That Special Magic
-by: the Yarnspinner-
the_yarnspinner@yahoo.com

http://
strands-of-moonlight.my3gb.com
-or-  http://strands-of-moonlight.6te.net

A Sekkushiaru Roman
featuring characters from the anime "Sailor Moon"


> Chapter 66 - Artifacts <

       Makoto and Shinozaki sat down at her apartment to a light lunch with his parents. It was a Saturday, and being so close to the year-end holidays, they actually had no classes that morning.
       "This is wonderful, Makoto-chan," said Asagiri Masako, Shinozaki's mother. "But you didn't have to go to this trouble."
       "It was no trouble," Makoto said. "Besides, we've been wanting to have some time with you both."
       Masako looked at her husband, Hiroshi, with a frown. "Yes," she said softly. "We were a little surprised when Shinozaki didn't return home after we came back from Hokkaido. And then his phone call about this..."
       Hiroshi placed a hand over his wife's hand. "They're not children any more," he said softly.
       "I'm aware of that," Masako said. "But they're still only fourteen."
       "Almost fifteen, Mom," Shinozaki said. "And... our feelings for each other have, uhm, changed."
       "I think that's quite apparent," Hiroshi said, watching the two teenagers.
       Makoto nodded. "It just, sort of... happened," she said.
       "Yes," Shinozaki agreed. "Mako-chan's been my best friend for almost as long as I can remember. Neither of us planned for it... but being together like this... we both just sort of stumbled into it."
       Masako sighed.
       "I think it had been developing for a while now," Makoto said. "This just forced us to face up to it."
       "So... I gather you want this arrangement to be permanent," Hiroshi said.
       "Hiroshi!" Masako protested.
       He turned to face his wife. "I don't see anything seriously wrong with it, dear," Hiroshi said. "We know they're both very responsible, and Makoto-chan's apartment is not that far from our house."
       Masako nodded. "Yes, that's true," she admitted.
       "Well, we would like to make it permanent," Makoto said.
       "Yes," Shinozaki said.
       "You and Makoto-chan want to live together? On your own?" Masako asked.
       "Mom! Makoto has lived on her own for over a year," Shinozaki said. "And several times I've overheard you say you weren't thrilled with the idea of her living alone."
       Masako flushed uncomfortably, glancing over at Makoto. "But that was her parents' decision," she said. "And I don't see how having two teenagers living unchaperoned is better than just one."
       "Mom!" Shinozaki protested.
       Makoto leaned forward. "Masako-san. I've never had any problems living on my own," she said. "You've both been a great support to me, but I know that Shinozaki's friendship has been the most important thing to me. In the last few weeks, that's become even more important. We've always been able to talk about anything at all, and now, just simply being here together is such an incredible joy and support for both of us."
       "We love each other, Mom," Shinozaki said. "We've each found that one special person."
       Hiroshi placed his hand over his wife's before she could respond. "I know we're both very happy for you," he said. "And even though Masako may have some reservations, I don't see anything seriously wrong with it and believe we should trust your judgment."
       "Thank you, Hiroshi-san," Makoto said.
       "Thanks, Dad," Shinozaki agreed.
       "However," Hiroshi said, holding up his other hand. "You are both still underage, and we are still legally responsible for both of you, even if your parents did direct that you be able to live on your own, Makoto-chan."
       "We understand that," Makoto said.
       "That means that you can't just expect to live completely independently," Hiroshi said.
       "We know that, Dad," Shinozaki said. "But all we're asking for is to be able to continue living together here."
       Masako looked at her husband. "Hiroshi, are you seriously considering going along with this?"
       Hiroshi held up a hand, then looked at Makoto and Shinozaki. "Forgive me, but would you excuse us for a moment please?"
       "Certainly, Hiroshi-san," Makoto said.
       "Thank you," he said, taking his wife's hand and rising to his feet.
       Masako also stood up, following him to the spare bedroom. "You really want to go along with this?" she asked.
       He nodded. "Certainly. I think it is the best thing that could have happened."
       She stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking."
       "Of course not," he said, keeping his voice low. "Think about it for a moment. Since her parents died, Makoto has had a very short fuse for everyone except us and Shinozaki. She was very nearly thrown out of school at the end of the previous school year. By this year, however, she had a history of fighting, and we couldn't keep her from being expelled when it happened again."
       "Yes, I know," she said, glancing around at the room.
       "But since she's entered Juuban Junior High, Makoto has only been in one fight, and the principal told me she was only defending a classmate," Hiroshi said. "Yes, she has made several very good friends there, but I think there is more to it than that."
       Masako looked at him. "You mean... Shinozaki?"
       He nodded. "Since they're no longer attending the same school, Shinozaki has been spending more time with Makoto, and that seems to correspond with the change in her mood. And he has done quite a bit of growing up in the last few months as well."
       "I guess so," she conceded softly.
       "I'm certain of it," he said. "And I don't see how we can possibly stand against it. It would be irresponsible of us toward both of them."
       She nodded, still looking around the room. Suddenly her eyes widened and her breath caught.
       "What is it?" he asked.
       "Do you see any of Shinozaki's things in here?" she asked.
       He glanced around for a moment. "No. I don't," he said.
       "But that means..."
       He shrugged. "What of it? They're both responsible."
       "How can you be so nonchalant about all of this?" she demanded, struggling to keep her voice down.
       "Because I know we've raised Shinozaki right, with a good set of values," Hiroshi said. "That's why he took it on himself to do so much to help Makoto through her troubles. And Makoto's parents were two of the best people we've ever known. There is certainly nothing wrong with her upbringing."
       "That's true," Masako agreed.
       "So, are you willing to go along with this, as long as their grades don't suffer?" Hiroshi asked.
       She looked at him for a moment, clearly torn. "Alright," she finally said.
       He kissed her. "Let's go tell them."
       Masako nodded, and they returned to Makoto's table.
       Makoto and Shinozaki looked at them expectantly.
       "We've reached a decision," Hiroshi said. "Clearly your relationship has had a positive effect on both of you. Because of this, we will agree to you living with Makoto-chan, Shinozaki, so long as you continue to be responsible about it, and so long as neither of you suffers academically."
       "Thanks, Dad," Shinozaki said, overjoyed. "Thanks, Mom. You won't regret this."
       "Thank you, Hiroshi-san, Masako-san," Makoto said, slipping her hand into Shinozaki's.
       Hiroshi smiled at them both. "We are very happy for you," he said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       Makoto and Shinozaki cleaned up after his parents had left.
       "It's so great that they've agreed," he said.
       She nodded. "It certainly is. I didn't want to think about the possibility of you having to move out."
       "Neither did I," he agreed. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek while sliding a hand across her bottom. "I'm in love with the most wonderful girl."
       She smiled, drying her hands. "And I'm madly in love with a very wonderful boy."
       He pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips. "You are so beautiful," he said softly, untying her hair and letting it fall free.
       "You're pretty handsome, yourself," she said, kissing him in return.
       He slid his hands up over her breasts, then started unbuttoning her shirt.
       "I take it you want something?" she asked with a smirk.
       He grinned. "Of course," he said. "You are very sexy... and I was in a mood to celebrate."
       She giggled softly. "Well, I do like that idea." She pulled his shirt loose from his pants and began sliding it up. After tossing his shirt aside, she ran her hands over his bare chest. "Very nice," she sighed.
       He slid her shirt back off her shoulders, then unfastened the clasp at the front of her bra. Dropping the bra to the floor as well, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her nipple.
       She groaned softly, running her fingers through his hair. "Maybe... we need to go to bed, darling."
       As he kissed her nipples, his hands slid along the waist of her pants, unfastening them and starting to slide them down.
       Her pants dropped past her knees. "Just a bit... impatient... aren't we," she quipped breathlessly.
       "Some things are just too good to wait for," he said, before taking her nipple in his mouth and sucking at it.
        She leaned back against the counter, feeling her legs growing unsteady while her insides grew steadily hotter and wetter. He pulled her panties down and ran his hand over her pubic mound. She felt his finger sliding across her nether lips, before pushing into her. Her body shook and she groaned as he stroked her jewel. He had always known her so well, and as their relationship had grown more intimate that had translated into an almost unerring ability to provide for both her physical and emotional needs. She gasped for breath as she soared still higher.
       He kissed her abdomen, while sliding his finger into her channel, being rewarded with a soft cry from her. In just moments, he felt her shake as she was consumed in orgasm. "You are so beautiful," he said.
       She groaned. "You are terrible."
       "How do you figure that?" he asked with a grin, helping her step out of her pants and panties. "I was just demonstrating how much I love my very beautiful, very sexy girlfriend."
       "Yeah. Right," she replied. As he straightened up, she quickly unfastened his pants, jerking them and his boxers down in a single motion. Crouching down in front of him, she took his swollen, erect penis in her hand, caressing it lovingly. Her other hand cradled his sac, her fingers stroking the flesh behind it.
       "Mako-chan," he gasped, his body stiffening.
       She grinned, then popped his tip into her mouth, swirling her tongue underneath it. As he groaned, she held his shaft firmly in her hand. She loved the feel of this, almost as much as she loved giving him such pleasure. Pulling back, she ran her tongue along his full length, then kissed his tip.
       A tremor ran through him as her moist, silky tongue swept around the base of his tip. She was just magical at this. He ran his fingers through her hair, wondering how long he could hold out. She took him back in her mouth and again sucked him intently, while stroking his full length with her hand. Struggling for breath, he could feel the final spasm swelling within him. In only a moment, it overtook him, sending a powerful surge along his penis as he poured himself into her mouth. His legs felt weak and rubbery as she licked him clean.
       Leaning back, she sighed with delight. "Very nice." She licked her lips, then looked up at him. "Definitely a very nice dessert," she said. "Or at least the start of it."
       He nodded. "Yes. A good start."
       She helped him step out of his pants and boxers. "But now, I think we need to move to the bedroom. This kitchen is too small to go any farther." Standing back up, she ran her hands over his chest, then kissed his lips. She took his hand and led him toward their bedroom.
       As they entered the bedroom, he suddenly grabbed her and sent her tumbling onto the bed.
       "Shinozaki!" she gasped. He was already moving onto the bed, where he spread her legs open and kissed her pubic mound. As she looked down at him, she could feel his tongue brushing over her nether lips. His mouth pressed over her opening and his tongue probed into her. He sucked at her to draw in some of her honey, then swept his tongue upward. She braced herself, gasping as his tongue brushed her jewel, setting her nerves on fire.
       He thrilled to her taste, as well as to the pleasure she was experiencing. There was a tremendous joy in being able to have such an intimate sharing with such a wonderful girl. As he probed into her with his tongue, his heart swelled with the love he felt for her. This was truly where he belonged, with her, trying to give her as much pleasure and happiness as she gave him. He had lost all track of time as she repeatedly gasped and cried out in response to his probing tongue. She was swept away in climax once more, crying out wordlessly. He placed a soft kiss on her nether lips, then moved up over her. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.
       She smiled. "You are incredibly handsome and sexy," she sighed.
       He pressed his lips to hers. "I love you, Mako-chan."
       "I love you," she said. She enfolded him in her arms and rolled them both over.
       He grinned as he suddenly found her astride him. "Very nice."
       She giggled. "Most definitely." Adjusting her position, she felt the swollen mass of his tip against her nether lips. She sighed as her lips spread open around him, then plunged herself down, thrilling to the feel of his penis deep inside her. "Oh, yes," she sighed blissfully.
       He groaned softly as he was enveloped in her warm, snug embrace. She started to move slowly on his hard shaft, her inner muscles holding him firmly as she did so. He slid his hands up along her arms, then took one of her nipples in his mouth as she thrust back down, suckling it intently.
       She gasped with joy as waves of pleasure burst out from her breast and her vagina. Adjusting her position as she pushed down again, she rubbed his penis across her g-spot. "Oh, yes!" she cried. Very quickly, she repeated the move, the intense burst from her g-spot sending her over the edge to orgasm.
       He caressed her breasts in his hands. Their lips came together, and she quickly resumed her motions above him. He thrust up through his hips to meet her. Her eyes were half-closed and she was gasping for breath. He seized one of her nipples in his mouth again, while pressing his hands into the flesh of her bottom. His fingers tightened their grasp with her every thrust.
       As she continued to thrust up and down on his penis, she was filled with the most incredible happiness, overjoyed to know that they would be able to live together permanently. He completed her. She could no longer imagine life without him. The fact that it felt so incredibly good to hold his penis deep inside herself and to make love to him was just a indescribably pleasant bonus. Again and again she plunged down on that wonderful, throbbing mass, desperately needing a release that only he could provide. She could feel his body tense and his penis swell within her. Her next motion carried her away, flooding her entire being with white-hot raw ecstasy, even as he poured his seed deep into her womanhood.
       "Oh, yes," he groaned.
       She sighed and a blissful smile crossed her face as her own climactic spasm faded, leaving to enjoy the spreading of his warmth within her. "Oh darling, I could never get tired of that," she whispered.
       "Neither could I, Mako-chan," he said. "Neither could I."
       She nodded, then lowered herself over him and kissed him. "I love you so much."
       "I love you," he replied softly. "I think that was a very nice celebration."
       "Very nice," she agreed. "And maybe after a short nap... we can continue."
       He grinned. "I have no problem with that. Afterall, a gentleman should always do everything in his power to make a lovely lady happy."
       She kissed him again. "You do quite a bit, you wonderful boy."
       "That's my job, Mako-chan," he said. "I love you and I want to see you happy."
       "I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone like you," she said softly.
       He embraced her tightly and kissed her cheek. "It's simple, really. You are just the most wonderful girl ever," he said. "And all you have to do is keep doing what you're doing."
       She raised herself up and grinned at him. "I think I can manage that," she said. "It's just a good thing we both have today off."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       Atana and Rei sat on the floor of their living room, joined by Luna, Artemis, Ami, and Ryo. The various artifacts the cats had been gathering were spread out on the floor.
       "We've been able to identify some of these," Artemis said. "But others have us stumped."
       Luna nodded. "The ankh appears to be from the wizard order of Magna Gothica, but our information says it should only be inscribed on one side."
       Atana picked up the ankh and turned it over. Studying it closely, he turned it several more times. "Well... if I remember correctly... and I'm not at all sure that I do.. the masters who established the Gothic school were from one of the Egyptian orders. I think it was only several centuries later that the Isis dedication was no longer included."
       "That certainly makes sense," Luna said.
       "Otherwise, I certainly don't find anything that unusual about it," Atana added, setting it down. He leaned over and picked up a metal box. The exterior was stained and pitted. "Any idea about this one?" he asked, looking it over.
       "No. I'm afraid not," Luna said.
       "No discernable inscription to identify who made it, but there is definitely something inside this," Atana said, his expanded senses detecting a small but incredibly complex pattern of energy. Probing carefully, he could detect no threat. Satisfied, he gently worked the cover open. Inside was a translucent sphere that sparkled as if made of crystal. Looking more closely, he could see multiple layers, apparently moving independently of each other.
       "What is that?" Rei asked. "I've never seen anything like it."
       "I'm not sure," Atana said.
       Ami opened her computer and scanned the sphere. She reset the resolution several times. "It's miniaturized to an incredible degree," she said.
       Atana tapped some of the surrounding natural energy, letting it flow into the sphere. It immediately began to glow, quickly filling the room with a projection.
       "It's a starfield," Luna observed.
       Ryo looked at the innumerable small globes moving in relation to one another, then looked at Ami's computer. "It's a clock," he said, amazed.
       "A clock?" Rei asked.
       Ryo nodded, studying the greatly magnified image on the display of Ami's computer.
       "All this just to keep track of the time of day?" Artemis asked.
       "No," Ryo said. "This is much more than a simple 24-hour clock. It's probably intended to track the seasons and astronomical alignments, which would have been more important."
       "So, this represents all the stars visible from Earth?" Ami asked.
       "That's what I think," Ryo confirmed. "See, there's Orion's Belt, and up there is the Big Dipper."
       As Ryo pointed, Atana felt the energy flow changing. He increased the energy into the sphere, suddenly finding the projection advancing much faster.
       "What happened?" Rei asked.
       "I think we're essentially setting it forward," Atana said.
       As the stars moved, their angles changed as well. Ami increased the magnification on her computer again. "Ryo. Look at this," she said. "It's more than just the stars. How could they manage such detail?"
       Atana adjusted the resolution of the projection, now showing just a concentration of small spheres racing around each other.
       "I don't believe it," Ryo exclaimed. "It's a Newtonian Clock."
       "A what?" Luna asked.
       "Well... uhm, from the time that Isaac Newton established the laws of motion until the first discoveries of what we now know as Quantum Mechanics were made in the late 1800's, scientists generally assumed that all matter behaved like the planets in their orbits," Ryo explained. "The symbol of atomic energy, the ball of the nucleus with the rings circling it, is based on a Newtonian understanding. But once it was demonstrated that the atom could be split, you start running into things that just don't fit that model. Instead of running like a mechanical device with a rigidly predictable future, the universe now appears to be much more complex, where there are many different possibilities that can be projected in advance only by the laws of probability. Even my own gift cannot show the future with absolute certainty, and it is possible for the things I see to be avoided."
       "So, what is this clock?" Luna asked.
       "If the universe did operate solely on the laws of Newton, then, just like a mechanical clock, you could wind it back to see the past again," Ryo said. "Or you could wind it forward to see the future. The so-called Newtonian Clock would be a model of the universe, that you really could wind forward or backward. Other than figuring out how you would actually build such a device, the most serious obstacle to creating a Newtonian Clock is that there is no way to get a single snapshot of the entire universe down to the atomic level in order to actually 'set' the thing."
       "But this predates Isaac Newton by many centuries," Artemis said. He turned to look at Atana. "Wouldn't wizards have had a different understanding of the universe from that of Newton?"
       "I would think so," Atana agreed. "But if whoever made this was focused primarily on the movements of the stars and planets, they might have made the same assumption. And there were many orders that closely followed the movements of the stars for signs of the future."
       "So this is meant to predict the future?" Luna asked.
       "That's entirely possible," Atana said.
       "It might also be a star chart," Ami suggested. "The user could turn it ahead to see what to expect in the way of astronomical alignments. As long as those alignments actually occurred, there was order in their lives."
       "That does sound reasonable," Rei said. "The more practical side of fortune-telling."
       Atana again adjusted the energy flowing through the sphere, producing another change in the image. "Hmmm. This shows another aspect of it," he said, changing the magnification. "These are mystical points, which roughly correspond to constellations of astronomy. Some wizardry orders followed these very closely."
       Luna nodded. "That certainly supports Ryo's theory that it is a calendar and a clock."
       Ami checked her computer again. "Atana-san, would you please return to the starfield view and run it back about a year from today?"
       Atana nodded, slowly making the requested adjustments.
       Ami nodded as her computer beeped. "OK. We're now at about the point when Minako-chan first became Sailor V," she said. "Atana-san, would you please switch to the mystical view and start running it forward, please."
       "OK," Atana said.
       "What are we looking for?" Artemis asked.
       "That, I think," Atana said. "Those magic points are coming together in the alignment that made possible the Dark Kingdom's return."
       "All that was known?" Luna asked, stunned.
       Atana shook his head. "No, Luna. It wasn't. This just shows that an alignment would occur. If those ancient orders had still existed, they probably would have understood that this was something that could be exploited, but they wouldn't necessarily have known how it could be done, or who might do it." The alignments progressed, involving still more points.
       "Where are we now?" Artemis asked.
       "This is just one day after we destroyed the Dark Kingdom," Ami said.
       The room fell silent for a moment.
       "It was that close," Luna said softly.
       Atana nodded. "I'm afraid so," he agreed.
       Artemis considered this. "It definitely sounds like it's predictive value is only of the most general nature," he said.
       "I would have to agree," Ryo said.
       Rei looked up at the projection as it continued to advance. "Look at this. There's something new happening," she said.
       Ami checked her computer again. "This is just a few months from now."
       "Is this a significant alignment, Atana-san?" Luna asked.
       "That really isn't my area of expertise," Atana said. "It doesn't look very serious. At least it is a smaller alignment than that which came together at the time of the final attack on the Dark Kingdom, but like that one it does seem to have a fairly long duration. Most alignments last only a day or two, but this one goes on for more than two months."
       "And that's not significant?" Artemis asked.
       "I guess it comes down to whether or not someone could find a way to exploit it," Atana said. "Do we know of anyone that could?"
       Luna shook her head. "No."
       "Are we concerned about another threat?" Rei asked, leaning forward.
       "There's nothing specific," Artemis said. "But since the Dark Kingdom tried to exploit the last major alignment, it seems only prudent to be aware of it."
       Ami ran some more calculations on her computer. "If I'm not mistaken, since the fall of the Moon Kingdom there should have been at least fifteen previous alignments fundamentally similar to the one that the Dark Kingdom used, and two of those should have been close enough to the exact composition of this one to have allowed the Dark Kingdom to break through to our universe."
       "Then the alignment must not have been the only factor," Artemis observed. "Since Queen Serenity sent us all to this time."
       "My guess is that Queen Serenity also created a barrier," Atana said. "Even with the power of the ginzuishou, such a barrier would only last just so long."
       "This must have been the first alignment where the barrier would have been weak enough," Ami said.
       "And that explains why Queen Serenity sent us all here," Luna said.
       Atana canceled the projection and closed the lid on the box, setting it back on the floor. Looking over the other artifacts, he saw a brass wand topped with a Roman eagle. Something else caught his attention, now radiating energy. Leaning over, he picked up a Chinese-style dragon, intricately carved from jade.
       "That looks like something Geoff would like," Ami observed.
       Atana shook his head. 'There is a powerful magic in this. Geoff's ability would disrupt that, perhaps totally." He turned it over. "There's no mark or inscription to help identify the order." He applied a slight pulse of energy. At once, intense flames erupted around the dragon figure.
       "Atana!" Rei cried, jumping to her feet and pulling out a scroll.
       He flinched, easily containing the flames, but finding a counter spell to have no effect. His expanded senses saw energy swirling in toward the dragon, just as the open flame was drawing in more oxygen to replace that it had already consumed. He held up his other hand as he saw Rei preparing her scroll. "Don't. It will only tap the energy of your scroll. It's a magical booby-trap."
       "Can you extinguish the flames?" Artemis asked.
       "I... I'm not sure," Atana said softly. "But I think Ami was right. This would be safest in Geoff's keeping."
       "How can I help?" Rei asked.
       "I don't think you can," Atana said. "It's drawing in more and more magic to feed its flames. Since Geoff isn't here, I need to figure out how to do what he does." He enclosed the dragon figure in a small bubble, then began working to tap into all the energy around the bubble, trying to force it away from the dragon. It was hard going, as nature resisted the creation of a vacuum. Somehow, magic energy just swirled around Geoff, achieving a balance with his presence, but here it was fighting Atana. Changing his approach, he created a second bubble of energy, and started it spinning. As he adjusted it, he found a considerable amount of energy was being diverted, but not yet enough. He added another bubble, spinning it in a different direction. Again, the amount of energy getting through was reduced, but not blocked completely.
       Rei could see that he was beginning to strain under the effort. Opening her own senses, she could see the intense swirl of energies blazing around the dragon. Turning to look for something, anything, that could help, she noticed something that was not glowing with energy, She reached for it, only realizing as she picked it up that it was the wand with the Roman eagle. A memory stirred, as she vaguely recalled hearing something in her past life about the Roman Empire having mastered a very small but highly effective ward for individual soldiers. The wand plainly was not conducting any of the natural energy around it. As she moved closer to Atana, who now appeared to her enhanced senses, less practiced than his own, as a glowing form surrounded by a thin corona of fire with an intensely bright swirling mass in front of him, the wand remained dark. Holding the wand out, she advanced toward the bright swirl, thrusting the wand into the center. A brilliant flash ensued as she felt it make contact with something solid.
       Ami watched in surprise as Rei thrust the wand into the flames around the dragon and Atana gasped. The flames leapt higher for a moment, then vanished. An instant later, the dragon dropped to the floor. Ami looked over at Ryo. "What just happened?"
       Atana looked up at Rei, letting his perceptions return to normal. Even so, he still had spots in his eyes as if he had just had a bright photo-flash go off in his face. "Rei," he whispered. "Are you alright?"
       Rei nodded, suffering from a bit of sensory overload herself. "How about you?" she asked, embracing him.
       "I'm fine," he said. "But what did you do?"
       "I discovered that this Roman wand appears to be a very localized magic ward," Rei said. "I figured it would disrupt the dragon enough."
       Atana kissed her. "Thank you," he said softly. "I love you so much."
       Luna hesitantly stepped toward the dragon figure on the floor. "I presume this has been taken care of?"
       "Yes," Atana said. "Thanks to Rei. We just want to keep it away from any active magic."
       "I thought you said it had been taken care of," Luna said.
       "Rei dispelled the flames," Atana explained. "But it will do it again if subjected to a burst of magic."
       "Can you keep it here?" Ami asked.
       "Because of Kara, I would rather not," Atana said. "It will be much safer in Geoff's possession."
       "What about Minako?" Artemis asked. "Her power definitely fits the category of 'active magic'."
       "But Minako-chan is not a four-year-old," Rei pointed out. "She can control her power, and she can understand the risk. Kara, on the other hand, likes to practice her own magic talents here at home."
       Atana nodded. "Yes. It wouldn't be very long at all before Kara got carried away and accidentally set it off."
       "I think that does make sense," Luna said. "And Geoff would appear to be the best choice to keep this dragon."
       "I'll call him and ask him to take it," Atana said.
       "Luna and I want to thank all of you for your help with these artifacts," Artemis said.
       "Yes," Luna agreed.
       "We were glad to be able to help," Rei said.
       Ami nodded. "And I think we all learned quite bit from this."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       Ami and Ryo left Atana's building and walked back to the bus stop.
       "You didn't mention your other findings," Ryo commented.
       "No, I didn't," she confirmed.
       "Why not?"
       "There was too much else going on today," she said. "Afterall, Luna and Artemis asked us to examine the artifacts they've been collecting. Besides, I don't have enough data from the others yet to know if I'm right."
       He nodded, considering. "What about the scans you made at school?"
       She shook her head. "I have to be inconspicuous. Because of that, I couldn't gather that much data," she said. "Besides, that just limits me to Usagi-chan and Makoto-chan. And Usagi's readings have been a little different ever since she first found the ginzuishou, so she's not the best subject."
       "And the data you got from Makoto-chan was..."
       "Inconclusive," she said, nodding.
       A small group of people was waiting at the bus stop, compelling them to abandon the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       Akari held Kara's hand as they walked through the zoo. She smiled at the little girl's excitement, recalling how excited Rei had been the first time she had brought her here. With Hino Tadamichi still safely locked away in the psychiatric ward, Akari had been only too happy to accept Rei's request that she look after Kara while Rei and Atana met with Luna and Artemis. It felt so good to her to see Rei so happy, and even though she was outwardly a woman only in her late teens, she was greatly enjoying her new role of grandmother.
       "Are you having fun, Kara?" Akari asked.
       The little girl nodded. "Yes, Grandma. Definitely."
       "I'm glad," she said. "Your mommy enjoyed coming here when she was your age."
       Kara grinned. "I'm so happy Mommy is with us for good."
       Akari smiled and nodded. "I'm happy about that too."
       Kara looked up at her for a moment, an uncertain expression on her face. "Grandma?"
       She looked down at Kara. "Yes?"
       "Uhm... do you know when I'm going to get a little sister?" Kara asked.
       "Ah, well... I don't really know," Akari said. "It may be a while yet."
       "But Mommy and Daddy are together," Kara said.
       Akari sighed. "There is more to it than just that, honey," she said.
       Kara looked at her, not understanding.
       Akari sat down on a bench, sitting Kara down next to her. She then glanced around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard. "In this life, your mommy is still in school," she said softly. "And she still is Sailor Mars, which means she and the others have to still be ready in case more bad people turn up, like before. The most important thing to her and your daddy is to keep you safe."
       "But I'd really like a sister," Kara said quietly.
       Akari gave her a hug. "I know you would. But it isn't that simple, honey. It takes almost a year for a baby to be born, and during that time your mommy probably won't be able to use her special powers. Having a baby can also be difficult for the mommy. Sometimes she  is sick to her stomach. Sometimes she feels too tired to really do anything. For your mommy to have to go through that in addition to going to school every day and looking after you would be very hard on her."
       Kara looked up at her. "Was... was it... hard for you?"
       Akari nodded. "In the time of the Moon Kingdom... yes. It was very hard. But then I was also... sick at that time. In my life here in Tokyo, I hadn't gotten sick yet, but it still wasn't the easiest thing." She could see that the little girl still didn't fully understand. "Your mommy and daddy love you very much. They have to make sure they are both ready for it before having another child, which includes being able to take care of you. I don't know when that will happen, honey, but it probably won't be as soon as you would like. You will just have to be patient. OK?"
       Kara sighed, then nodded. "I guess so," she whispered.
       "Now, come on. Let's go see those monkies," Akari said with a grin.
       "Yeah!" Kara agreed.

< To be continued >

* * * * * * * * * * * *
NOTE: Thank you again for your continuing patience. I have invented names for Shinozaki's parents. Thanks to everyone who has continued to respond with feedback, and special thanks to my lovely wife for all her support. More to come.

Hopeless Romantic and I now have a message group to notify our readers when we post new stories/chapters. Those who are interested can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strands_of_moonlight/ .

Always remember, good gentles, that a yarnspinner works from and within existing legends and stories. The characters of "Sailor Moon" belong to others. In spinning my yarns, I do not seek to infringe on their rights of ownership, but merely to join with other fans to spread the legend still further. "The moonlight carries a message of love." Enjoy.

-07.10.2004
 

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