, she grinned ferally, and threw her shoulder-length blue-black hair over her shoulder in a come-hither gesture.

      "Think you scared him off, Amaryllis." Mercury smirked as the man slowly inched his way over to the door, and disappeared from view.

      Venus pouted. "Be quiet, Akasia."

      "Akaasiiiaaa-chan!" Mars suddenly wailed, looking perturbed. "Didn't we, uh, forget something?"

      "What are you talking about, Odori?" Mercury looked annoyed.

      Mars chewed her lip, while Venus remained in what looked like deep thought for a few moments.

      'And the bitches finally shut up for a few minutes...'

      Venus suddenly gave a dismayed cry. "Oh, oh... Lady, uh, Queen, uh, Faustine! We had to, um, do something for her..."

      "You're so scatterbrained," Akasia said, looking sullen. After a moment, she shrugged, and drowned down her purple-tinged drink. "We were supposed to prepare the courtyard for an appearance from Neo-Queen Serenity."

      Mars' face brightened. "Yeah, that's it! But, hey... I thought the Neo-Queen was dead.. or something."

      Mercury snorted in disbelief while Venus shook her head. "No, no, Odori. The Queen just hasn't made an appearance, uh," she glanced at Mercury, "well, ever. She's very mysterious, and all that.."

      "Yeah." Mercury had an odd look in her eye, but shrugged it off. "Anyway, that's why we were getting the troops situated.. remember? Lady Hino will call them out later to take a final look, then she'll lead them in the welcoming march."

      "Lady Hino.." Mars got a dreamy look in her eye. "Wow! She's my idol.."

      Venus opened her mouth to say something, but Mercury beat her to it. "We don't want to go there, Amaryllis." Mercury gave her a look. "Anyway, I'm gone. I'll see you later..."

      'Damn, I wish I wouldn't have to see you at all...'

      Makoto Kino was floating. Not literally, but something very close to it. She glided through the halls wearing a soft smile that none of the servants had ever seen her wear before. And clutched in her hand, instead of the customary cigarette, was a long bluish feather, that she kept brushing against her face. Her brown hair still fell softly past her shoulders, but it looked orderly and beautiful, instead of the usual unkempt.

      "L-Lady Kino?" one servant finally spoke up hesitantly as Makoto walked past her. "Are you.. feeling alright?"

      Makoto stopped for a moment, and blinked, and the servant fumbled with her hands nervously. "Oh! Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." The servant's mouth dropped open as Makoto continued on her way.

      It was not long before a hand reached out and grabbed Makoto by the scruff of her neck.

      The garden was beautiful as always. Birds chirped, dewdrops glistened, and leaves danced merrily with the occasional breeze. An array of flowers blanketed the ground, giving off a pleasant, soft scent.

      But there was one woman who didn't notice.

      At first glance, one might have mistaken her for a blob of darkness. A flowing mass of black energy. But as the hood over her was raised, a head of snow-white hair came tumbling out, light green eyes glinting. This was the Lady Faustine. And she was here for a purpose.

      The man she had come to see didn't notice her presence until she was nearly upon him. He halted abruptly at first glance, gaping, then quickly fell to one knee.

      "I am honored to be allowed to be in your presence, Lady Faustine." He had considered calling her queen... but had decided against it, as he knew the moment those words would come out of his mouth they would be dripping with sarcasm.

      "Of course, dear.." she murmured, touching his chin lightly, and forcing him to look up at her. "Now what is your name?"

      "Shinju Menboku, mistress." He hoped she wouldn't detect the annoyance in his voice.

      She frowned, slightly, then roughly pushed her lips onto his. He made a startled sound, and wrenched himself from her grasp.

      "I...uh.. am very sorry, Lady Faustine, but," he tried to control his anger," I can't--"

      She was on him in a flash, toppling him over, and pinning his body to the ground with her own weight. Her eyes smoldered as she looked into his large brown ones. He didn't struggle, but could barely contain his fairly boiling anger now.

      "Nothing..." She frowned deeper, as she trailed her hands across his chest.

      "Dammit, get off of me!" She gave a startled little yelp as he threw her off of him, but hung suspended in midair rather than tumbling to the ground. She vanished for one moment before reappearing again, directly in front of him. Shinju had a peculiar feeling in the pit of his stomach, and wondered with some detachedness if he was going to die.

      He waited.

      And waited.

      Yet Lady Faustine did nothing but stare.

      Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.

      "Who are you really, Shinju Menboku?" And she disappeared into thin air.

      "Ho..taru?"

      Makoto looked at her with mild alarm, while rubbing the back of her neck. 'How long has she.. been gone?'

      "Hello, Makoto." Hotaru's violet eyes glowed eerily in the darkness of the closet she had pulled her fellow ex-senshi into. "It's been awhile."

      'The answer to my unspoken question?' Makoto furrowed her brow, her good mood momentarily lost. "So? Why are you back?"

      Hotaru shrugged. "Where are the others?"

      "Who do you mean? The rest of the.. 'Ex-Senshi'?" Makoto answered sarcastically, at the same time automatically fumbling for a cigarette from within her pocket. Upon finding one, she stuck it in her mouth forcefully, and willed a small lightning bolt to spew forth from her finger. The cigarette was instantaneously lighted. "Rei's.. somewhere. Minako's somewhere around too, and Michiru. Kami knows where Ami is... you know the rest." Makoto took a long drag from her cigarette, and Hotaru looked at her oddly.

      "Those are bad for you health, you know," she commented rather dryly, which produced a snort from Makoto.

      "Only thing that's kept me going.." she shrugged.

      Hotaru's tone turned suddenly serious. "We never speak of Pluto."

      "What is there to speak about? She abandoned us, or don't you remember? Not that long after Mamoru died.." Makoto sighed heavily, causing a cloud of smoke to waft in Hotaru's direction, which only caused Hotaru to blink.

      "And.. Haruka?"

      Makoto fidgeted uncomfortably. "Whatever. This couldn't possibly be what you wanted to talk about, could it?"

      "No." Hotaru smiled, a rarity in itself, although it was a bitter one, and produced an envelope from within her jacket. "This is what I came here to talk about.."

      Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a loud crackling could be heard from the hall, followed by a high-pitched voice screeching, "Elder Senshi Jupiter. Re-re-report immediately to the main hall for debriefing and dressing. I-I-if you do not comply, an escort will accompany you." Makoto groaned inwardly as the metallic voice was abruptly cut off.

      "Well. It seems I came at a bad time." Hotaru paused. "Do you know what this is about?"

      Makoto threw her cigarette on the ground and stomped on it, looking agitated. "No. But then again, I never know what's going on around this hellhole..." She pulled out a fresh cigarette, and without so much as another word, stormed out of the closet, slamming it behind her.

      Hotaru winced. 'I suppose she's going to have to find this out the hard way then..'

      Emmeline heard the crackling, metallic voice at the same instant Makoto did, and nearly fell off her ledge. "Dammit," she muttered, and cast a look above her. If Daburu and Venus had heard.... but no. They seemed to have heard their own calls, and had begun their descent to the main hall. 'Well.. I suppose I'll have to postpone my eavesdropping for later.' She smirked darkly, and made her own way down to the main hall.

      When she arrived, she noticed immediately the array of Sailor Senshi, including some very influential members of the High Council that she hadn't seen in a very long time. She wracked her brain for a reason for this, but could come up with nothing.

      "They are here for the dress rehearsal." Emmeline froze as she heard the cool voice of General Mars from behind her.

      "Ah.. of.. of course, Lady Hino." Emmeline was flustered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She gave a small bow to the Elder. "I gr--"

      Rei shook her head impatiently. "No need for formalities, Jupiter. You have absolutely no idea what's going on, do you?" She looked at her coyly.

      Emmeline bristled, although that was the truth. "Well, I--"

      "Serenity is giving a speech to the populace," Rei interrupted her again, rather coldly. Her eyes looked suddenly distant. "Odd, isn't it..."

      "This is the first time the Neo-Queen has appeared in public... it must be something very important that she needs to speak about." Emmeline looked suddenly interested.

      "Well. We'll see, won't we?" Rei pursed her lips, and abruptly wandered away.

      Emmeline watched her go, keeping her thoughts on what the Queen was going to say to herself.