Greetings from the Nexus! Been a good moment, but I'm still around. Finally 
got that major league revision of AWANP done, and here it is. Hopefully 
it'll send. ^_^

Enjoy!
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: awanp01.txt

Chapter 1

Prereader Version 1.2 (Since the first got scrapped).
Revisions: Opening conversation between the Senshi. Lime scene.
                  Battle scene.
Removals: Flashback.
Added: Deathbusters scene. Outer Senshi scene.

Saturday 11:10 a.m.

	The sun erased the final traces of morning in the district of Juuban, 
Japan,
its citizens already about their daily task and duties. Throughout the city, 
the
sounds of civilization were constant and widespread. Papers ruffling in 
offices
around town; read, proofed, and signed by busy executives with the taste of
coffee still fresh in their mouths. Impatient ravings along the Wall Street 
part
of town about what and how much to buy or sell. The registers ringing sale 
after
sale of rushed consumers and hyper teenagers, glad for a break from school.
Children in the park emitting squeals of delight while at play. The banging,
clanging, and shouting of construction workers rebuilding yet another 
monster-
ravaged city block.

	The Hikawa Shrine was particular in the thick of this reconstruction, as it
usually is. The shrine served as a place of gathering for prayer, a heaven 
for
those who would seek a sense of peace, and a unusually frequented spot for 
attacks
by demons and monsters. It was also a common fact that the shrine itself 
remained
peaceful because of a Sailor Senshi that took residence there. Said Sailor 
would
usually spend her time at this time doing her chores, relaxing and taking in 
the
relative peace while she could, or was involved with her friends planing or
preparing for something to occupy the day with; the latter being the correct 
one
for this day.

	At current, she and her friends were in her room, which was a bit cramped
for all of them. A closer look would indicate to anyone with a special eye 
that
this was actually too big a convenience that all five girls present had 
incredible
resemblance to the Sailor Senshi. They were strewn about the room in no 
specific
manner other than a relaxed one: The dark blue haired one was in a chair 
currently
reading a book. Another seemed to act as pillars to hold up the wall, her 
trademark
ponytail resting peacefully at her shoulder. A long-haired blonde was 
putting a
beanbag and teddy bear in use not far from the bed. The bed served as a seat 
for
the last two: The other blonde with super long ponytails was also enveloping 
a
teddy, and the final girl had her head in her hands, her raven bangs 
covering her
eyes, but not hiding the scowl on her face.

	The pony-tailed one spoke up. "So when does she get here?"

	The raven-haired girl, Rei Hino, sighed. "Today, in about two hours. I 
could be
happier I suppose, but grandpa didn't tell me about her arrival until it was 
too
late to really prepare for it."

	"And when was that?" The first blond, Minako Aino asked.

	"Yesterday evening. They got into a short shouting match about it, and both
left off in a huff." Ami Mizuno, the blue-haired then added, "You really 
should
apologize to him Rei. He probably meant it to be a surprise."

	"Yeah, that sounds like grandpa. He just wanted to catch you unawares." 
Pony-tailed Makoto Kino smirked, much to Rei's chagrin.

	"So Rei, what's she like?" The pigtailed blond, Usagi Tsukino asked the 
Shinto
priestess.

	"I haven' t seen her in years, though we do keep in some contact.
She's your basic friendly kind of person. She was a bit boy crazy, but too 
shy
to really do anything about it. Didn't help her much with that one time she 
got
her dress tangled in front of this guy that she had a crush on."

	Makoto went into a giggling fit. "Sounds like what happened to Usagi
and Umino in fourth grade."

	"That wasn't funny! I didn't know he was there!" Usagi threw a
pillow at the girl, and shot her a dirty look.

	Minako added in on the snickers. "Oh yeah, I remember Shingo telling us 
about
that. You got caught with your skirt down!" She broke out in laughter, soon
followed by everyone else save for a fuming Usagi, and Ami, who was trying 
to
fight the giggles herself. "That's 'pants down', Mina-chan."

	Once the laughter died down, Rei continued. "Well, the last letter I 
received
from her basically said she was still having guy trouble, and she got an 
admirer
she couldn't get rid of."  Rei sighed wistfully. "It's gonna be great to see 
her
again. I wanted to see what she was up to anyway. I wonder if her 
grandmother
is still on that training drive of hers?"

	Makoto smirked. "She's a martial artist, and a flirt? I like her already."

	Rei looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't think she went that far. Her
grandmother just had her training a lot. She kept mentioning 'family 
tradition'
and acted like a drill instructor during sessions." She shook her head. "I
participated some times, but it was a little too hard for me."

	"So let's go already, I want to meet her!" Usagi called.

	"Actually, just grandpa and I are going to meet her. How about we catch up 
later
at the mall before she meets you? I'd like to delay the inevitable 
embarrassment
you'll cause, Usagi."

	"I would _not_ embarrass you! Stop being so mean!"

	"What? I bet if I took you, you'd probably klutz out and knock over the 
luggage
carrier or something."

	Usagi shot a raspberry at Rei. " Meanie!"

	Rei retorted with her own tongue. "Brat!"

	A tongue war ensued, earning pained expressions from the rest of the group.


*****    *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	Yohko Mano was usually not a person you could say that was 'that kind
of girl.' Even with as driven toward the opposite sex as her mother was, she 
often
exhibited a stronger will about the male half of the species. For her, the 
limit
is reached with no more than a daily stare session, and maybe a brief 
fantasy
about the guy of the day that often made her seem rather flighty in front of
other people. This was a normal thing for her.

	She was currently in no such situation.

	This new situation involved a man of course. To say that he just might have 
been
there for demonic possession of our heroine, would be inaccurate, and a 
story for
another day. What could be said, was for one, he had a wonderful, 
well-crafted
chest. This could be expressed because a lack of shirt, which Yohko had 
thrown
from his person at some time before this introduction. He also had arms that
looked time-crafted, with strong, soft hands that were currently wrapped 
around
the girl. Add the equally crafted legs, wonderful, almost Fabio-like face, 
and
great butt, and you have something that gives you a picture of Yohko, for 
once,
deciding to take on the hands on approach.

	And hands on it was; hands on his chest, tracing across his washboard 
stomach,
then back up to his chin, where she drew him into a deep, hungry kiss. They 
both
sat there in that romantic and steamy setting like that, then drew apart 
from
each other. Yohko, still entranced from the kiss, hardly registered it when 
her
partner guided her to lye back on the bed. When she did look up, all that
escaped her mouth was a small nervous squeak.

	Did she really want it to be like this? To lose something so important in 
one
brief, and more than likely fantastic display of passion? Was it truly worth 
all
she had suffered for to have it end in this way? In this fashion?

	[Why not?] she thought with satisfaction. [All other thoughts be damned; I
earned this.] With that said, she awaited her 'reward' from her partner with
anxious anticipation.

	Imagine her surprise and shock when he pulled out a rather massive wooden 
mallet,
and took a swing at her head, effectively and abruptly ending her lovely 
dream.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	Being constantly awoken like this before, care of her grandmother, Yohko 
fell
into instinct immediately. She dove and rolled to her left, only to discover 
two
things: One, she wasn't the one being attacked. And two, the only thing 
between
her window seat on the train, and the floor, were the atoms that made the 
air she
had just sharply inhaled upon impact with the carpeted ground. She would 
have
risen, but something, or someone, had stumbled into her, putting both her 
and
said person into another role and a rather precarious position. Being Yohko,
she had locked onto one thing about the guy, he was cute. Truly sad that she
couldn't admire him further as his assailant stomped up the pathway, a 
seething
look on her face, and a very big mallet in her hand. The wielder of the 
blunt
object obviously did not like the seen before her.

	The two on the floor finally took notice of their position, and quickly
disentangled. The man was the first to speak.

	"It's not what you think!"  He exclaimed. "I stumbled into her and she 
grabbed
me and...."

	"Hey!" Yohko sat stunned upon recognition. "You again! I already told you I
don't want any part of you silly harem you woman stalker! Get away from me!"

	The male in question looked at her in complete disbelief, then turned to 
answer
to his rather very unhappy partner.

	"You just can't get enough can you?" She growled. "You PERVERT!"

	She executed a perfect field kick that knocked him well into the other side 
of
the car. He picked himself up from his imprint in the wall, and started to 
clean
himself off. Yohko noted he looked none too happy with what just happened, 
and
he was completely unharmed, save for his pride maybe.

	He grabbed a pack from the upper compartment, and headed toward the door,
grumbling every step of the way.

	"Kawiikune tomboy, never listens to my side of the story..." He was cut off 
as
his form was sent through the open doorway, and over the train station 
possibly,
thanks to another kick from his assailant. Said assailant then picked up the 
bags,
and left in a huff.

	[ I didn't think you could get that kind of trajectory out of someone.] 
Yohko
thought, taking her seat once more. She paused to mourn for her dream's 
sudden
death. It was one of her better ones, no tentacles, no body snatching 
demons. It
was just her, her lover, and the most comforting silk sheets she had ever 
felt in
her life.

	She snapped out of her reverie, and studied her current location. [Nerima
District, Juuban should be next.] It was about time anyway. This trip was
agonizingly long, and she wanted to see her friend now. It had been so long 
since
they had actual eye contact. Letters were fine, but no match for physical
appearance.

	Every time she thought about it, she would feel sad, and wish her best 
friend
didn't move away like that. Those days with Rei were some of the best of her 
life.
They would always be doing something or plotting something that put them in 
a
world of unstoppable laughter, or parental trouble. Boys would bow at their
sudden appearance, girls would grumble in envy and jealousy; Osamu would 
faint
at every pass Rei made, though she was too stubborn to admit it. And thanks 
to
grandparents, they had gotten in a lot of culture too. With her grandmother
training her for no reason (or so she thought at the time), and grandfather
Hino teaching them about Shintoism, they always had something slightly 
interesting
the adults wanted them to do, and it was a great excuse to camp out 
together.

	They'd done more than the usual amount of things best friends do, then 
Rei's
dad packed her up and moved her away. It was extremely depressing for Yohko 
that
week, until Chi came and cheered her up. Still, she missed her friend, and 
hoped
this ride would be over soon so she could see her again.

	Her head turned at the sudden jerk movements of the train. Its whistle 
blew,
and it began to roll out of the station. She sighed. It was all a game of 
patience
now. She would soon see her friend, and things would seem normal again.

	She stewed on that line of thought for a moment. On the term of normal, her
current lifestyle was anything but normal. Being a resident devil hunter had 
no
benefits in anything along the lines of a social life. Her friend Chi was 
more
concerned with temporary diets and managing her career at the moment, Azusa 
acted
more as a robot with the way she was taking her role as devil hunter in 
training,
and any attention she received from the opposite sex was usually an attempt 
by
some demon to use her. Her grandmother was no help either. After that Tokima
incident, she just pushed Yohko even harder, turning into a full-fledged 
drill
instructor. This vacation was definitely a godsend, and she would do her 
best to
see it stayed in the bounds of reality the way she preferred it, no demons 
attached.

	And if Rei didn't know about her new responsibilities, she wasn't planning 
on
telling her anytime soon. The last thing she wanted, as a welcome from Rei 
was a
swift boot out the door in case some demon was tracking her, as always. 
[No], she
told herself. [Just a normal relaxed period away from that craziness.]


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	Rei Hino sat at a bench at the Juuban Transit Station, fuming at the state 
of
human intelligence for the twentieth time.  She was uncomfortable, a silly
little bellboy that frequented her area of presence was constantly starring 
at
her in ways she more than didn't appreciate, and Yuuchiro was not here to 
accept
the brunt of a rage that was desperately in need of venting. To compound the
wound, her grandfather was proving a true adept at annoying her at the 
moment.

	Even now, the elderly priest threw a knowing smirk at his apprentice of a
grandchild. "Well Rei, you know glaring at the youth won't stop him from 
looking
at his new source of joy. How can you help it if you have such an attractive 
air
about you?"

	"Stop teasing me!" Rei puffed at the elderly priest, who had never even 
wavered
in his mischievous grin. "If you hadn't called him over, I wouldn't have to 
put
up with some pervert's starring at me! You could've just looked at the board 
that
has the train schedules!"

	Grandfather Hino lips went from grin to sly, irritating her even further. 
"Well,
he wouldn't stare so much if you had followed my advice and worn something 
to
cover a little more than that," he pointed to the skirt that failed to pass 
off
as her epidermis only because of the different color. It did more than its 
share
in outlining her bottom, but it was fast becoming one of her least favorite
articles of clothing. "Than you wouldn't have such problems with the lad."

	The raven-haired girl refused to give ground in the fashion war that had 
raged
with a savagery that had more than surpassed her Senshi foes and their goal 
of
universal destruction. So what if she wanted to compliment her figure 
outside of
Shrine grounds? Her priestess robes were fine, but she did like to don 
things
that showed her shape. Even her uniform, despite the daring shortness and 
firm
fit, was tailored especially for her. So what if a few perverted boys were 
starring
and daydreaming about her? It wasn't as if she told them to.

	"I can wear what I want. I do buy them." She gave the Shinto man a cold 
stare.
"And you know good and well that I have more than enough sense to pick 
carefully
out of the perverts for someone with enough brain that runs past the usual 
male
functions." She smirked and fired her return shots. "Besides, I don't see 
you
chiding any other of the girls you try to put into your shrine."

	The priest's smile only twitched. Normally he would more than oblige her in 
a
shouting match, or force her into a defensive position with something else, 
but
his sight had caught something that he hadn't seen for quite some time. The 
subject
was about as tall as Rei, just as lean, and had a pair of tan shorts that 
came
to mid thigh. She was also sporting a white shirt made something like an 
evening
gown, leaving her shoulders bare, though it still had sleeves that reached 
her
wrists, and was trailed by the same boy that had been making passes at Rei. 
Her
hair, a dark brunette, was done up in two very elaborate loops on either 
side of
her head, which were held in place by two blue jeweled ornaments. It 
reminded
him of one of Rei's other friends who had a specific taste in hairstyles. 
The
girl was headed their way, a wide smile upon her face, and an aura that was 
hard
to hide from one who knew what he was looking for. He may have not 
recognized
this Yohko from the little girl who had kept Rei so happy and carefree, but 
the
aura, though much stronger than when he had last saw it, was unmistakably 
the
same from when he last saw it.

	"Well Rei, none of those girls are my granddaughter," He pointed behind his
grandchild. "But I'll be more than happy to change that with this young 
lady."

	Rei turned to see who he was going to annoy now, and gave a joyful cry as 
she
ran to hug her childhood friend, who had just recognized the people in front 
of
her. "Yohko-chan! You made it!"

	That was about all that the priest could make out before words powered by 
speed,
backed by excitement, and tainted with impatience were traded between the 
girls.
The two then turned and headed back to him, a slightly embarrassed bag boy 
in
tow. Yohko stopped and bowed before him. "It's nice to see you again 
grandpa."

	The Shinto priest chuckled, but returned the gesture. "And a pleasure to 
see
you as well Yohko-san. He smiled at her, and looked around. "Well, this is 
fine,
but what do you say we get you two back to the shrine so you can get 
yourselves
settled in and then catch up?"


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	Professor Souichi Tomoe picked at his subject with a fervor. It was a 
stubborn,
persistent little bugger, but then so was he. The little thing couldn't hold 
out
forever, and when it did let its guard down, he would strike, and nothing 
would
stop him.

	He picked up his scalpel, and examined the specimen with a careful eye. It
called for precision, there was no room for mistakes, not that he'd make 
any. One simple,
precise cut, and it would be over for it; it wouldn't matter how resistant 
it
was then. He struck, quickly, and turned the blade, digging through the 
outer
layer, cleaving though soft surface until he finally got to his prize.

	With a giggle of glee, Souichi pulled out the last raisin in the piece of 
bread,
and lay it beside it's brothers on the plate. It wasn't that he hated the 
little
buggers, simply that he did not like raisin bread to an near fanatic degree. 
He'd
have to reprimand Kaolinite later for purchasing it.

	That out of the way, he took a bite out of the piece of bread, and resumed 
his
task. He sat in his desk in the deep laboratory, and clicked a few commands 
on
his keyboard. A few beeps later, the massive machine next to him began to 
move,
gears and switches turning and clicking until the source of its primary use 
was
exposed.

	It was a small substance, an embryo-like egg of pale colors held within a 
pink
liquid inside a beaker. The machine clicked again, and the mechanical 
restraints
were released on the beaker itself, and the professor grabbed it. He 
examined it
with a scrutinizing eye, and smiled sinisterly.

	"Kaolinite."

	There was a shimmer of air, and a woman appeared. Her wild red hair came 
almost
to her knees, and her buxom figure was hidden away by a tight dress, which 
was
covered by a lab coat. She bowed to the professor, and took the beaker from 
his
hands.

	"I trust that you have located the first probable target?" Tomoe asked.

	"Yes Tomoe-sensei. I will begin the plan immediately."

	He nodded and turned back to his workstation. "Good. Let's hope that we get
lucky the first time through; it would speed things greatly."

	"Sir," she bowed again, and turned to depart.

	"Kaolinite."

	The woman paused mid-teleport. "Sir?"

	"Next time, please purchased something else other than raisin bread. It 
sticks
in my teeth."

	She almost frowned. "I like the raisin bread."

	"Well, then we will just have to compromise over it then, won't we?" He 
chuckled,
an unpleasant sound to the ears. "Just make sure to talk to me next time 
before
you go grocery shopping."

	"Yes sir." And then she was gone, leaving him to study the final results of 
the
beaker's contents. Indeed, the plan could finally begin. Perhaps they would 
be
lucky enough to obtain a talisman the first time out, though he doubted it. 
The
purpose of this experiment was to make sure that the Daimon eggs were 
effective
enough to get the job done, perhaps even on their own as he had planned. If 
so,
then they would have their explorers to obtain the talisman, and their 
solders
when she came to take control. And what a great day that would be.

	Satisfied that things would go for the best, Tomoe turned back to his toast 
and
print out data.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	The Shrine was as she remembered it, a haven with its constant colorful 
assault
year-round, as well as the holy, peaceful essence that made her feel safe. 
She
had visited Rei as she went here just about every year for half a summer. 
Those
times had indeed been fun, and they spent the entire time talking about the 
things
they used to do: Roasting sweet potatoes over an open fire, Grandfather Hino
teaching them how to read the Sacred Fire, the incident where Rei was 
running
around grounds trying to find where her clothes, including the ones she had 
on,
were hidden. Of course, Yohko did tell her where she had thrown her robes 
and
undergarments. Eventually.

	Rei had left her to get used to her room and told her that she would return
later. Yohko kicked off her shoes at the door and lay on the guest bed. 
She'd
have to ask Rei about bunking instead. As much as she liked personal space 
and
separate rooms, she'd rather see as much of her friend as possible. But 
first,
there was that rather sticky feeling she had from the train ride. The furo 
would
be her next stop. She had just finished pulling out the appropriate items 
when
grandfather Hino knocked at her door.

	She opened the door and bade him a greeting. "Do you need me for 
something?"

	The old man simply smiled. "Actually, I was coming to see if I could 
persuade
you to stay on and be tutored in the ways of the Shrine," He motioned to the
grounds and their rusted splendor. "But I believed I taught you more than 
enough.
Instead, I was wondering if you had gotten yourself situated."

	"Mostly," she answered tiredly. "At the moment I was going to take a bath, 
then
go to Rei and ask her about the guy that is supposed to be staying here 
too."

	He smirked at the hidden mirth beneath her statement. "Oh? And what would 
she
know about my apprentice that I wouldn't?"

	"Just if he's interested in anybody." She didn't bother to hide her smile. 
She
had seen him walking up the stairs, and had only gotten a small word of 
greeting
in, but could tell several things: If he wasn't moving on Rei by now, he was 
either
shy, or involved with someone. Either way, she more than wanted to know him 
during
her stay. It was her vacation after all.

	"Well, he doesn't have much time for relationships here with his duties," 
The
priest allowed a smile to grace his lips. "But I'll be sure to ask him for 
you."

	Yohko blushed. "Ah, that's okay Grandpa. I think I'll ask myself. " She 
then
grabbed her personal items and left for the bath, leaving the elder Hino to 
chuckle
at her sudden embarrassment.

	Said girl was on her way to the bathhouse, not taking true notice of the 
woman
floating twenty or so feet above her head. Kaolinite smirked. It was a good 
day
indeed to initiate the plan. The doctor would be pleased that there were now 
two
different candidates in one spot. It would probably require her attentions, 
but
not heavily, which meant she could still run her other errands. There was 
still
shopping to do for the house afterall.

	That thought in mind, Kaolinite touched down, setting a small seed within a
shrine tree, and vanished with little fanfare, confident in the day's 
success.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	"Usagi, aren't you supposed to be at the mall with the girls?"

	The rabbit looked sheepishly at her raven-haired friend, scratching at the
back of her head. "Well, they sent me ahead to come and get you two." She
looked around, and then outside of Rei's window in her room. "So where is
she?"

	Rei frowned at the girl. "Couldn't wait, could you? Well, she is in the
bath at the moment, so just settle your nerves for a while, okay?" Having
said what she felt would vent her annoyance at the girl, she turned back to
the task of doing her homework, only to feel at unease when she saw Usagi's
sullen expression. "What's wrong now? You couldn't have looking forward to
meeting her that much?"

	Usagi sighed. "I was, but that's not the problem. Mamo-chan saw my grades
and says that I should spend more time studying, and less time on dates with
him."

	"He's right. You know what shape your grades are in Usagi. How are you
supposed to get past the high school entrance exams if you don't study?" Rei
ignored the pouting look that was coming from the girl. Any other time Rei
would have definitely sided and comforted the girl, however that also would
have meant encouraging Usagi to waste more time not studying; something that
could put her future, be she the future queen or not, on a more difficult
path. She simply refused to be that person.

	"But we already have our study groups in the afternoon don't we? Why
couldn't I just..." She fell silent upon an old realization. "Oh yeah. Dad
won't let me go on date at night."

	"Usagi, just face it like a woman. You're not going to be able to see him
like you want to until you pass the exams."

	"See who?"

	Both girls turned to Yohko, in some fresh clothing, at the doorway to Rei's
room. Her look became sheepish as she caught site of Usagi. "Oh, I'm sorry.
I thought that you were on the phone."

	Rei's displeasure at the sudden situation was quickly hidden. "Um, Yohko,
this is Usagi, one of my friends I was talking about." She chuckled 
nervously.
"Usagi, this is my friend Yohko."

	The two bowed to each other, then the giggling began. "What's so funny 
Rei?"
They asked in unison.

	Rei was gazing at them through watered eyes. "I just notice the two things
you had most in common." Losing the battle of control at pointing to their
hairdo, she collapsed into laughter's embrace. The two girls looked at each
other, then at the bundle of shivers that was on the ground. "Actually,"
Usagi said, "I was going to ask where you had gotten the ornaments to tie
your hair with."

	Yohko smiled. "They're a family treasure. My grandmother gave them to
me when I was younger, and I did my hair up with them. How did you get
them into those balls? Rubber bands?"

	Usagi giggled slightly. "Only Minako knows that I don't use them." She
patted at the corner of her head subconsciously. "I used to, but it started
to hurt a lot, so I found other ways. Ribbons, pins, even a couple of 
strands
of hair."

	"Minako?"

	"Our other friend. There's Mina-chan, Mako-chan, and Ami-chan. We were
actually supposed to meet at the Tenth Street shopping district, but I came
early." This time it was Usagi's turn to look sheepish. "I wanted to see
Rei-chan's childhood friend. It really is nice to meet you."

	"It's nice meeting you too." Yohko looked down at the figure just gaining
her composure. "So Rei? Are you gonna show me around now?"

	Rei gave her a look of slight belief. "Already? You just got here." Her
gaze turned to Usagi, who found Rei's manga suddenly interesting. "We 
weren't
even due to go for another hour."

	"That's just the mall, Rei-chan. We could go somewhere for a drink and 
stuff,
right?" The brunette grabbed her friend's arm and started dragging her out 
the
door. "Besides, we still have catching up to do, and I haven't been able to 
go
out with you in a while. Come on!"

	Usagi looked at the raven-haired girl's helpless expression and giggled, 
then
followed the girls out the door.

	"Alright! I guess we could step out for a shake for the moment. There's the
comic shop and caf� down the way." Rei said, tying to regain control of her 
arm.
"We could go there for a moment."

	"Great! I could use a chocolate-" Yohko paused mid-sentence and stood 
still. Rei
and Usagi looked at her in confusion.

	"Yohko-chan? What's wrong?" Rei asked.

	There was... something, tickling the back of her neck, pricking at her and 
making
her aware of it. Something that could very well be a threat...

	Yohko scanned the area in confusion and growing anxiety. It couldn't be 
possible,
it had to be a joke. It was just a light probe, barely enough for her to 
notice.
But it couldn't be a demon or anything like that, her ring wasn't glowing...

	"Yohko-chan?"

	Yohko shook out of her reverie, deciding to dismiss it. "It was nothing 
Rei-chan.
I was thinking about that cute guy working here."

	"Cute guy? Yuuchiro?" Rei made a face. "What's so cute about that dead 
voice?"

	"Well, you should know already, since you've been living with him 
Rei-chan."
Yohko smirked. Weird feelings from earlier aside, she also sensed something 
else,
Rei's attitude toward that shrine guy. "Maybe you and him are already 
comfortable
together?"

	"Not really Yohko-san, I've tried to put them together, but Rei-chan 
doesn't
want to admit her feelings for him." Usagi shrugged.

	"Hey! I don't like that no-talent..."

	"You can call me Yohko-chan Usagi-san." The girl smiled, completely 
ignoring
Rei. "You sound like you tried to hook them up together."

	"Oh, you can just call me Usagi-chan then." The girl smiled. "Yeah, I did, 
but
Rei didn't want to fess up that she liked him."

	"That's because I don't meatball head!"

	Usagi and Yohko shrunk back from the flames surrounding the temple girl.
"Scary..." they said in unison.

	"Now if you two are done discussing my love life, can we go get shakes?"

	The two simply nodded, though the looks Rei was getting from them had the 
girl
wary of what they were thinking.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	This was wonderful. Its prey was in enough range that it didn't have to
go chasing after it, and its birth was only moments away. It chuckled 
softly.
this was going to be perfect. Talisman or no, it was going to make a great
kill. So much better if it did have one of the talisman, but it was still
going to enjoy the kill.

	With a battle cry and a wicked smile on her face, the Daimon emerged from 
the
possessed tree and began stalking after the three hapless females.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	The girls were at the temple steps when they heard it. Rei was the first to 
turn,
and her face froze with shock. Yohko looked even more surprised, but it was 
Usagi
that was the first to act. She did so by stating the obvious. "Youma!"

	It was humanoid, female with pale blue skin and a vest and shorts, both a 
tan.
The only menacing things about her were her glowing black eyes, and the 
wicked
looking spiked quarterstaff in her grasp.

	She charged the girls, and they scrambled, each in their own panic. Usagi 
and
Rei were worried about transforming in front of Yohko, while Yohko herself 
was
wondering how she would deal with this new menace.

	"That's a Youma?" Yohko wondered.

	It wasn't fair! She had just gotten here, and already some monster had 
shown up
To ruin her time! Sure, it didn't really seem like one, what with the fact 
that
despite looking evil, it had one hell of a figure, but if that was still one 
of
the famed dreaded monsters of Juuban, then her little get away had just come 
up
short.

	The subject in question seemed to pause. It was a Youma? Where'd they get 
that?
Was that supposed to be an insult?

	"What else could it be?" Usagi shouted. "We gotta get out of here!"

	"Well..." Yohko trailed off and looked at the humanoid. "It looks like 
someone
in a really bad Halloween costume, not any monster that I've seen."

	Rei and Usagi both looked at the girl in confusion. What was she expecting, 
a
horror of Frankenstein? Wolfman? "Seen?"

	The Daimon lost all aggression. It was scary, damnit! Evil, nasty, and out 
to
fulfill the wishes of mistress Kaolinite and Tomoe-sensei! And besides...

	"I'm not a Youma, I'm a Daimon!" It growled in indignation and anger.

	"Daimon?" The three girls said in unison.

	"Yes, Daimon! And this is why!" With a quick spin of the staff, the girls 
were
assaulted with a hail of leaves. The Daimon struck again, taking her staff 
and
charging the bewildered brunette, the insulting one. She would go down 
first,
and then to the target. Perhaps she could bring in three heart crystals?

	Yohko covered her eyes from the assault and cursed. Served her right for 
not
treating a threat as a threat. She had to find a way out of this and 
transform
and help her friend. Peace be damned, this thing was probably dangerous...

	Her theorem proved correct when the humanoid slammed the end of her staff 
into
Yohko's gut. The girl crumpled, and received a blow to the head for her 
troubles.

	Rei was away from the blinding attack first, and witnessed her friend drop 
and
lie unmoving. "Yohko!"

	Usagi blinked away the last of the leaves, and looked at the girl in 
horror.
then she watched as Rei tried to kick the thing in its gut, and the 
grappling
that ensued. The Daimon pushed her back, and swung at her, clipping her 
shoulder,
and she shrank away from it. Usagi ducked past the two, not really willing 
to
turn her eyes away, but not willing to leave Yohko unattended. She made it 
over
to her still form, and sighed in relief to see the girl was breathing.

	"Usagi!" Rei shouted, ducking another swing from the staff. "Take care of 
her
and get the others! I'll distract it!" She got in another shot, but the 
Daimon
shrugged it off and swung at her again. Rei nimbly ducked, and turn to run, 
with
the Daimon hot on her heels.

	Usagi started dragging Yohko's prone body back to the temple when Yuuchiro 
and
Morihito Hino came around the corner.

	"We heard the shouts. Where's Rei?" The elder asked.

	Usagi looked at the little man with a grim expression and explained the 
ambush,
and Rei leading it off in direction of the temple. The old man nodded. 
"Yuuchiro,
help her take the girl inside. I'm going after Rei."

	Yuuchiro stuttered, but nodded and helped Usagi with the unconscious girl 
while
the temple priest ran off after the two combatants.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	Rei ran as fast as her feet could carry her, her henshin wand in her hand. 
She
was sure it was still following her, but now she was away from the others, 
it was
time to even the odds. She started to shout her words of power...

	And tumbled end over end as the Daimon tackled her and pinned her to the 
ground,
her wand went flying into another direction. The humanoid plant smiled, and 
grabbed
her arms, pinning them to the ground, and with a dry pop, disconnected her 
hands
from her wrist. Rei struggled against the staples holding her to the ground, 
and
the Daimon looked on in pleasure. The Daimon pulled at her vest, and from a 
tattoo
of a black star, shot a beam at Rei's chest.

	Rei screamed. She'd never felt such pain in her life. She bucked and  
flailed,
but the now-wooden manacles wouldn't give. She felt fire and ice all at 
once, as
if someone was ripping her chest open with their bare hands, and was 
succeeding.

	The it stopped, just as quick as it had begun. She looked through hazy 
vision,
to see her grandfather kneeling near her, and the Daimon sprawled some feet 
away
from where she was.

	Morihito looked at the demon, and then went to Rei's side. "Are you 
alright?"

	Not finding the strength to talk, she nodded, and looked at the manacles.

	The priest saw the wooden hands clamped to the ground, and tried to pull 
one
out, to no avail. He turned with a start, and saw the monster getting back 
up.

	The Daimon growled at the little man. It was beginning to become more 
trouble
than it was indeed worth. The subjects had to be alive for the crystals to 
be
pulled, and that is what she would do. But afterward, this shrine and its 
occupants
were going to crumble.

	An aqua green sphere of energy slammed into the Daimon's side, and it let 
loose
a scream of pain. Seconds later, another ball of energy, this one yellow, 
slammed
into her as well. She collapsed to the ground.

	Two figures emerged from the trees, both with scowls on their faces. The 
Daimon
began to get up again, and they attacked with their energies once more. A 
horrid
cry later, the Daimon dissipated, leaving only the tree and the small 
cracked
egg from whence it came, behind.

	The two figures, dressed in Sailor Senshi regalia, took a long look at the 
two
temple keepers, and vanished into the trees once more.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


	"You should have waited."

	The two figures hopped off and outside the temple, and were now perched 
atop a
building roof. The tallest one, with sandy blond hair, scowled at her 
partner,
a shorter girl with turquoise hair.

	The shorter girl responded, her eyes not looking at her partner. "I 
realize. I'm
sorry."

	The shorthaired blond frowned, and shook her head. "Nothing to be done 
about it
Now. We just have to watch how we do things in the future."

	"I didn't think they'd start attacking so soon." The shorter girl said. 
"This
doesn't bode well."

	"I know," her partner shrugged. "But until we locate the talisman, or are 
able
to shut them down, there's nothing much we can do. We were lucky enough to 
track
them to there."

	"Yes, but what about those others?"

	The girl shook her head again. "Nothing we can do about them without 
drawing too
much attention to ourselves. It'd be better to wait until they hatch and go 
after
their targets."

	The shorter girl nodded, almost sadly. "Alright then. Let's just go home 
for
now."

The two figures looked around, and made their way off of the building, and 
out
of sight.

*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****

	Usagi tried her best not to think about the fact that she had just left Rei
to deal with a monster on her own. It was not one of her most favorite 
things
to do, but despite all, she knew that the priestess could hold the thing off
at least until she got there. For now, she had a fallen friend to attend to.

	Usagi checked for any obvious sign of injury that the attack could have
dealt, but found nothing save for a bump where she was struck. Usagi sighed
with relief, but couldn't help but feel something unsettling about the light
damage. That was a blow to loosen teeth. Maybe she would have a concussion?

	There was time to dabble on that later, she decided. Rei needed backup,
and she was going to deliver. She turned to leave when Yuuchiro looked at 
her.
"Usagi-chan, where are you going?"

	"Rei and Hino-san are in trouble! I have to go and help them!"

	The boy looked surprised. "You? I'll go and get them while you watch 
Mano-san."

	She looked ready to argue, but the two subjects of worry stepped into the 
door.
Usagi ran to their sides, and helped the stumbling Rei to a mat by Yohko. 
"Rei-chan!
Are you alright?"

	"Weak..." the girl replied, slumping against her friend.

	"She should be fine. She's just tired." Hino-san spoke up. "I saved her 
from that
thing, and the Senshi appeared and took care of the rest."

	Usagi raised an eyebrow. The others had come already? "Senshi?"

	"Yes. Two of them. Blue and teal skirts. Lovely things. They blasted the 
monster
with these blue and yellow balls of energy, and the thing just up and 
vanished."

	That caught Usagi completely off guard. It didn't sound like the other 
girls at
all. And if it wasn't, then who saved Rei?


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****





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