Sailor Moon Silver Legacy

Act VIII: The Calm Before the Storm (Part 3)

Minako stepped out of a house on a suburban street and turned back to the owner, a middle-aged woman with a glum expression. "Well, thank you for your time. I have your information. If I hear anything, I'll be in touch," she told the woman.

"Thank you, Miss Aino. Take care," the woman replied, and closed her front door.

As Minako walked down the front path, her old partner dropped down from the branch of a nearby tree. "Well?" the white cat asked eagerly.

Minako nodded. "The date and estimated location of her son's disappearance line up with another of the Youma attacks," she said.

"That makes fourteen," Artemis noted.

"Yeah. I think it's safe to say all the others are going to pan out like this. Ami did a good job of keeping track of things, but I can't find a pattern. There's nothing to connect any of the missing people, to each other or anything else. There's nothing special about any of them or their families. At least, nothing that would explain their having unusual energy. Did you sense anything?"

"No, the woman's energy seemed perfectly normal, just like all the others we have visited this week," Artemis answered. "Maybe there's some other reason the Blood Moon Alliance is targeting specific people?"

Minako considered this for a moment before replying, "I don't think so. We know that they are finding these people while gathering energy. Makoto's information confirms that much. That's why they tried to take her, after all."

"Speaking of Makoto, how are your training sessions going?" Artemis asked as the pair approached Minako's shiny, cherry-red moped.

"She's improving. Scarily fast, actually," said Minako with a grin. "I had to smack her around for a while, but she eventually started blocking my moves, even anticipating them, so I gave her the night off to rest up. I never really appreciated her skill before, but after all my Aikido lessons, I can tell just how good she is."

"That's great!"

"Maybe. I'm not going easy on her but sparring with me isn't the same as a real fight. There's no guarantee she will be able to help us. It's so frustrating. We need Makoto, especially with my powers on the brink of disappearing. Whether she wants to face it or not, fighting is in her bones!"

"You all have different strengths," Artemis commented wisely. "Even if you do lose your powers, you're an important member of the team."

"Yeah, right," Minako guffawed, retrieving her black bike helmet from the storage rack on the back of her moped. "Even if we were functioning as a team these days, Makoto's strong, Ami's smart, Rei has her spiritual powers... The outer soldiers—wherever they are—had gifts too. Once my crystal breaks, I won't be needed anymore."

Artemis looked up at the girl in surprise. "You don't really feel that way, do you?"

Minako averted her eyes, looking up at the night sky. "On some level, I guess I always have," she admitted. "What do I bring to the table?"

"Your heart, Minako!" Artemis said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Pfft!" she responded with a derisive laugh. "That was Usagi's thing, Arte—"

"No, Minako!" Artemis interrupted, his voice clear and commanding, his expression earnest. "Usagi's pure heart gave her a unique ability to bring people together, but it's your heart that shines brightest! You feel things more deeply than most, but as strong as your heart is, you're not ruled by it! This allows you to understand the hearts of others; the way they feel, even the way they think... Your capacity for empathy lets you see the bigger picture, think strategically, and make tough choices. You know that ultimately, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, even if that means placing those of others ahead of your own. You have the heart of a true leader, Minako!"