Welcome! This is the really incredibly heavily revised Wordsmith Saturn. In 
fact, you wouldn't know it was the same story at all at some places. Its now 
cowritten by Hotaru Fa and Beky NeRichnead.

This story was produced with the support of Coffee and Fruit Combo Bubble 
Gum.

For those seeking disclaimers, they are at the bottom to avoid spoilers - 
this story is now xovered with lots of differents series than the first time 
around.

Reply! Tell us what you think! We like C&C! Flames are good for scrying... 
oops, spoiler!


				A Smith's Revision
			Authors: Read preceding paragraph

	The small girl sighed as the bell rang. She picked up her books and trudged 
toward the door in a depressed silence. As she passed through the hall, she 
ignored the muttering of the other students. She left the school yard and 
reached the gate, not quite paying attention to anyone else. She heard a 
voice and looked up.
	"Hey, what are you doing?"
	She saw a number of boys, some of her own age, but most were older than 
she. The leader smirked at her.
	She tried to pass them but they blocked her way and encircled her.
	"Little witch," the leader commented, " I heard you did pretty good on that 
last test. Did you read someone's mind?"
	The group laughed and the girl flinched. One boy shoved her to the other 
side of the circle and taunted, "Put a spell on us. Come on!"
	The group erupted in hysterical laughter and began shoving her roughly from 
one to another within the circle.
	A soft female voice interupted them. "What is going on here?"
	The boys turned to see a young woman, probably in high school, watching 
them. She had long red hair and hazel eyes.  She exuded a quiet confidence. 
Most of the boys began to edge away.
	However, the leader was older than the rest, having failed repeatedly. He 
seemed her age or maybe even more. He leered at her. "Stick around and find 
out."
	On a silent command one of his gang reached out to grab her, but she was no 
longer there. She was moving towards the leader.

She began to sing softly,"I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You would listen
To a humble prayer
They tell me I am just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to You
Still I see Your face and wonder
Were You once an outcast too?"

	The group began to get nervous again. This was not a normal reaction. Her 
words carried a quiet conviction that shook them. She continued singing as 
they stepped away from her advance.

"God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
The lost and forgotten
They look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will"

	The small girl was reminded of her parents' music, though this girl sang 
acapella. She could feel the emotion the girl expressed and watched with 
wide eyes. The boys began to look among themselves, as if looking for 
support from the each other. Her voice never stopped, except for the pauses 
between words and her voice grew louder.

"I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
God help the outcasts
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God."

	Then her voice turned angry and her eyes seemed to darken. The boys 
flinched as they heard her say,

"I don't know if there's a reason
Why some are blessed, some not
Why the few You seem to favor
They fear us
Flee us
Try not to see us."

	The small girl saw a few of the youngest boys run away. Still the girl sang 
on, this time in a softer tone,

"God help the outcasts
The tattered and torn
Seeking an answer
To why they were born
Winds of misfortune
Have blown them about
You made the outcasts
Don't cast them out
The poor and unlucky
The weak and the odd
I thought we all were
The children of God."

	Her voice trailed off as the remaining bullies stood frozen. She gazed 
dispassionately at them before turning away and spoke one word. "Go."
	The bullies ran away from her as if she were the devil himself.
	The red haired girl knelt next to the small girl and studied her. The small 
girl had short dark hair and wide violet eyes. She was short and was having 
trouble catching her breath.
	"Hello," the redhaired girl said. "Are you alright?"
	The small girl looked up at her in wonder. "H-hai." She wheezed again. Then 
she whispered, "Arigato sempai."
	The girl laughed and smiled. "Call me Imani. I just began working at the 
school."
	The small girl gave a short bow.  "I am Tomoe Hotaru."
	Imani offered Hotaru a hand up, which Hotaru accepted. Hotaru thought she 
saw a flicker of sadness cross her face, but it was gone. She might have 
imagined it.
	Hotaru smiled shyly. "Do you always do... that?" she asked, gesturing to 
the now empty yard.
	Imani smiled. "I have a talent for it, yes." Imani saw some of the boys 
watching them from a few blocks away, as if waiting. "Would you mind if I 
walked you home? It would be safer."
	Hotaru nodded gratefully, not wanting to be tormented again. Hotaru started 
walking and Imani met her pace. "So... what do you do in the school?" Hotaru 
asked curiously.
	Imani grinned. "My friends and I are starting a music program. We'll also 
be holding an international dance class. It is for students who are 
interested or need a few extra grades."
	Hotaru studied the ground as she walked. "I'm not very good at music, but 
my parents are."
	Imani looked at Hotaru with a mischevous grin that just barely covered 
another twinge of sadness that made it's way across her face. "Sure you are, 
you just don't approach it right."
	Hotaru looked up at her doubtfully. "What do you mean?"
	Imani stopped. "What do you hear?" she asked.
	Hotaru looked around. There were few cars on the road. She couldn't hear 
anything else. "I don't understand."
	Imani sighed. "Hotaru-chan, life has rhythm. Can you hear your heartbeat?"
	With it brought to mind, Hotaru did indeed hear her heartbeat. "Hai," she 
answered.
	"Listen carefully, can you hear the birds?" Imani asked. "The wind blowing 
through the trees?"
	Hotaru concentrated. The beat of her heart was now combined with birds 
chirping and the wind. It was like music....
	"It is a symphony." Imani said. "We have rhythm, music, and the wind.  
Music does not have to be obvious."
	Hotaru considered that. "I suppose," she answered. Her heart beat loudly as 
she watched Imani.
	Imani seemed to hold herself back. She smiled, "It would be no problem to 
show you when we have more time. I'd be happy if you would visit me tomorrow 
at lunch. I can explain more and introduce you to the others. We've picked 
up the name the Smiths. I'm the Songsmith."
	Hotaru nodded slowly. "Ok."
	Imani grinned. "I'll be waiting in room 219."
	Hotaru realized they were by her house. Her parents were just getting out 
of their car.
	"Hotaru-chan!" they called out.
	She ran over to them and hugged them. One was a  woman with sea green hair 
and a lovely green dress. The other was taller with short blonde hair. She 
wore a suit.
	"Michiru-mama! Haruka-papa!" Hotaru cried out with a smile as she hugged 
them.
	Imani stood watching from the other side of the street. Hotaru turned back 
to her and gestured for Imani to cross over. Imani smiled and walked over to 
them. She bowed to the two women. "I am Savere Imani."
	The green haired woman smiled warmly. "Kaioh Michiru."
	The other woman seemed more suspicious, but smiled anyway. "Tenoh Haruka."
	Imani looked at Hotaru. "You should have told me your parents were..."
Hotaru's stomach fell, but looked up in surprise as Imani finished her 
statement.
"...were famous."
	Apparently Imani had no troubles with her parent's relationship.
	Michiru blushed, but Haruka looked surprised. "Famous? I haven't raced for 
awhile now."
	Imani smiled and shrugged. "I have a long memory."
	Hotaru could feel the silence that ensued. She broke the silence with, "I'm 
hungry."
	Imani nodded to each of them. "I must go, for my friends are expecting me."
	Haruka and Michiru smiled and bade her goodbye. Imani bowed to Hotaru and 
walked away.
*****
	That night (after Hotaru was in bed) Michiru and Haruka talked. Michiru 
frowned. "She seems familiar."
	Haruka nodded, "I get the same feeling, like we knew her in the past. I 
can't place it though. I don't think she was a Senshi."
	"She said she had a long memory," Michiru said, "I wonder if was trying to 
make a hint."
	Haruka sighed. "She is at least two years older than Hotaru. I don't like 
the way she kept looking at her."
	Michiru giggled and Haruka blushed. "I didn't mean it like that!"
	"I know what you mean," Michiru admitted and produced her mirror talisman. 
It flashed white and gold before showing Imani carrying Hotaru's glaive. 
Then there was a glowing rune. The picture sizzled and died.
	Michiru immediatly drew the rune on paper from memory. "We can ask Rei and 
Setsuna about this. I think we should keep an eye on this girl."
	Haruka nodded. "I agree. Maybe we should try to keep them apart."
	Michiru shook her head. "We don't want to make her suspicious."
*****
	Imani lay on the couch resting. She opened her eyes as two young men around 
her age walked in. "Hey Imani!" one greeted cheerfully. He was wearing long 
sleeves despite the warmth of the room.
	Imani smiled at him. "Hey Tetsuo, how was work?"
	Tetsuo's blue eyes sparkled. "Oh, pretty good. We sold a few swords. Xyron 
tuned a piano at some rich person's house."
	Xyron smiled and brushed his blueblack hair out of his eyes. "It was the 
Mizuno house. They have a very nice piano. It makes a beautiful sound."
	A  girl walked in from the kitchen. She smiled at them and sat by the 
radio.
	A red haired boy followed her and sat next to her.
	"Keilin, Muhon," Xyron greeted.
	Imani sighed and sat up. "I found her. Keilin, you were right."
	Keilin raised an eyebrow and grinned as if to say 'you were foolish enough 
to doubt me?'
	"As usual, she doesn't recognize us. However, Michiru of Neptune and Haruka 
of Uranus seem to be her surrugate parents. And they don't seem to like or 
remember me. They are just as suspicious as they  were before," Imani said.
	"Something is wrong," Muhon said. "Maybe we should wait. I feel like we are 
missing something."
	Tetsuo frowned. "Things always get worse when we wait. We should keep with 
our time frame."
	 Imani nodded. "I agree."
	Xyron smiled faintly. "I agree as well." He chuckled. "Of course, I'm even 
more biased than the rest of you."
	Imani grinned and Tetsuo laughed at the joke. Keilin didn't comment and 
Muhon didn't even look, but that was normal for the two of them.
	Tetsuo grinned. "Let's eat out tonight. I think we need to take a break. We 
can deal with this in the morning."
	"Let's go to that okinomiyaki place that opened up not too long ago," Xyron 
said.
	They all grabbed jackets and headed out.
*****
	In the restaurant they chose a booth and ordered. The chef  looked like 
quite a handsome fellow. Imani ound herself watching him as he worked.
	"Oh, have you found another?" Tetsuo asked with a grin.
	Imani smiled at him. "Do you want a beating?"
	"She's been without one for awhile now," Xyron remarked to Tetsuo in a 
matter of fact tone.
	"Ahhh, yes, it has been awhile. I wonder how long it will take for her to 
trap him," Tetsuo replied with an evil grin.
	Imani stood and walked up to the grill. "May I borrow your... combat 
spatula for a moment?"
	The boy looked surprised, but Imani's pleading glance convinced him. "Don't 
damage it," he said.
	Imani nodded. She then walked back to the booth. Keilin and Muhon were 
safely in other seats by now.
	Tetsuo and Xyron exchanged looks and began to run. She was faster though 
and smashed both into the floor. She returned the spatula to the chef and 
smiled. "Thank you." Then she noticed a scratch on its suface. "Oh, dear. I 
should fix that." Then she looked at him.
*****
	Ukyo's heart began beating fast. This was no ordinary look. She was asking 
whether she was interested. Ukyo couldn't tell what sex the girl thought she 
was. Ukyo wasn't sure what she wanted. For some reason, she wasn't 
disgusted.
	She loved Ranchan, didn't she? This couldn't be happening. Finally she 
stammered a reply.
*****
	"Well, uh, I guess you should. What do you suggest?" Ukyo asked.
	Imani smiled. "I'll come back in a week. I'll have the necessary tools 
then. Is that all right?"
	Ukyo nodded. "Sure."
	Imani sat back at the table. She stretched. "So..."
	Then, from Tetsuo's long sleeved shirt, a red glow emitted. Keilin muttered 
and began drawing in the air.
	"What's wrong?" Imani asked.
	"Someone's scrying us." Tetsuo answered. "I think it's that damn mirror."
	Keilin's air drawing glowed a moment and then vanished. Tetsuo ceased 
glowing. Sister and brother sighed in relief. "I hate that," Tetsuo 
muttered.
	The chef brought over their food. "Are you okay? I thought I saw one of you 
glow."
	Imani smiled. "It's taken care of. We're fine."
	The chef put it down on the table. "Okay."
	They ate and  paid. Imani waved as they left.

                                                              **Interlude**

	Keilin watched Imani. Imani hadn't taken a husband for a long time. She was 
lonely, Keilin knew. She also knew that Imani was desperate for someone to 
confide in.
	Imani had started making snap decisions on mates a while after her second 
husband died. Humans lived too short a time to fully court, since Saturnian 
courting rituals took rather... prohibitive amounts of time to complete. 
Most men wouldn't wait fifteen or twenty years. On the other hand, those 
rituals worked. All of those who managed it worked out in the end.
	She noticed Imani focusing on the chef. Although the chef took great pains 
to make herself look male, she was not. Imani must know. This attraction was 
a first for Imani. Keilin hoped it would work. They needed a calm, rational 
Imani this cycle.

                   *2*

	Imani woke early. She could hear Keilin and Tetsuo sparring in the front 
yard. She couldn't fall asleep again, so she got up and dressed in her 
school clothes. She wore a school uniform because she was still considered a 
student, despite the fact she took no classes there.
	She made some breakfast and found Muhon at the table, seemingly waiting. 
She split her food with him.
	He smiled at her and she smiled back. Muhon almost never said anything that 
could be shown with a gesture or expression.
	Imani ate quietly. Something was different this time. Maybe something was 
wrong. Maybe they should wait. But she had seen Muhon smile. She was 
comforted by that. He would know if something was wrong. He would warn them.
	Tetsuo came into the kitchen dressed only in his pants. His chest and arms 
were covered with dark blue tatoos. "Morning Imani, you're up early."
	Imani shrugged. She finished and headed to school. Keilin and Tetsuo would 
arrive later.

*****
	Hotaru thought about the little she had overheard last night. For some 
reason, her parents didn't like Imani.  Despite this, Hotaru felt drawn to 
her. She sighed and got up. It was early, but she didn't mind. She put the 
radio on in the kitchen and made herself some breakfast.

*****
	Hotaru knocked on door 219. Imani turned and motioned for her to come in. 
"I'm glad you came. The music program starts tomorrow, but Keilin is 
starting the dance program later today."
	Hotaru looked around the room. It was large, with a huge piano. It 
connected to a larger room that Hotaru suspected was for the dance program. 
A blonde girl, a streak of black running through her hair,  walked into the 
main room from it.
	Imani smiled. "Keilin, this is Hotaru. Hotaru, this is my friend Keilin, 
the Dancesmith."
	Hotaru bowed. "Ohayo,"
	Keilin bowed in return. "It is nice to meet you. Are you joining me? My 
dance lessons substitute in for gym class."
	Hotaru was immediately interested. Gym was *not* her favorite subject. 
"Sure, I'll try it."
	Imani smiled to herself.
	"Be here whatever period you would have gym." Keilin said. "I'll take down 
your teacher's name and work out the paperwork."
	Hotaru grinned, very happy to be out of gym. "Arigato."
	Imani sat down at a desk and began sifting through papers. Hotaru looked 
over her shoulder. "What's this?"
	"Music," Imani replied. "Songs I've come across that I liked. You can look 
through them if you want."
	Hotaru looked at some of the titles as Imani filled out paperwork. She 
pulled out a song. "What's this? Would you sing it for me?"
	Imani took the song and her face lost all color.
	"Imani," called Keilin. "Can you check on this CD player for me?"
	Imani stood, taking the lyrics with her. She busied herself with the CD 
player as Keilin watched quietly.
	Then the bell rang. Hotaru left feeling slightly guilty and very confused.
	Keilin looked at Iamni after Hotaru left and asked, "What song is it?"
	Iamni began to sing in a very low voice.


Chorus:
"We've been together, we've been together with trust an' faith
Been together, we've been together with trust an' faith

Say you don't know me, or recognize my face
Say you don't care where you saw me the first place
Lost in ignorance, that some think is bliss
Too many memories eating up the night

Xyron plays the harmonica, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We've been together, we've been together with trust an' faith

Chorus

Someone's always playing the villains game
Who cares it's just evil changing it's name
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us obselete, write us off the page


Xyron plays the harmonica, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We've been together, we've been together with trust an' faith

It's just another song now, sung by a tired old voice
Well if you got the beat, oh, then we can rejoice

Who starts the rhythm that starts the world new
Who writes the music that is played by the wind
Tell us you want us, 'cos we're living for you
Whose life is the one that can be considered new

(I'm looking out over the sunset
On a gorgeous sunny Saturday, This world is full of useless noise)

Don't you remember (remember)

(Here's your favorite song that I sang, when dark had fallen deep
The song in the dark, the song that croed, the song that never sleeps)

Xyron plays the harmonica, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We've been together, we've been together with trust an' faith

chorus repeats 2x

(We been, we been together) been together (we been, we been together)
  (repeats out)"
	Keilin put a hand on Imani's shoulder. "Peace. We shall bring things to 
rights."
	Imani stood. "I think I'll go home. I'm not feeling well. Get Tetsuo to 
cover for me if there are any questions."
	Keilin nodded. She watched as Imani left. Then returned to her work.

*****

	Hotaru arrived and found a small group of students also taking the class. 
Keilin handed out uniforms resembling gym clothes and had them sit on the 
floor in what would be the dance room.
	"Do any of you know what dance is?" Keilin asked.
	"Moving to music?" one student guessed.
	Keilin smiled, but shook her head. "First, one must find the rhythm to what 
you are dancing to. Life has it's own rhythm."
	As Keilin explained life's rhythm the way Imani had the day before, Hotaru 
watched her. Keilin had very tight control of her body language. Her 
somewhat disjointed memories of her time as Princess Saturn helped to 
confirm that.
	Keilin played an upbeat song, "That Don't Impress Me Much". She had 
everyone demonstrate their own form of dance.
	Hotaru blushed. Thinking fast, she emulated a volleyball game. The teacher 
probably wouldn't notice. To her embarrasment, Keilin made the motions of 
returning her serve. Then she winked.
	 Keilin herself stood at the front and only moved her hands. She was the 
most graceful person Hotaru had ever seen.
	Hotaru swallowed hard, then mimed (perfectly in time to the music) missing 
the return. She "picked up the ball" and "threw" it back to Keilin.
	The bell rang, and Keilin switched off the CD player. The class ended too 
quickly in Hotaru's opinion. Keilin smiled encouragingly at Hotaru as she 
left.

*****

	 Keilin watched Hotaru proudly. Their Silence was still there. They would 
be reunited.

*****

	Haruka and Michiru drove over to the Hikawa shrine with the picture of the 
rune in hand. They knocked at the front door and it was answered by Rei. She 
looked surprised. "Hello, Haruka, Michiru. Come in."
	The two Outer Senshi could tell they  had probably interrupted a meeting, 
since all of the Inner Senshi were there. Haruka waved. "Hi."
	Ami looked concerned, "Hello.  Are we to assume something is wrong?"
	Michiru sighed. They would have to come socially sometime. It was sad that  
such an assumption was always correct. "I believe we have a new enemy  -  
and she is focusing on Hotaru."
	The Inners gasped, evidently concerned. Haruka and Michiru sat on the couch 
and explained what they had seen in the mirror.
	Michiru handed the picture to Rei. "Does this mean anything to you?"
	Rei studied it. "Grandpa showed me pictures of some of the common magical 
symbols used long ago. I think this one's scry block, but I'm not sure. Its 
been a long time. However, this kind of magic is very difficult. No way 
could a high school student be adept enough to use this form of rune magic."
	Haruka frowned. "Imani could be a youma or something. She doesn't have to 
be as young as she seems."
	Makoto nodded. "Have you tried to use the mirror since then?"
	Michiru shook her head and took the mirror out of her dimensional pocket. 
As she looked deep into its surface, it again flashed gold and white. They 
caught a glimpse of few faces and one boy with blue tattoos covering most of 
his body.
	Then they saw five people surrounding Hotaru. The redhead, which the others 
assumed to be Imani,  carried the Silence Glaive. The one with tattoos stood 
in ready position to fight. The blonde with a dark streak in her hair wore a 
strange expression which might have been anger. The boy with bluish hair was 
reaching for Hotaru, but his hair covered his expression. Each persone in 
the vision wore gold and white uniforms similar to those of the Dark Kingdom 
generals.
	Then the mirror began to shake and blue runes burnt across its surface. 
CRACK!

*****

	Tetsuo was walking to a bus station in Nerima. He stopped as his rune 
tatoos began to glow red. He felt as if someone was someone was looking over 
his shoulder and breathing down his neck. Or perhaps walking on his grave. 
He was being scried.
	He traced a finger down from his heart rune to his wrist. The power filled 
him, building up. He released it in an angry burst.
	That should take care of that damn mirror.

*****

	The assembled Senshi gasped as the surface of the miror cracked in the 
shape of the rune that appeared.
	Rei looked grim. "Well, we certainly made someone angry. I think it's a 
reasonably safe guess that they are enemies."
	"We didn't see them do anything wrong," Ami pointed out. "They could be 
neutral. We have very little information on which to base our opinion. After 
all, would you like to be spied on?"
	"What side are you on?" Haruka asked. "That girl had the Silence Glaive and 
they were surrounding Hotaru. I think that we have enough sign of hostile 
intent."
	"I agree," said Makoto. "We have to protect Hotaru."
	Ami frowned, but nodded unhappily. Minako simply looked confused.
	Usagi's eyes stared off into space, an indication she was deep in thought. 
"I agree we need to be very careful. We should watch them very carefully." 
Usagi said.
	"I've met one of them" Ami admitted softly.
	They all turned swiftly to her with a barrage of questions.
	Ami answered with a strange reluctance. "He runs a piano tuning business. 
He came to my house the other day and fixed our piano. He's the one with 
dark blue hair."
	"Why don't we try the fire?" Luna said. "We may be able to get some more 
information."
	Michiru kept running her fingers over the broken talisman. She turned to 
Haruka. "I'm having the sudden thought that Imani won't be living too much 
longer."
	Haruka nodded. "We'll deal with her as soon as possible."
	Meanwhile, Rei sat in front of the fire and concentrated on the flames. 
After a moment an image appeared: Seven people sat on the ground in a 
mountain valley, facing a lamp. It was the same five from before, but they 
couldn't make out the sixth or seventh figure.
	Then the fire shot straight up, blackening the ceiling. It formed into the 
image of the blonde girl,  who gazed on them sternly.
	"I'm not in control!" Rei cried out, panicking.
	The fiery figure gazed at each in turn. She then looked straight at Michiru 
and pointed at the mirror, as if to ask 'do you want this to happen again?'.
	Then the figure seemed to sigh.  She danced, her flaming hands making 
complex shapes in the air. Then both she and the Great Fire vanished. The 
entire room cooled a few degrees.
	Usagi was stunned. "How can we fight them? They're so powerful!"
	Rei nodded. "We'd better get them before they get us."
	Haruka looked to Ami. "Lead us to the shop tomorrow. I'll try to keep 
Hotaru at home. I don't think she'll be objective. She's attached to this 
youma."
	Everyone nodded.

*****

	Keilin watched as Hotaru left. She began to clean up the room, preparing to 
head home.
	"Goddamnit!" she cursed loudly. They were scrying again. Couldn't they just 
leave her alone? She'd felt her brother take care of the first amulet. What 
could it be now?
	She closed her eyes, feeling an intense, yet evershifting, heat. A Shinto 
fire! She sighed and drew some sigils in the air.

*****

	Ooops! Hotaru realized she had left her bookbag inside. She opened the door 
and looked in. Keilin was dancing, sort of... drawing in the air. Then fire 
surrounded her, scorching the floor. Keilin looked purposefully at the wall 
as if she were looking at a number of people, pointed at something and then 
drew a final sigil. The fire vanished, and the room was silent. Hotaru 
realized that she had been singing as she danced.
	As the display ended, Hotaru ran  home. She had the weirdest feeling of 
deja vu.

*****

	Keilin heard Hotaru run. She wasn't sure if it was good that Hotaru had 
seen that. It might cause trouble. As it was, those Senshi were getting very 
irritating and would have to be stopped. Hopefully, Silence would solve the 
problem.

*****

	No one was in a very good mood that night. Imani was in her room, trying to 
sleep. Tetsuo and Keilin were sparring in a desperate effort to forget the 
invaded feeling that resulted from being scried. Muhon had disappeared 
again. Xyron  was playing his flute. It was a sad melody.
	This was the stressful part of the cycle. The presence of the Senshi didn't 
help, either. They were the most annoying group to deal with at this stage 
in any millenium. But soon it would be over.

		*3*

	Saturday morning. Saturday was supposed to be the day off where you had 
fun. Well, most Saturdays were. Today was anything but fun.

*****

	At the Smith's house, Imani, Tetsuo, Xyron and Keilin prepared for work. 
They had a business to run, despite the fact that it was a weekend day. 
Saturday was when their sales were the highest. On top of that, they were 
shorthanded - Muhon still hadn't reappeared.

                                                   **Interlude**

	Keilin sighed. Muhon was gone. That meant that something big was happening. 
He was preparing. She had experienced this often. She wished that he would 
tell her, but she knew that he would not. She understood. As long as he came 
back, she could live with it. She didn't want to end up like Imani... 
lonely.
	He would come back when the time was right. He always did.

*****

	Haruka and Michiru sat in the livingroom. Hotaru came in. She almost 
shivered from the emotional temperature of the room. Something was wrong.
	Michiru held one of her hands. "Hotaru-chan, we need to talk to you about 
your friend Imani."
	Despite the dread filling her, Hotaru said nothing.
	"She's an enemy. She's broken the Aqua Mirror. Rei's fire at the shrine 
won't even light anymore. The little we were able to see was attacks against 
you," Haruka cut in.
	Hotaru's face grew pale. She gasped. It couldn't be. Was Imani tricking 
her, then?
	"We're going to make a pre-emptive strike," Haruka said. "The enemy is very 
powerful - we'd like for you to fight with us. But we won't force you. You 
can stay here."
	Hotaru nodded slowly.  She needed to be there.  She HAD to be there. Maybe 
she could fix it.
	Haruka grinned. "We're leaving soon to confront them at their shop. The 
Inner Senshi are going to be ready. If they are there, we'll call them. 
We'll sort this out."
	Michiru looked angry, then worried. "Do you think we can fix my mirror?"
	Haruka put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure we can find a way."

*****

	Keilin looked up as she saw a girl come into the store. She wore a 
gymnastic leotard and carried a ribbon whip. She strode up to the desk, 
admiring the antiques and weapons on sale. "I need something to beat a very 
good martial artist," she stated.
	"What did you have in mind?" Keilin asked.
	She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. There must be something. You ought to 
know."
	Keilin rolled her eyes. This girl practically screamed: 'Rich and 
SPOILED!'.
	Then she felt the presence of a powerful warrior, or a number of warriors. 
This was normal in Nerima, so she wasn't too worried. She kept part of her 
attention on it and part of her attention on the girl.
	"How about this beauty?"

*****

	Tetsuo monitered the warriors, but then felt danger. He began to glow red.

*****

	Sailor Uranus readied an attack, just in case she was attacked as she 
walked in.

*****

	Muhon sighed. "It begins. I only wish it didn't have to be this way."
	Sailor Pluto shrugged and watched the gathering from the gates of time. 
"This is the only way it can change. As long certain factors don't 
interfere, it should work out."
	Muhon watched his wife. He was glad for the magic that made them immortal. 
He didn't have to fear for her life. "You know those factors will try to 
interfere. However, we've dealt with them before."
	Pluto nodded. "The Smiths are as ready as they will be."

*****

	Uranus entered the store, disguised by the Luna Pen. The first thing she 
saw was the blonde girl from the mirror holding a large sword.
	Acting on instinct she yelled out, "WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
	The energy ball sped forward towards the blonde girl. There was another 
girl, dark haired and wearing a leotard. She jumped out of the way quickly.
	The blonde girl dropped the sword and drew a sigil in the air. She lifted 
above the attack. She continued to fly, breaking through the ceiling

*****

	The other sailors saw one of their enemies shoot through the roof they were 
standing on. Sailor Jupiter cried out, "Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"
	The girl began to dance in midair, her ams, fingers, head, and legs each 
drawing different sigils. A shield formed around her and a gust of wind 
threw the Sailors away from the store.
	As they were clearing their heads they saw a boy with glowing blue tattoss 
on his forearms run out. Imani came, and Xyron followed her.
	Tetsuo glared at Haruka. "What is the meaning of this unprovoked attack?"
	Sailor Uranus jumped to her feet. "You are planning on hurting Hotaru."
	Tetsuo snorted derisively. "Is that what you figured out by scrying us? You 
should know, scrying has a high percentage of error and the interpretation 
is usually wrong. How much information do you think you can get from a few 
images?"
	Haruka grunted and drew the Space Sword.
	Just then, Hotaru came within sensing range. She had been struggling to 
catch up with the other Senshi. Hotaru ran up to the group, transformed. As 
she tried to catch her breath, she surveyed the scene.
	The Smiths fell to their knees as a weakness washed over them. Keilin fell 
out of the sky to be caught by Muhon who had joined them when no one was 
paying attention.
	A gold light shown on them and they transformed into the forms that they 
had seen in the mirror. Each wore gold and white. Tetsuo wore a light vest 
that showed the tatoos on his body.
	Hotaru gasped and clutched her head. She also fell to her knees.

*****

	Hotaru felt memories suddenly coming to the surface. Memories of Imani and 
the others. Thousands of years of memories. Her two greatest friends were 
now fighting each other.
	She had to stop them.

*****

	Sailor Uranus raised her sword, but Sailor Moon jumped in front of her. 
"Don't! We don't know what is happening."
	Haruka and Usagi stared at each other a few moments.
	Then Hotaru loked at each of the Smiths and spoke a name. "Imani,  Keilin 
you are Nyale, Xyron you're Brian, Tetsuo you're Mikyael, Muhon you're 
Tsume. Gads, it's all wrong."
	Uranus shoved Moon out of the way. "We must destroy them. They are taking 
over Hotaru's mind. I won't let that happen again."
	Hotaru stood in between them and screamed, "SILENT WALL!" A wall of energy 
divided the smiths and the Senshi.
	Behind Hotaru, Xyron stood. His eyes were pleading, his hands held out as 
if to embrace her.
	Hotaru stood next to Imani. "Peace. I remember."
	Imani looked up at her and slowly nodded. She stood. "Guardians of the 
planets, the Smiths greet you in peace."
	Mercury frowned in frustrated curiousity. "Who are you? Where are you from? 
For that matter, WHEN are you from?"
	Xyron laughed. "We have been the smiths for many years. We are older than 
even the Silver Millenium. As to your other question, most of us are from 
Saturn. Hotaru is one of us as well as one of you."
	"She was one of us first," Tetsuo muttered.
	"Here is not the time or place to explain. Now that SilenceSmith is awake, 
there will be more enemies. I hope we can make peace. If we fight each 
other, the coming fight will take even more innocent lives." Imani said.
	Sailor Moon stepped forward. "We're not going to fight you anymore."
	Imani  smiled. Xyron nodded. "Then we will won't attack you, either."
	Hotaru brought down the wall, sighing at the exertion. She sumoned her 
glaive, handing it to Imani. "This needs to be purified. It is full of 
darkness now."
	Imani nodded and stepped back. Then all five smiths stood around Hotaru, 
Imani still holding the Silence Glaive.
	"What is Silence?" Muhon asked.
	Imani answered, "The absence of life's rhythm,
The cessation of melody,
The deprivation of power,
The emptiness of words,
The stilling of movement,
The simplicity of nothing,
The uniformity of everything."
	"What is Silence?" Keilin asked.
	"The space between the end and it's new beginning, Xyron answered.
	"You are Silence, that which is the beginning of the rhythm. You are 
Silence, that which is the listener of the melody. You are Silence, that 
which is the observer of the movement. You are Silence, that which is the 
one behind the power. You are Silence, the one who begins the  passion. You 
are Silence, which understands the complexities. You are Silence, which 
gives the words meaning."
     They each held out a hand, and Imani the glaive. Their forms blurred. 
"We are the
Smiths	of Life." They now each wore a uniform similar to the Dark Kingdom's, 
but in white and gold. "The Song, Music, Balance,  Dance, and Life."
	Hotaru closed her eyes, and her fuku shimmered into a smith uniform. "I am 
the Silence, as I have long been."
	"We pledged ourselves to the Guardian of the Silence at the beginning. We 
vowed to protect life. We renew our vow."
	"And I renew mine, my friends. I shall protect life... and the silence. We 
are now  returned as we were."
	They smiled in unison. "For without silence, we mean nothing."
	Hotaru smiled. "I missed you, my friends."
	Then they noticed many Nerimans watching, including Ukyo. Ukyo blinked in 
confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened.
	The Senshi bowed, one by one. Michiru and Haruka went last. They seemed 
quite embarrassed. Neptune blushed. "I am sorry. We were obviously... 
mistaken."
	Xyron smiled. "We're sorry for the destruction. Keilin, Tetsuo, Imani, 
there's work to be done."
	Imani nodded and  faced the Silence Glaive. She closed her eyes and sang. 
Her song echoed through Nerima, heard by all. Her pitch and tune seemed to 
convey and incredible goodness.

  "In the Universe of love and greed,
Body of money, it takes what it needs
To grow a whole forest takes only one seed
Seed of love, seed of greed: which will you choose?
Which will it be?
I laugh and I sigh; I tremble and cry...
Just to live, just to die...And never know why...
In this Universe of longing, a place beyond words,
Each mind is a story and thought is a curse
Mind melts into melody, water's flowing tune...
'Neath a glowing moon, a lover croons...
Sometimes the passion seems so full
We never die too soon.

In the Universe of love and greed, body takes just what it needs (2X)

And I am recovering myself
I am flying on the waves over the sea
We can recover ourselves...What do we really need?

Who are we in the place beyond words?
Who are we in a place beyond greed?
We are silence...We are melody...

One light, one force, one love

We are one love, only one love, only one love! One!"


	As her singing stopped, the paint seemed to peel off the Glaive. In 
seconds, it was as white and shining as the flute by Xyron's side. Imani 
handed it back to Hotaru with a flourish. "It is restored, Hotaru-chan."
	Hotaru smiled. "Thanks."
	Ukyo stared. Then she turned and ran towards her restaurant, searching for 
some semblance of normalcy.
	Keilin stared after her, her face conveying emotions unfamiliar. Michiru 
blushed, realizing this scene was the one she had seen in her mirror.
	Xyron pulled a harmonica out of his pocket and played a few chords. Power 
seemed to funnel around him. He spoke in a sing-songy voice,

"Damage done in pointless war
Be restored and whole once more
That is what I'm asking for."

	In the blink of an eye, every bit of property damage in the visible area 
was gone. All was as it once was.

****

	Ukyo stared at the wall of her restaurant. Five seconds ago, there had been 
a hole in it from one of Shampoo's "entrances". The hole was gone. Like it 
had never been.

****

	Sailor Pluto frowned. "Well, I suppose that spell could cover the rest of 
Nerima. They are often engaged in pointless war. Perhaps Muhon should warn 
Xyron to keep his spell less inclusive."

****

	The Senshi stared in surprise. Usagi gulped. "Well, I'm glad you're on our 
side."
	Xyron sighed. "There are limits. I've used up that spell in Japanese, 
Mandarin, English, and Norse." He looked signifigantly at Tetsuo and Keilin.
	Tetsuo frowned. "Sailor Neptune, do you promise not to be so... impolite 
and invasive in the future?"
	She answered with nought but an innocent expression.
	He sighed. "I'll fix your mirror - but you have to promise not to scry me 
or the Smiths again."
	Michiru's face took on a wounded expression.
	Hotaru frowned. "Mic... I mean, Tetsuo, can you show Michiru-chan what her 
scrying makes you feel like?"
	Tetsuo grinned. "Sure!"
	"And the one with the fire, too," Keilin added.
	Tetsuo nodded. "Will you join with me then, sister?"
	She nodded, and they joined hands. They closed their eyes. Tetsuo's tatoos 
glowed, lighting up brilliantly. Keilin began to sway, her hair billowing in 
the wind.
	Neptune and Mars looked over their shoulders in unison. Neptune scratched 
at the back of her neck. Mars started cavorting in circles, trying to find 
the person looking over her shoulder.
	Finally, they exploded in twin sets of rage, "Stop it!" It stopped. And 
both realized exactly what they had done.
	Mars swallowed hard. "I guess your actions were justified... I won't do 
that to anyone ever again!"
	Michiru nodded. "I agree."
	Still joined, Keilin and Tetsuo's magic fused once more. Then they 
separated.
	Michiru pulled out her mirror to find it in one piece. She quickly put it 
back in her pocket dimension.
	Keilin smiled at Mars. "You'll find the fire roaring away."
	Mars smiled. "Thanks."
	Imani yawned. "That song tired me out. Can we meet later to tell you about 
ourselves?"
	Usagi nodded. "I think that would be a good idea... that was amazing."
	Mercury agreed. "We could all use a break to process this new information. 
Lets go home and meet later... how about at Juuban Middle School?"
	Xyron nodded. "Thats neutral ground. But I think Hotaru should come with us 
for the time being." His eyes were once more full of longing.
	Haruka's spine bristled.  "I don't think that's wise."
	Sailor Pluto appeared, stepping out of a dark portal. "Go home, all of you. 
SilenceSmith and I have much to talk about." Then she and Hotaru 
disappeared.
	Muhon shrugged. "That, as they say, is that. See ya at about 2."
	Michiru shrugged. "Fine."

End of Pt.1


Ukyo Says:

Ukyo: I'm not sure what happened today. I think we found out that the Smiths 
do weird musical magic. And Imani has a crush on me. But I'm not sure about 
that... I'll go now.

Hotaru: I'll take over. This is a fic about me and how my past is much 
cooler than my present.

Pluto: Now, Hotaru, we have much to discuss....

Hotaru: Oh, fine!

[Muhon disappears mysteriously despite the fact he wasn't there]

Imani: Its time to end this, I think. Bye!



Disclaimer: The characters of the Sailor Senshi were created by Naoko 
Takeuchi (may she live forever!). The characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to 
Rumiko Takahashi (may she write forever!).  While the characters of the 
Smiths are original, their various magics come from different fantasy 
series:

Imani: Magic invented by Orson Scott Card "The Songbird"

Xyron: Magic invented by Piers Anthony in "Split Infinity"

Muhon: his magic is as mysterious as the rest of him - not even we know

Tetsuo and Keilin: Magic invented by Margret Weiss and Tracy Hickman in "The 
Deathgate Cycle" - Tetsuo is Patryn and Keilin is Sartan (sort of) - more on 
this later

The bad doggerel is the terrible poetry of Beky - don't blame Fa!


Anyway, till next time.

             Beky NeRichnead
    Grand Potentate of the Universe

Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music. - 
Anonymous Wise Dude

[Your cool saying here] - [your name here]



_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com