This story is for Sailor Pluto...er...Loa!
Disclaimer: All Sailor Moon characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Solari (Kari) belongs to me. Yay. The picture above is from Janice's Sailor Moon Page .This is the very first Sailor Moon story that I've ever written. It's dedicated to Loa, and I hope you all enjoy it. ^_^
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The Andromeda Galaxy… a place billions of light years away from the Milky Way Galaxy. So different… and yet so alike. There are many solar systems in galaxies. The people of the planet Earth know nothing of these other solar systems. But…in the Andromeda Galaxy, the people of the planet Solari know well. Solari was a beautiful planet, much similar to earth. There was green grass, blue skies, animals, and people. And one particular person from the planet Solari…had power. It was a dormant power for many years until it had suddenly wakened when she was fourteen years old. Now at age sixteen, Karine (better known as Kari), had mastered her powers as Sailor Solari, the sailor senshi of the Andromeda Galaxy. She was a beautiful young girl with dark brown hair and violet eyes. She was incredibly smart and had a talent for singing. All in all, she led a pretty normal life. But there were two questions that Kari always had in mind. One was: were there any other sailor senshi like herself? And the second was: who was her true family? Kari didn't know anything about her family. All that she knew was that the parents that she lived with were not her true parents. Kari wished to find the answers to her questions. Little did she know…that her wish was about to come true.
Far away, on the planet Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy, three girls walked down the street. One of them had wavy sea green hair. She was Michiru, Sailor Neptune. Next to her walked a girl with short dirty blonde hair. She was Haruka, Sailor Uranus. And next to her walked a third girl, a bit older then the other two, with very dark green hair. She was Setsuna, Sailor Pluto. "So," said Haruka. "Is there anything new on the Death Busters?" She was referring to their enemy, the Death Busters, who were trying to gather pure hearts so that they could awaken the Sovereign of Silence. "Nothing," said Michiru. "We need to hasten our mission," said Setsuna. "If the Sovereign of Silence awakens, then it's the end of the world as we know it. The future will be destroyed." The other two nodded in silent agreement. Haruka began to talk about new plans for their mission as they walked by the park. Setsuna gazed into the park. Children were playing with their families. Everyone was peaceful and happy. She sighed. Never had she known love. She had been taken from her family at a young age so that she could guard the time gate. All of those years… she had been isolated. And now she felt a longing to be loved…whether by family or a boyfriend. Setsuna half smiled. She didn't have time for a boyfriend when she guarded the time gates. And now she had her mission. There really was no time for anyone else. "Hello Setsuna!" said Michiru. "What?" asked Setsuna, snapping back to reality. "We need your input on our plans," said Haruka. "What are you talking about?" "Haven't you heard a word we said?" asked Michiru. Setsuna shook her head. Never had she not paid attention to her mission. "You seem distracted. What's on your mind?" "Well," Setsuna said, and looked back at the park. "I was thinking about having family. I've never really felt family love before." "Our mission has taken the place of that," said Haruka. "We all had to make sacrifices." "I know. I'm sorry. Let's get on with the plan." Haruka and Michiru began to talk again as Setsuna glanced back at the park once again. Would she ever feel love?
All was quiet and still in Kari's house. It was midnight, and everyone was asleep. Kari slept peacefully in her room. Suddenly a bright light gleamed through the window, waking her from her sleep. "What's going on?" "Karine…" whispered a voice. It was the same voice that had spoken to her when she had first become Sailor Solari. "Karine your time has come." "For what?" "It's time for you to take your place." "My place?" "Sailor Solari, you are to take your place as the protector of time." "I don't understand." "Get dressed. Hurry." Kari quickly got dressed. She looked into the bright light. There was a distinct outline of a woman. "What am I supposed to do?" "She needs you Karine." "Who does?" "She does. You must protect her. You must save her life." "From what? You're not being very specific." "You will know when the time comes." The light grew more intense and suddenly there was a small key dangling in front of Kari. "What's this?" "It's your time travel key. Take it and shout 'Solari Time Travel'." Kari grasped the small key. "Solari Time Travel!" The planet Solari disappeared from her sight.
Kari smacked down on a hard floor. "Ow!" she said aloud. Then she looked around. She was in an apartment. "Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" The light appeared. "You're on the planet Earth. You've traveled to the Milky Way galaxy. This is your apartment. All of the payments have been settled. You'll get money when you need it. We've taken the liberty to enroll you in a school. It's called the Mugen School, and it's for top students. All you must do is try to lead a normal life here. And when the time comes, you'll know, and you'll be ready." "I understand now." "Good. I must go." "No wait!" "I can't stay. Good luck Karine." Then the light disappeared. Kari slowly stood up. She flicked on the light switch. Everything was eerily quiet. She glanced out the window. "I've traveled to another galaxy. All my life I've heard about Earth, and now I'm here." Kari walked around the apartment. She'd have to start her life all over again. She had to adjust to a new environment…but at least she might make some new friends. Kari was tired. So she curled up in a big armchair and went to sleep. Things would be different in the morning.
The morning sun woke Kari up. The bright sunlight streamed in through the huge glass window. Kari smiled. The sun was her guardian. It was the source of her senshi powers. She realized that she had slept in her clothes, so now all she had to do was wash up and brush her hair and teeth. After doing those things, Kari found her book bag. When she picked it up, a small key fell out. Kari realized that it was the time key. She quickly put it in her pocket, and left the apartment for school.
Meanwhile in the basement of the Mugen School, Dr. Tomoe was working hard on his diamon pods. His assistant, Kaolinite, stood next to him. "Mimet!" he called. A girl with short blonde hair appeared. "Yes Dr.?" "The Sovereign of Silence is getting impatient. We need to speed up our mission and collect more pure heart crystals. Have you found a new target yet?" "Well…um…not exactly." "That's just perfect," muttered Kaolinite. "Hey well at least I'm better than Eudial!" shouted Mimet. A cold look came into Kaolinite's eyes. "Let's not mention Eudial, all right?" The cold stare made Mimet back up. "Well I'm sorry." "There's been some sort of disturbance," interrupted Dr. Tomoe. "What is it?" asked both women. "Something…or someone has come here from outside of space." "You mean that somebody has broken through the time gates?" asked Kaolinite. "Precisely. It might be a new threat to our mission. So," he said and turned to Mimet. "You better get a move on or else I'll find you a replacement."
Kari stood in front of Mugen School in awe. The school was huge. How would she ever find her way around? Meanwhile, Haruka and Michiru watched her from a distance. "Who is that girl?" whispered Michiru. "I don't know. She must be new," said Haruka. "The seas are a bit stormy. For some reason I feel some sort of power coming from her." "I know. I feel it in the air. We'd better keep an eye on her." They stepped out of hiding and came up behind Kari. Haruka clamped a hand on her shoulder. "Are you lost?" she asked. Kari jumped in reaction and spun around. "Oh. I'm sorry. You surprised me." "So are you new here?" asked Michiru. "Yes. My name is Karine, but most people call me Kari. I'm sixteen years old." Michiru smiled. "I'm Michiru, and this is Haruka. We're both seventeen years old. Where are you from, Kari?" Kari thought for a moment. "Oh well, not very far from here. I moved here from the next city over." "Oh I see. Well if you need any help finding classes or anything, we'll help you." "Thank you. I think I need to see the administration about my schedule. So if you'd excuse me?" "No problem," said Haruka. Kari smiled and left. Haruka turned to Michiru. "She seemed nice," said Michiru. "There's something about her though, but I can't pinpoint it," said Haruka. "Morning Haruka, Michiru," said a voice. The two turned to find Setsuna. "Hi Setsuna," said Michiru, and Haruka nodded in greeting. "Who was that girl you were talking to?" asked Setsuna. "Her name is Kari. She's new here," said Michiru. "She's letting off a strange aura though," added Haruka. "Did you feel it?" Setsuna nodded. "I felt it. That's why I asked you." "We're going to keep an eye on her," said Michiru. "Good. I will too," said Setsuna. "She just might be an enemy."
Kari had successfully survived her first school day on Earth. Now that school was out, she decided to walk around town to see what was there. She strolled by the arcade. "An arcade!" she said. "I love arcades!" Kari entered the arcade, and looked around. A certain machine caught her eye. "Race car driving! All right!" Kari bounced over to the racecars, and started one of them. "Go!" she shouted, and stepped down on the gas. "Come on!" Her car sped around the track. "That's it!" Kari was thrilled. The race car game had always been her favorite. Suddenly her car spun out of control. "No way!" she shrieked. Then the machine read: GAME OVER. "Oh man…and I was doing so good!" Suddenly Kari heard applause from behind her, and became aware that she wasn't alone. She peeked over the top of the chair and saw two girls standing behind her. They seemed to be a bit younger than her. Both of them had blonde hair. One's hair was up in pigtails, and she carried a black cat. The other's hair was held back by a red bow, and she carried a white cat. "You were fantastic!" shouted the one with pigtails. Kari blushed. "It was nothing really." She stood up. "I've never seen you here before," said the other girl. "And we come here all the time." "Well I'm new in town." "I love meeting new people! My name's Minako!" "And I'm Usagi!" shouted the other one. Kari smiled. "My name's Kari." "Kari, you're so good at race cars," said Usagi, with admiration in her voice. "I played at the arcade near my old house all the time." "Hey," said Minako. "You go to the Mugen School?" "Yes. Today was my first day." "Wow just like Michiru and Haruka!" said Usagi. And then both sighed. "Why can’t we ever be smart?" Kari laughed. "I think I know Michiru and Haruka. They introduced themselves to me this morning." "That's so cool," shouted Usagi. "Hey Usagi," said Minako. "We've got study group at Rei's. She'll kill us if we're late." "Oh yeah." Usagi looked at Kari. "Hey do you want to come with us? We're studying for high school exams." "Usagi!" whispered Minako. "She's in high school already. Can't you tell?" "It's all right," said Kari. "I'll come with you if you want me to."
The three girls quickly made their way to Rei's house. They entered the room where Rei, Ami, and Makoto were already studying. "Wow Usagi's on time for once. Unbelievable," said Rei. "Rei! You're so mean!" Usagi whined. "Come on you guys. You spend more time fighting then studying. You won't pass the exams if this keeps up," said Ami. Kari looked around the room at all of the girls and laughed. Minako sighed. "You guys! We haven't even introduced you to our new friend! This is Kari, and she just moved here." "Hi I'm Rei! Come on over and have a seat." Rei said. "And I'm Makoto. Would you like something to eat?" "My name's Ami. We really need to study!" Usagi and Minako showed Kari a place where she could sit. Kari instantly made friends with all of the girls. And to Ami's disappointment, the study session looked as if it would never really start.
Back in Dr. Tomoe's lab, Mimet paced. "I need to show that I'm still worthy of my job!" She threw a bunch of items into the daimon machine. "I'll just pick a random target. If I get a pure heart Dr. Tomoe will be thrilled for sure!" The daimon was ready. Mimet picked up her suitcase and left the lab. She would prove herself if it was the last thing she did.
Finally the girls had begun to study. Everyone was grateful that Kari was there, for she was extremely smart and helpful. Suddenly Usagi's watch beeped. "Yeah?" Usagi whipered. "Trouble in the park," came the voice of Chibi-Usa. "It's that lady again with a diamon! Hurry up and get here quick!" "All right we'll be right there." Usagi turned to the rest of the group. "Guys we have to stop studying now." Kari was a bit confused, but the rest of the group understood. "I'm sorry Kari," said Ami. "Looks like our study session will be cut short for now. If you'd like, you can come back tomorrow." Kari stood. "Thank you for the invitation. I have to be going anyway." She smiled and left Rei's house. Once at the street, Kari hid. In the back of her mind, she wondered why the session was cut off so quickly. Suddenly she heard footsteps. To her surprise five girls were leaving the temple. And they were… "Sailor Senshi," she whispered. "So there are more… and Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako are them. I better follow them and see what's up."
Kari hid in the bushes in the park as she watched the events unfold. Apparently the enemy had taken the pure heart of a young man. Kari heard the leader of the Sailor Senshi shout, "That pure heart doesn't belong to the forces of evil. I'm Sailor Moon, and on behalf of the Moon, I will punish you!" Kari watched as each of the senshi introduced themselves. "I'm Sailor Mercury!" "Sailor Mars!" "Sailor Jupiter!" "Sailor Venus!" "We will punish you!" The enemy, a blonde woman, laughed and yawned a bit. "Please," she said. "Your routine is old already!" Then the monster like thing attacked. Kari watched, very interested in these senshi. They were getting beaten pretty badly. Kari wondered if she should transform. Suddenly there was a flash of yellowish light. "World shaking!" And then a flash of blue light. "Deep submerge!" Two powers flew through the air and hit the monster. "Not you again!" shouted the blonde woman. Two new senshi appeared. "I am Sailor Uranus!" shouted one. "And I'm Sailor Neptune!" shouted the other. The blonde woman laughed as the monster got up. "Too bad for you that this daimon is ten times stronger! I won't be beaten!" she laughed hysterically. Then a big fight began. For some reason the sailor senshi weren't doing well against the monster. Kari couldn't take it. She had to help them. "Solari Planet Power!" she shouted. Instantly she was surrounded by sunbeams as she felt herself change. And then she was standing there in her burgundy and gold outfit. She jumped out of the bushes. "Hold it!" she shouted. "What?" everyone yelled at once. "Introduced to you from the Andromeda Galaxy, I am Sailor Solari!" "There's another one?" shouted the blonde lady. "Who is she?" whispered the senshi. "On behalf of the planet Solari, I will not forgive you! UV ray!" A beam of purple light shot from Sailor Solari's hands. It hit the daimon and killed it. The pure heart flew into the hands of Sailor Moon. "No!" shouted the blonde woman. "I failed again! I'll remember this! You'll regret what you've done!" she disappeared. The inner senshi sighed with relief as the pure heart was returned. Sailor Solari looked at all of them… and noticed a shadow standing a few feet away. It was another sailor senshi, tall with dark green hair. She carried a staff. Light flashed through Sailor Solari's mind. Was she the one? She took a step back. "Wait!" shouted Sailor Moon. "Who are you?" "Yeah and where do you come from?" added Sailor Mars. "Are you friend or foe?" asked Sailor Venus. Sailor Solari's face was serious. "I'm sorry, but that's confidential," she said, and disappeared. "That was too weird," said Sailor Jupiter. "Could she be a new enemy?" Sailor Neptune whispered to Sailor Uranus. "I don't know. But I will find out." In the shadows Sailor Pluto had watched the mysterious sailor senshi leave. Light had flashed in her mind. She had never been told of a sailor senshi from another galaxy. Was this just a ploy from the enemy? Or was Sailor Solari the real deal? Only time would tell.
Back in the lab Dr. Tomoe paced back and forth. Mimet stood off to the side, very quiet. Finally Dr. Tomoe spoke. "Mimet you've failed again." "I know, but…" "No buts. And now you say that there's another sailor senshi?" "Yes. She said she was from another galaxy." "Her power destroyed my daimon immediately. She must be very strong…possibly a bit stronger then the others." He turned and looked at Mimet with a serious look in his eyes. "You realize that this is another obstacle. If she is in fact helping the sailor senshi, then we could have a major set back." "Dr. Tomoe, the senshi didn't seem to know who she was!" "That doesn't matter." "Well I won't fail next time." "There won't be a next time for a while. You're going on hiatus for some time." "Yeah," came a voice from the shadows. Mimet spun around. A figure moved from the shadows. It was a man with dark hair and dark eyes. "Jasper!" Mimet gasped. She turned to Dr. Tomoe. "I thought he had failed too many times previously. I thought he was banned from the mission!" "Well I'm not," said Jasper. "Dr. Tomoe has lifted my punishment, and now I'm back. Unlike you, I've already devised a plan to capture pure hearts. And I'm prepared and ready to handle my responsibilities." Mimet turned red. "I am more than capable…" "Well Dr. Tomoe obviously doesn't think so." "Why you! This is so unfair." "That's the way it is." Mimet turned to Dr. Tomoe. "I can't believe you!" she shouted. Then she spun around and stalked angrily out of the office. Jasper laughed as she left. "So Jasper," said Dr. Tomoe. "What's your plan." "My plan," said Jasper. "The plan is this: I'll disguise myself as a normal human. Then I'm going to look for a lonely heart. I'll use my charm and make the person trust me completely. Then when the time is right…I'll take their pure heart! And to make things even better…I think I've already found my target!" "That sounds interesting Jasper." "There's more though. In order to be convincing, I ask you if I may take my brother. This would be perfect for his training as a villain." "That's fine with me." "Good. Jay!" shouted Jasper. A younger man, with the same dark hair and eyes as his brother, appeared in the lab. "Yeah Jasper?" "How would you feel if I told you that you were going to help me in our mission to get pure hearts." "That sounds great!" "Good. We leave in a few hours. Get ready." Jay nodded and went to get ready. Dr. Tomoe laughed. This would be their best plan yet.
Kari had survived another day at school. But she had decided to tell Usagi that she couldn't come to the study group. She'd had an awful headache the whole day. Thoughts of the battle the day before played through her mind. Who was that solitary soldier that didn't fight? The one in the shadows… Kari was cleaning her apartment while listening to the radio. A song came on the radio that made Kari stop and listen. "A million starts light this beautiful night. This is not a night to die. Let me sing and dance beneath the sky. I have so much love to give…to give. I want a chance to live. Live for the one that I love. Love as no one has loved. Give asking nothing in return. Free…free to find my way. Free to have my say. Free to see the day. Be…like I used to be. Like a wild bird free. With all of life in me. Live for the one that I love. Love as no one has loved. Give asking in return. Thought this world tears us apart. We're still together in my heart. I want the world to hear my cry. And even if I have to die…love will not die. Love will change the world…" Kari jumped and switched off the radio. Those lyrics…moved her. She felt sadness for some reason. "Nothing that a walk won't cure," she muttered and slipped on her shoes. She would go to the park. It might help her clear her mind.
Setsuna sighed as she leaned against the railing of a bridge. It was a beautiful day to be in the park. But she was alone. She stared into the water at her reflection. "Why… why am I so alone? Why do I feel this way? I have a mission. I can't let my feelings interfere." She glanced across the big lake. Couples were everywhere. They were in rowboats, on the shore…everywhere. Setsuna sighed. There were families also. Children laughed as they walked with their parents. Siblings argued. The park was so alive. And Setsuna was…alone. As always. Suddenly she was aware of another presence on the bridge. She looked to her left and saw a girl walking along. The girl stopped and peered over the side of the bridge. Setsuna recognized the girl. It was Kari…the one that Haruka and Michiru were keeping an eye on. Setsuna stared at Kari for a moment. She seemed to be confused about something…or very sad. Setsuna shook her head and looked out across the lake again. Kari backed away from the side of the bridge and walked next to where Setsuna was standing. "It's so pretty…don't you think?" she said. Setsuna was taken aback for a moment. It wasn't everyday that someone just talked to her out of the blue. "I'm sorry. Were you talking to me?" Kari looked at her. "I guess I was." She smiled. "Do you like the park? I think that it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been." Setsuna's perplexed expression melted away. "I do like the park. It's a nice place to come when you need to think." "Yeah I know. That's why I'm here. My name is Karine. Most people call me Kari though." "Setsuna," came the reply. Kari looked down at her feet for a moment. Setsuna… "Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked. A thought crossed Setsuna's mind, but she blocked it out. "No I don't think so." "Oh. I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before." "Not that I remember," Setsuna laughed. "And believe me, I have a lot of time so I think I'd remember." Kari looked over the lake. "Wow look at all of the people. The couples…the families. They're all having so much fun." there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "Is there something wrong?" asked Setsuna. "Oh no. Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about my family. You see, I was adopted. Right now I'm on my own. It's a kind of experiment that my parents are doing. You know…teaching me to act independent and all." Setsuna nodded. "I've lived alone for a long time." "Really?" "Yes. It's all right sometimes. But other times…it's awfully lonely. There's nobody to talk to. You start forgetting the important stuff after a while I guess." Setsuna was quiet. She didn't even know Kari and here she was telling her everything. But she felt as if Kari could be trusted. And Kari looked as if she was hiding something. Setsuna could tell that there was something more to the girl then a pretty face and friendly personality. Setsuna looked at her watch. She had totally forgotten…that she was supposed to meet Haruka and Michiru at the café. "Kari…I'm sorry but I have to go. I have a meeting and I totally forgot about it." "Oh that's all right. It was nice meeting you Setsuna." "Definitely. See you." Setsuna walked away quickly. It was nice to meet a new person… though she didn't really have the time for it. Now she was late for her meeting. Haruka and Michiru wouldn't be pleased.
Haruka and Michiru sat in a little café waiting for Setsuna. Michiru stared into her cup of tea. "It's strange…Setsuna's never late." "I know. I think something's wrong. She's been acting a bit strange lately." "I wish we could help her. If she gets too upset, she might not focus on the mission." Haruka nodded. Michiru sighed. "The seas are stormier then ever." Suddenly Setsuna burst into the café. She walked over to their table, clearly out of breath. Her cheeks were a little pink from running. "Hello. I'm sorry I'm late." "Never mind," said Haruka. "Have a seat." Setsuna sat. "I really didn't mean to be late. I was in the park and I just lost track of time." Haruka glanced at Michiru. Setsuna was always calm and cool. Now, when they needed her the most, she seemed distracted and lost. "Do you want to talk about it?" asked Michiru. "About what?" "You're clearly distracted. Is there something that we should know about?" "No. I just got a bit side tracked. That's all." Michiru went back to her tea. It was clear that Setsuna didn't want to talk. Haruka changed the subject. "Well we all know why we're here. And I'm sure that we all have the same question in our mind. Who is Sailor Solari? Is she friend or enemy?" Setsuna clasped her hands together. "I don't know. I really can't figure it out." "Her powers are strong," commented Michiru. "Did you see how she wiped out the daimon with one blast? She's equally as strong as we are… or maybe even stronger." "But I still want to know where she comes from," said Haruka. "She said something about the Andromeda Galaxy. Setsuna, did you ever hear about another sailor senshi besides us and the rest of the inners?" Setsuna shook her head. "No. I was never told about any other senshi, let alone a senshi from another galaxy. This is as confusing to me as it is to you. I didn't even see Sailor Solari in any of my visions. It's like something got confused in the time lines. I don't know what to make of it." "I hope she's a friend," said Michiru. "She'd make a powerful ally. But if she's one of the Death Busters, then we have serious trouble on our hands." Haruka stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Well we'll just have to keep an eye out for her and gather as much information as we can." The other two agreed. Setsuna stared out of the big glass window. Sailor Solari… a senshi from another galaxy. How could that be? She stood up. "I have to go now. If anything happens I'll let you know." Then she left. Michiru shook her head. "There's something happening. I just know it…"
Meanwhile in Rei's temple, the inner senshi were having a discussion of their own. "So Luna, you've never heard of Sailor Solari?" asked Usagi. The black cat jumped down from Rei's bed. "No. Neither Artemis nor I have ever heard of her. Queen Serenity never mentioned her." "Maybe it's someone trying to fake us out," said Makoto. "I don't know," said Rei. "Her powers were very strong. I could feel a strange aura…" "Well did it feel evil?" asked Minako. Rei shook her head. "I don't think so… I couldn't get a clear feeling. I consulted the sacred flame last night. There was nothing. I got no answers." Usagi lied on her back. "I hope that she's a friend. Wouldn't that be so cool?" "Her powers were impressive," said Ami. "But she seemed to have another purpose." "I don't think that she's after pure hearts," spoke up Minako. The rest looked at her. "The reason is because with the power that she displayed she could have probably destroyed us and gotten the pure heart. Plus she destroyed the daimon. I don't know who she is, but I don't think that she's the enemy." "Well then, we must find out what her purpose is," said Luna. "I want you all to watch her closely if she ever shows up again. Maybe we can get a clue as to who she is."
Setsuna walked down the street in the heart of the city. She walked quickly, passing shops alone the way. She was concerned about the situation with Sailor Solari. It also confused her a bit. And to make matters worse she still felt empty. It was affecting her thinking, and that was not supposed to happen. Especially at a time like this. She stopped and stared into one of the shop's windows. It was a jewelry shop. Setsuna squinted to have a better look at what was in the window. There was a tiny pendant with a garnet in the middle. The garnet had always been her favorite stone. She had been contemplating on buying the necklace for a long time. She decided that she would do it now, after all, it might make her feel a bit better. Setsuna entered the shop and asked to try on the necklace. As she was admiring herself in the mirror she heard somebody speak from behind her. "That necklace looks really beautiful on you." Setsuna turned her head slightly. Behind her stood a man, about her age. He had dark hair and dark eyes. "Do you think so?" "Yes. It compliments your eyes." Setsuna smiled inside. "Yeah. I was thinking of buying it. I guess I will." Setsuna purchased the necklace and exited the shop. She noticed that the man was following her. "Excuse me, Mr., but I hope you're not stalking me. I know karate." The man raised his eyebrows. "No… no it's not what you think. I just thought… well I mean I think you're really beautiful." Setsuna's mouth almost dropped open. "What did you say?" "You're beautiful." The words echoed in Setsuna's mind like music. She suddenly felt warm inside… a feeling that she's never felt before. "Well thank you." The man offered his hand. "My name is Jasper." "I'm Setsuna." "Setsuna… what a pretty name. Do you want to talk over coffee?" "Oh…well all right!" She smiled. And as the two walked off to the coffee shop, Jasper felt his evil side. The plan was in motion. He would not fail.
Kari stood on the bridge still. She had been standing there, overlooking the lake, for quite a long time. Dusk was coming. She'd have to go home. Kari left the bridge, almost in a trancelike state. She had felt very peaceful during the last few hours. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize where she was going. It was when she was on the floor that Kari snapped out of her thoughts. She felt a bit of pain on her forehead. "What happened?" she said aloud. "You ran into me," said a voice across from her. Kari blinked and saw a young man on the ground in front of her. "Oh no! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." The young man smiled. "It's all right. Really." He stood. "Let me help you up." He grasped Kari's arm and pulled her up. Kari brushed herself off. "I can't believe that I just did that. Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" He laughed. "No, not at all. Don't worry. I'm fine. By the way, my name is Jay." "I'm Karine, but you can call me Kari." "Kari…" They began to walk down the path. Kari noticed that Jay was wearing a school uniform. "Do you go to Mugen School?" she asked. He nodded. "Yup. Today was my first day. My brother and I just moved to town." "Oh wow! I just moved here too. I go to Mugen School also." "But you don't have the same uniform…" "They made an exception." "How old are you Kari?" "I'm sixteen." "I am also! That means that we're in the same grade level." "Yeah. Hey what's your favorite subject?" "I like chemistry. What about you?" Kari thought. "Music. But if it had to be academic…then history." "Do you sing?" "Sometimes. I like to sing. I'd really like to be a singer when I get older." The two kept chatting away, finding that they had a lot in common. They became fast friends. Suddenly Kari looked at her watch. "Wow it's really late. I should be getting home." "Yeah me too. My brother's probably looking for me by now." "Well I guess I'll see you in school then, Jay." "Definitely! See you tomorrow Kari." "Bye!" The two parted ways. Kari walked home happily. Her headache from that afternoon was completely gone. And now she had a new friend…
A few days had passed since Kari and Jay had met. Now Jay stood on the balcony of the apartment that he shared with Jasper. He heard his brother step out beside him. "So how is your plan coming?" asked Jay. "Perfect," said Jasper. "The target that I picked is so lonely and sad that it'll be easy to get her pure heart when the time comes." Jay thought for a moment. "I think I can get us a pure heart easily." "You?" "Listen to what I have to say. I've been hanging out in the park a lot. I've noticed that many couples with pure hearts ride in rowboats there. If I put a daimon in one of the rowboats…I'm sure we'll get a pure heart for the Sovereign of Silence." Jasper was silent as he thought about his brother's plan. "Well, I'll allow you to proceed with your plan. After all, you need the training." Jay bowed his head. "Thank you, my brother."
Finally it was the weekend. Kari smiled a big smile when she put on a new sundress that she had bought. It was light blue. Kari had decided that she needed a change of clothes. A school uniform just didn't cut it for the weekend. Jay had called her earlier and told her to meet him by the docks at the park. Kari was happy. She and Jay had become good friends in the last few days. It was time to meet Jay. Kari left the apartment and headed for the park.
Jay watched the couples at the lake. It was another beautiful day… too beautiful he had decided. He had carefully sneaked over to one of the rowboats. When nobody was looking, he put the daimon pod inside. Now the daimon would appear when he was ready for it. "Hey Jay!" came a voice. It was Kari. He turned to see her walking toward him. He smiled to himself. Kari looked kind of cute in her blue sundress. "Kari! I'm glad you're here." "Me too." "Do you want to take a walk?" "All right!"
Haruka and Michiru were also at the park. They were standing on the docks, surveying the scene. They had seen Kari come and leave with a young man. "All of these couples are so cute together…and so happy," said Michiru. "Yeah I know." "Haruka is there something wrong?" "It's Setsuna." "Why? What's wrong with Setsuna now?" "I haven't seen her anywhere lately. Have you?" Michiru thought. "Come to think of it… I haven't seen her in the past few days either. The last time I saw her, she was with a guy…" "A guy? Who?" "I don't know. I've never seen him before. But they seemed so happy together. Maybe they're in love." "That could explain it then. The reason that Setsuna was so out of it." "Do you think so?" "It's a possibility." Suddenly they heard screaming coming from the lake. The water was churning…and suddenly one of the rowboats turned into a daimon. The daimon laughed evilly and took the pure heart out of a young girl. "Come on Michiru! Let's go!" "Right! Neptune Planet Power!" "Uranus Planet Power!" The two transformed into Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. The battle began…
Kari and Jay walked through the park. They talked about almost everything. "Jay do you think that I could meet your brother one day?" asked Kari. Jay looked a but uncertain. "Well maybe. He's usually very busy though." "Oh. I'm sorry that I don't have anybody for you to meet." "That's all right." A scream was heard from the direction of the lake. "What was that?" asked Kari. Jay smiled to himself, but put on a confused face. "I don't know. Wait here. I'll check it out." He ran off. Kari shook her head and decided to check things out for herself. What she saw didn't really surprise her that much. It was another attack, and the two senshi, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus were fighting it. Kari was about to transform when suddenly another senshi appeared and fired magic at the daimon. It was the mysterious senshi that Kari had noticed in the previous battle. She decided that she had to help them. Perhaps it would help her in finding out her true mission. "Solari Planet Power!" Kari transformed into Sailor Solari and leapt out of the bushes. "Who are you?" shouted the daimon. "How dare you try to steal a heart from a young person in love? Introduced to you from the Andromeda Galaxy, I am Sailor Solari, and I'm here to tell you that you're done for!" "Don't even think about it," said Sailor Uranus. "What's your problem?" "This is our fight. Stay out of it." "Why? Do you want this monster to take the pure heart?" "You don't understand." The daimon looked at them, took the pure heart, and ran across the docks. "After her!" shouted Sailor Neptune. The three senshi took off and Sailor Solari ran behind them. Sailor Uranus punched the daimon, sending the pure heart flying. "Pluto get it!" Sailor Solari watched as the mysterious senshi, Sailor Pluto, flew through the air and got the pure heart easily. But it wasn't over yet. The daimon was now attacking all of them. Sailor Solari jumped out of its way and turned around. "It's the end of the line for you!" she shouted. The three outer senshi turned in time to see Sailor Solari finish off the daimon. "Solar Flare!" Bright fire shot from Sailor Solari's hands. It hit the daimon, and the daimon disintegrated. Sailor Solari wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. Sailor Pluto and Sailor Neptune stood, a bit in awe. Sailor Solari silently turned from them and began to walk away. "Hey you! Solari wait!" shouted Sailor Uranus. "What do you want?" "I don't know who you think you are, but you better not interfere with our mission." Solari turned. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Don't play innocent. Stand and fight." "I will not fight with another senshi." "Fight!" "Uranus," spoke up Sailor Neptune. "Maybe we should just leave her alone. She destroyed the daimon." "No. No I will not let her just leave. Solari, fight now." "I refuse." Sailor Uranus removed her tiara and threw it hard. It struck Sailor Solari's shoulder with the sharp end, and returned to Sailor Uranus. Solari looked at her arm. A bit of blood began to drip from the deep gash caused by the tiara. "Well Uranus, I tried to avoid this. I didn't want to fight with you, but if you insist…" She leapt in the air and flipped, landing right in front of Sailor Uranus. "Let's fight." They began throwing punches at each other. Sailor Neptune looked at Sailor Pluto. Should they try to stop the fight? Suddenly a red rose flew in the air, stopping the fight. The two fighting senshi turned to look where the rose came from. Standing behind them were the inner senshi and Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo Mask stepped forward. "It isn't right for you senshi to fight. Though we don't know about Sailor Solari, we should take it as an excuse to fight. There is no need for us to turn on each other…" "Listen Mr. Mask," said Sailor Solari. "I don't know who you are or what you're trying to prove, but I'm just telling you right now that this was not my idea. So bug off." Sailor Uranus took the moment as an easy shot. She kicked Solari in the stomach, causing her to collapse. Solari lost her breath momentarily and looked up at Sailor Uranus. Sailor Uranus smirked. "That'll teach you to interfere." Flames leapt into Solari's eyes. There was no way that she would lose. In a flash she kicked Sailor Uranus's legs from under her. She jumped up. Sailor Uranus was sprawled on the floor, dazed. Solari put her boot to Sailor Uranus' throat. "I don't get angered easily, but you pushed me over. I'll let you go now, but next time I won't restrain myself from seriously hurting you. Let that be a warning." Then Sailor Solari disappeared. Neptune knelt beside Uranus. "Are you all right." "We shouldn't trust her," said Uranus, hoarsely. "She's dangerous…really dangerous…" Sailor Pluto looked at the direction where Sailor Solari had vanished. Things were getting stranger by the minute…
"Kari!" shouted Jay. He had gone back to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. He ran down the path. "Kari!" Then he saw a figure lying on the bridge. He walked swiftly. "Kari? Oh crap." Kari was lying on the bridge, a huge gash in her arm. Her eyes were closed. Jay knelt down to her. "Kari? Kari can you here me?" Kari's eyelids fluttered, then opened. "Jay?" "What happened to you?" Kari looked at the gash in her arm. "Uranus…" she muttered. "What?" "Oh nothing. I fell on a sharp rock. That's all." He looked at her uncertainly. "It looks pretty bad. Let's go to the hospital to get it checked out." "We don't have to. It'll be all right." "Kari, it looks deep. I don't want it to get infected or anything. Please just let me take you to a doctor to have it looked at." "Well… ok." Jay helped Kari up, and they made their way to the hospital.
Jay and Kari sat in the waiting room. One of the nurses had given Kari a towel to help stop the bleeding of her wound. Jay looked over at Kari. She was sitting very still, almost as if she were in a trance. Worry crossed his mind…then confusion. He had never worried for anybody. It was not the villain's way. But now…he watched the girl fight her pain. She held her head high, fighting tears. It became clear to him that Kari would not show weakness… that it would be the last thing she would ever do. "Kari," he said softly. "Yeah?" "Will you be all right. Do you want to talk or anything?" Kari shook her head. "There's no reason to talk. I'm fine. This just hurts…but not that much." Jay leaned back in his chair. She had done it again. It was quite obvious that the wound hurt badly, but Kari refused to admit it. "Karine?" called a nurse. Kari stood, and Jay followed. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. Kari opened her mouth to say no, but then stopped. "Yeah I'd like that."
Hours passed. It was night already. Finally Kari's arm had been checked and stitched up. "Wow I can't believe that you needed forty stitches for that," said Jay as they stepped out of the hospital. "I know. I didn't think that I would even need stitches." She shivered. Jay took off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. "Thanks." "No problem." "Well it's getting kind of late. I think I should go home. There's just a lot on my mind now, and I have to sort things out." "Wait don't go yet." "Huh?" "There's something I want to show you." "Well…" "Please Kari." "All right." Jay smiled. "Come on." He took her hand. "Where are we going?" "You'll see." They walked a few blocks when Jay stopped. "Here we are." Kari looked up at the big building. "The observatory?" "Yeah I thought you might like it." "How did you know. The observatory was one of my favorite places to go back in my old neighborhood." "I'm glad that I brought you here then." They entered the observatory, and Jay led Kari to the biggest telescope. "Check it out. You can see distant galaxies in this one." Kari peered through the telescope. "Wow it's so pretty. And amazing." "Yeah. You can see the Andromeda Galaxy clearest from this one." Kari looked up at him, a bit of suspicion nagged her. "The Andromeda Galaxy? What's so special about that galaxy?" "What do you mean?" "You seem to take a great interest in it." "I studied the universe in school. It fascinated me. That's all. I hope I haven't upset you." "No not at all. I was just wondering." Kari went back to looking through the telescope. "Have you ever wondered," said Jay, "If there are other planets like Earth out in the universe?" Kari's walls went up again. "I really don't know. I suppose it's possible. How could we be the only ones in this vast universe that we live in?" "I see what you're saying. Hey do you want to look in one of the other telescopes now?" "Yeah." They walked over to a smaller telescope, made for observing the planets in the solar system. "I've always liked looking at the planets," said Kari. "They're just so pretty." "Yeah I know." Kari looked beyond Jupiter to the planets beyond. Saturn was beautiful with its many rings. She was about to move on to the next planet when light flashed before her eyes. Remember your mission. She needs you. You don't have much time… the voice said in her head. "Uranus…Neptune…Pluto," Kari said aloud as she looked at each planet. Then she thought of those three senshi. And her fight. How could any senshi turn on her like that? Kari stood up abruptly. "Kari?" asked Jay. "I think I need to go home now," she said. "All right. I know you've been through a lot. If you need me then just call." "Thank you." Kari started to remove the jacket. Jay placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep it for now." "Ok. See you later." Jay watched her go and sighed. What could possibly be wrong now?
*****
