Chapter 11-Haitsuchi a.k.a. Ashes and Earth

Tabiki Kasen sweatdropped massively, nervously eyeing the crowd–he'd had enough confidence in his looks to post a picture of himself in the ads, and even though the newspapers were black and white, it looked like more than twenty ladies were lined up outside. He was certainly in a pinch–otherwise he would have smirked gleefully–and turned to his very poor, victimized brother. He had gone around collecting all their job applications and directed them to a lounge Mamoru had thankfully ensured and run to the newly-built laboratory. Fast. To his extreme disappointment and panic, Kouseki Yosouya was "not in residence." Kasen had stood there, gaping at the full staff: rooms and rooms were filled to the brim with grim men and women in sparkling white lab coats and goggles...how had Yosouya managed to hire everyone in the lab in less than a week? 'Miracle worker,' he shrugged. 'Hopefully, he can help me with my dilemma.' Getting into the shiny, silver-metallic elevator, he racked his brain for which floor his office was on. Ah, a directory–brilliance striking again. It read:

1st Floor: Lounge, Cafeteria

2nd Floor: Laboratory and Magic & Kouseki Yosouya

3rd Floor: Space Center and Foresight & Kousei Kyosei

4th Floor: Aura Devices and Brain Work & Tabiki Kasen

5th Floor: Soon to be: Power and Training & Seishou Kouseinou

6th Floor: Chiba Mamoru-OFF LIMITS

7th+ floors remaining to be built

Bewilderedly, he ran a hand through already-mussed hair and shook his head. During which, his elbow hit one of the buttons (although he didn't know which one), but he didn't notice that or the upwards movement of the elevator. 'Foresight? He went right out and but BRAIN WORK? Aura devices, my foot. Those I get from "Floor 2". Power and training? That isn't very...no comment. Chiba Mamoru is off limits to everyone but us...okay....he should put an elevator lock or something. Hey, wait a moment. Why am I on the elevator if Souya-kun's office is on the floor I was just on? *gulp* Eh....if there are only 6 floors, at least for now....why does the counter on the top say "10th floor???"'

*beep, beep* "We seem to be experiencing mechanical errors," came a somehow-feminine and machine-like voice.

"Uh oh..... Onegai, kami-sama, anything but-"

*crash*
~ * ~ * ~
When a loud bang sounded, Kouseki Yosouya jumped, heart threatening to burst out of its proper position. Clapping his hands, he issued the command for everyone in the lab to continue work. Running to his office, he passed the smoking elevator and stopped. Since when did elevators smoke? He pushed the elevator button urgently, and the sight that met his wide eyes nearly stopped his heart: empty space and complicated machinery were across from him, and when he looked down, the broken figure far below was identifiable only by a bright shock of hair and the slowly redeveloping link between Zoicite and his fellow generals. "Kasen," he whispered.

Looking down, he moved a bit too close, some internal instinct clamoring for green, for healing, for health. His left foot slipped into the crevice, the rest of him follow at a dangerously fast pace. Without enough time to call for help, he fell fast through the air, and it felt as though something was pounding at him, besides the air pressure and the panic. If you considered it, fifty feet was a long way to fall. All of a sudden, he found a change and a calm steal over him as his descent was hampered by something like a parachute overhead, letting him land slowly and gracefully–and, most importantly, without harm. Blinking confusedly at upwards, he swiped at the heavy black cape that settled over his uniform. Finally able to get the muffling fabric off, he examined a pure-black cape. He was also wearing a black uniform with metallic gray buttons, green edging the outfit. "If this isn't a dream, make me die now-OUCH!"

Kousei Kyosei winced as he landed on his fellow general, knocking the breath out of him and also to the floor. He was dressed exactly the same, except with navy blue trim. "Ah.....oh dear. Zoicite?"

A painful response issued forth in the darkness a few minutes later. Refusing to get up, the blonde pointed a shaky finger at the other collapsed figure. "That isn't. I mean, I think it's Jadeite."

"What?! Jadeite? Can you hear me? Zoi, he's not responding. Get up already and give me a hand." For the moment, Kyosei ignored the unsettling way that their old names flowed easily and naturally off his tongue.

Peeling himself up agonizingly, he limped over, green eyes going wide. For the first time since his change of clothing, he realized that his eyes were framed by a type of masquerade cloth, but there was nothing holding it there. He tried hard to focus his gaze on what could nearly be considered a corpse, throat clenched tight and unable to allow sound out.

All of a sudden, just when Kyosei thought all hope was lost for the previously happy-go- lucky gen, scarves of emerald flowed out of Yosouya into the other blonde, sparkling and glowing dimly with black edging the corners. "Zoicite, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm not sure...it's pulling something out of me!" came the panicked reply.

He was barely able to see anything in the dark, as only a few lumps of earth were illuminated by the pale green light. Narrowing his eyes, he blinked twice and said urgently, "Whatever it is, your life force is draining out into him!"

"That must be why I suddenly feel faint."

Now the brunet could see him slumped over, clutching his chest.

"I think...I think it's helping. Neph, come here and see. There's something hard embedded in the-"

Abruptly, the strained voice was cut off. Hurrying over in that general direction, the brown-haired man threw up an arm and shielded his arms, crying out, "Endymion!" before he succumbed to the inevitable unconsciousness as well, recalling only a crystal that shone pure gold and which was dotted with black lines, spidery cracks crisscrossing it ominously....
~ * ~ * ~
Standing in the echoing temple room at the Hikawa Shrine, Jupiter hoped inwardly that they wouldn't be forced to go to battle anytime soon. From what she remembered of her planet's inhabitants, they were proud and fierce warriors, a bit like the ones of Mars but with a different type of spiritual release. The Martians connected their beliefs to warfare as well, contributing a very interesting combination to the world of the Silver Millennium. Except, she thought, face faulting, that was more than a thousand years ago.

Number one, Mars was at archery practice, something that they'd all thought was outdated and would never, ever come back to "life" again. Apparently (she cursed the memories of all six guardians), the red-haired senshi had had a talent for the bow and arrow, especially fire arrows, in the past. And since they were trying to find the highest powers in time for whatever was coming... An arrow zinged by Jupiter's head, and she jumped nervously. "Mars, can't you watch it?"

Sheepishly, she sweatdropped. "Sorry...you know how long it took me to perfect the finger thing. This is so much harder!"

"Finger thing?" chorused the two crows together.

Wondering whoever had come up with the idea that all senshi had to have guardians, Mars glared threatening scarlet eyes at them. "Whatever you use for Fire Soul....I'd like to see _you_ try it. That is, if you had hands.....What? Why are you smirking that way?"

Grinning devilishly, the two birds had finally decided to reveal the secret of the guardians. In their places stood two young women, both with red hair, red eyes, and matching features. Slowly, perfectly, they managed the infamous "finger thing" together but without the end result fireball. "There you go, Mars. You wanted to see us try it, so we have."

"How did you do that? Without any practice! I've been working on that for–for–"

Helpfully, Mercury looked up from the hunk of ice that barely resembled a harp and winced. "Three years."

"Oh, thanks. Three years, and you two still aren't done showing me up?"

Smirking slightly, they shook their heads and morphed back into normal form, or so the senshi thought. "Back to archery: if you can actually hit that target, you only have to repeat it ten more times to check your aim. If you manage to hit Jupiter, however...."

The green-haired scout scowled at the three Martians and yelled, "Don't even think about it! I don't have anything to retaliate with: no bow, no harp, no nothing!"

"Lucky you," muttered Mercury under her breath. "Koori, you want me to play this thing? Without music? Not that I could read it..."

Fighting the urge to scream, the crab sighed. "Just run your fingers across the strings and see what happens."

Sarcastically, the ice senshi asked, "What, frostbite? The strings are made of ice, Koori, ice!!!"
~ * ~ * ~
"Ehhh....?" muttered Kyosei groggily, finally coming to. "Why am I still dressed like those four men you've got framed on your wall?"

The question was aimed towards a dark-haired man, hovering over the three beds. "Oh, good. You woke up! Now, if only Yosouya and Kasen would get in the habit of rise and shine. Oh, you're wearing that uniform, because you're a general. Enough said."

Before the brown-haired one could open his mouth in surprise or outrage, a groan came from the last bed. "Mamoru, if you don't fix that elevator really quickly, I am going to kill you."

"Don't worry, the construction's almost done. If you hadn't been so clumsy, nothing would have happened, and everything would have been fine. I don't recall Kyosei or Yosouya having had problems with it before."

The blonde turned a dull brick red and frowned. Sitting up, he looked down at himself, mouth dropping open. "What the hell am I wearing?!"

Kyosei sighed and decided to add his two cents' worth. "A general's uniform. We were and evidently still are generals."

"Congratulations, Nephrite. And I thought only Zoicite could mystify me. Wait a minute...did I just call you Nephrite?"

He nodded.

"I must be going insane."

Coolly, Mamoru shook his head and sweatdropped, muttering, "You already are. Explain why Zoicite won't wake up, please. And if you call me Endymion again, you won't like the consequences."

"Thanks for the threat of violence. So Zoi found his powers again, that lucky idiot! He used to heal and grow things, even though they always used to tease him about being a sissy... Of course, you couldn't blame those numbskulls, with that added that to his looks–"

Dryly, the voice of the subject of his speech came from the middle bed. "I love how thankful you are, Jade. Next time I'll leave you three-quarters dead, and you can tease me about my looks then. Now, what was that about generals? And what was that yellow crystal? Did anyone bring it back with them?"
~ * ~ * ~
"I...hate...school," muttered Rei, stomping home through the unceasing rain, which also caused the endless mud squelching underneath her slime-coated shoes. 'I wonder, if I use Fire Soul...oh wait, what was the new one? Burning Mandala. What's the point of being able to conjure fire if you can't dry up these little nuisances like mud?" Sighing, she splashed through another mud puddle. "Even though I hate class, sensei said there's nothing wrong with talking to yourself...until you start answering yourself. I thought April showers brought May flowers, did April showers bring May showers as well?"

"I don't doubt it," commented an unknown, youthful male voice.

Spinning around and tensing, simultaneously reaching a hand behind her for her transformation stick just in case evil had decided to show its ugly face, she eyed the young man suspiciously. Although he was undeniably handsome, there was just something very creepy about the way his features were clouded, bright azure eyes slightly dark, and wavy blond hair with shadows hiding in every crevice. Politely, she said, "Excuse me, senpai, but do I know you?" 'Actually, he _does_ look slightly familiar. But from where, and why?'

Tabiki Kasen had been admiring the long, black tresses swinging to and fro in front of him for quite a while, and he had also been hoping that the possessor of such hair, with an unusual purplish tint, wasn't a hag. As she turned around, he now admired her creamy, blemish-free skin and mysterious, large purple eyes, framed with long lashes. "Um...no, I don't think we've met. I'm just going to that building over there, a new corporation. I work there. Hey, do you need a job?"

Staring at the confusing, quite open Kasen, Rei stammered, "Uh....no, thanks, I think I'm busy enough with chores at home. Your new business is really so desperate for workers that you turn to fourteen year old schoolgirls?"

"Masaka, you're only fourteen?!" he asked in wonderment and bewilderment.

"Of course, how old did you think I was? And, if you want me to prove it, I'm going to hand a perfectly dangerous stranger my school identification card."

Accepting the card with a slightly dazed look on his face, the blond man noted that she attended Juuban Junior High School, ninth grade. 'Hino Rei? Last time I checked, it was close to something like "fire of soul", but I haven't brushed up on my language skills lately. More like never.' Flashing her an innocent smile, he said, "Gomen nasai, I didn't realize you were so young. Actually, I thought you might be finishing high school or even in college."

"What?!"

Blushing at all the stares he was getting from passing pedestrians, Kasen grimaced and shot them looks of his own. "I thought most girls your age wanted to seem older?"

"Not four or so years older! And when were _you_ ever a girl, may I ask?"

Wryly, he remarked, getting slightly annoyed at her impudent and temperamental manner, "In a past life, maybe."

Walking even faster, flipping long raven strands of hair over her furious shoulder, she shouted back, "With your personality, you were definitely a–a–"

"Handsome prince?" he smirked.

"More like a frog!" With that last taunt, she disappeared from view, fuming.

Shrugging, he murmured, "Well, frogs can turn into princes. So long, fiery Rei."
~ * ~ * ~
"Mercury?"

Respectfully, the blue-haired senshi looked up from her sitting position, being raised and taught to always look at the person who was speaking or whomever you were speaking to. Blue met gold for an instant, and a spark of knowledge flashed between the two. "Yes?"

Slightly embarrassed, she shook long blond tresses over her shoulder for a minute before she continued. "Do you know how to play that thing? I mean, for real, besides just for an attack."

Flushing, Mercury shook her head. "I can't read music, but I guess it would be useful to learn harp. Music is nice, and the music of harpsichords has been described as 'waterfalls', which does suit the senshi of water and ice, I guess. Neptune has greater power over seas."

"Neptune? Ah....she was the one–"

"With aquamarine hair?"

"Well, yes, now that you mention it, but I was about to say ‘the one that liked Uranus.'" When she blushed, Venus said casually, "Venusians are never that concerned about issues like that. From what I remember, Venus is the planet of love and beauty. There were all types of sexual behavior going on that were unaccepted on all other planets. Well, anyway, at least you and the others are further ahead in your powers, I've barely mastered Crescent Beam."

Softly, she replied, "But you started slightly later training as Venus. You've gotten the hang of it a lot quicker than any of us; I remember Mars's shots ricocheting wildly when they didn't set fire to things–she almost burned down this temple once. Jupiter lost control of her powers and nearly lost her life when she didn't get up a shield up in time, once." Listing the rather serious occurrences, she shook her head and pitied all future and past generations of senshi that had gone through or would go through the same thing. "And I," she smiled rather twistedly and sadly, "I managed to give them minor frostbite and bad vision, so we stumbled through things in the dark until I was able to work my visor and figure out a way for senshi to be able to deflect each other's attacks."

"Has the technique been perfected?" she inquired reasonably.

Mercury stared at her past commander for a moment, uncomprehensible. A true grin flashed across her face for a moment, finally someone that understood. "No, not really, but I didn't want to alarm anyone." A few seconds later, her face fell. "After all, the guardians have already done their best to push me past defensive attacks and failed."

Not knowing what to say, the golden-haired senshi lowered her eyes to the floor. 'I'll never get over the strangeness of having amber eyes.' She suggested, "Perhaps the extra lessons and work on the side will pay off."

"It would be a first. Um.....Venus? Can I ask you something rather personal?"

Wondering what was coming, she said readily, "Sure. What's up?"

When Mercury detransformed, the ice harp disappeared as well. The senshi of love followed suit and became Aino Minako. In a clear voice, Ami stated, "In the Silver Millennium, Venus-sama was the commander of the senshi. And my best friend."

Feeling slightly embarrassed for not remembering such an important fact, she said, "Gomen nasai, I didn't know. I don't remember everything about the past quite yet. Go ahead...I mean, did you want to ask me something else?"

"Well, you remember.....Kunzite and Zoicite, ne?"

"Hai," she said shortly, feeling unease creep over her.

Looking at the wood floor, the blue-haired girl fumbled nervously with her necklace. "There was someone from my past that I no longer know now, because it was so long ago, but his eyes are, for some reason, imprinted in my memory. This past, I mean, and when I recently acquired my memories, I realized that they looked exactly like General Zoicite's."

"Kami-sama....don't tell me they came back to life, too! Wait a minute...Ami-chan, do you remember the color of Kunzite's hair and eyes?"

Trying to remember, she replied, "It was an odd shade, I recall, that somehow reminded me of both old age, youth, and elegance."

"Not white...."

Suddenly, Ami spoke with conviction, "Silver. It was silver."

"Masaka."
~ * ~ * ~

Paths of Thorns