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Two of the most boring words in the English language so far were 'observation' and 'reconnaissance'. At first, the lady had assumed that anything she had simply chosen to do at whim would suffice. This was quickly stymied by several realizations. One, that hoyden behavior would not suffice. After all, she was much more essential now, wasn't she? Second, was that things were farther along than anyone had realized!

So now, the shadows of Destiny City had become a kind of bon ami. After all, from them, she'd witnessed many things. The incompetent legacy of those calling themselves senshi here in this strange town. Some had powers that were almost laughable, and she had wondered if this wasn't perhaps some elaborate hoax. But no, these were today's senshi; as much children as warriors of justice.

It was, strangely, almost comforting to pass through her routine. Past the public high school. Past that most interesting reform school for boys, that almost always had something interesting going in and out of its campus. The gentle smells that always seemed to come from the elegant girls' school. But tonight, something else was also exiting those hallowed grounds, and it glowed like a lightning bug in June. A smile ripened, curious and delighted at these turns of events. So it seemed that the information he had given was absolutely correct. Crystal Academy was a fortress of femininity, its hallowed halls guarded against any outsider. It had only stood to reason that inside would be the biggest treasure of all, didn't it?

Almost as one the thick shadows moved to follow the girl. To study her, to observer her. To be her companion in the night. The figure closed in quickly, her long and slim form eating up the distance between the other almost in double-time, simply for a good look. What she saw gave her pause, and she giggled aloud.

It rippled out of the shadows, and the best word to describe it would have been 'childlike'. Charming would not at all be the proper adjective, but nonetheless, it was a fairly adorable sound. The wand. The green hair. It was almost like a hazy recollection had snapped back to present memory, and a name sprung to laughing lips.

"Chronos!"

From in the shadows, that delighted laugh rippled again. This was easier than it seemed, or perhaps this young lady was much more trusting than she should have been. From her stance, and some of the fear that lingered in her posture, the lady was betting on the latter. With some effort, the shadows around her shifted only slightly, and a silhouette was available. "I didn't mean to startle you. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." What she left off, but what hung in the air between the shadowed figure and the Princess was the word 'yet'. With a soft click, and another, the staccato rhythm of heels on concrete came closer to the young Zodiac. Slowly, color leeched into the tall and svelte woman. First black, then mauve, the color of peachy skin. Red eyes, and shocking pink hair.



She came forward very slowly, giving Chronos time to show that she had no intention of rapidly closing any distance between them. It was a move in faith, and she stopped as soon as the light shone on the black inverted crescent centered on her forehead. "After all, I've been looking quite a long time now. It's been so very long, hasn't it, cousin?"

It was almost comical, the adorable and jovial voice that came from this woman garbed all in black. She was standing straight up, proudly, hands clasped in front of her so that the sparkling of her wrap fluttered idly with her every breath. For a moment, she looked almost hurt, wounded, and deeply sorrowful before the red eyes shifted away from sorrow and the smile returned just as bright as before.

"I am Serenity. Or, at least, I am one of them." Gathering the sides of her dress, she dipped a small curtsy to the pure princess in front of her. "Black Lady Serenity, and your cousin once-removed." That seemed to amuse her for some reason and she shook her head with a soft laugh. "I guess you wouldn't remember me, as my memories of you are from a different time and place altogether."

This conversation to anyone, including Princess Chronos, was probably incredibly surprising and almost disjointed. It was almost as if there were warring thoughts on what were coming out of the Lady's mouth. "But you are Chronos, Princess of the Zodiacs, aren't you? I've been looking for so long, you see..." Again, the sadness appeared, and wasn't immediately banished, at odds with her previously jovial attitude. What in the world was her point?

Lightly, Black Lady sighed and almost pouted at her younger cousin. Apparently, old habits died incredibly hard. It was so distressing, being mistrusted by your beloved family member. Not that she knew she was beloved. It didn't seem like she knew much of anything, in fact. Perhaps things were not as far along as they had first estimated. Destiny City might yet still be ripe for their plan.

She lightly toyed with one of her long tails of hair, a thoughtful look now sliding across her elegant face. "One of them, yes. I would assume that you are aware of Princess Serenity, heir to the Moon Kingdom. All senshi are, all senshi have always been. Her mother, Queen Serenity, the old queen who brought us all to this planet. And me." As to who and what she was, she didn't think there needed anything to be said about the subject other than she was a cousin. If this Princess couldn't deduce anything from what she had just informed her, then there was really nothing worth saying.

"As for my motives, you are my family. Why wouldn't I be looking for you. This place seems...troubled. To say the very least. I haven't sensed any significant power here, save you. So you must be who I am looking for. Princess Chronos, holder of the Zodiac's crystal of power. I can't begin to tell you how badly that power is needed." At least, not yet at any rate. She was still entirely unsure if this was really the person she needed. The someone she had been searching for all those lonely nights.

Someone cleared his throat behind Chronos.

"You know."

There hadn't been anyone there when Chronos had last looked -- had there? There had been shadows. Shadows, and ground, and some grass -- definitely the shadows. But no one there.

"Funny you should ask."

When the Princess of the Zodiac turned around, opposite Black Lady, there was someone standing a few paces away from her. A boy or a man: no, definitely a grown man, his voice, face, and height all evidence enough of that. He was as dressed in blue as the woman who called herself Serenity was dressed in black, blue and indigo and grey head to toe, from the long cloak draped around his shoulders to the silver-blue marbled sphere cradled in his hands. He was grinning an engaging bright-white grin like he was hosting a game show, like he was about to step to one side and spin the wheel of fortune at any moment -- but instead he looked up into the air, idly, and tossed the sphere up with both hands like it was no more than an air-filled beach ball.



"It's kind of a long story, actually --"

He caught it again in one hand with a light clap, easily, and his smile took on an apologetic tinge. He gesticulated with it.

"-- and much as I hate to say it, sugarmuffin, we haven't got a lot of time."

With that the man clapped his hands and the ball winked out of view, gone or hidden, it was hard to say. He clapped his hands together again, to no apparent end except to say, well!, and smiled at her. "This might sting a tad," he said. Then he winked at Black Lady over her shoulder, walked up to Chronos and murmured something to himself as he raised his hands about to the level of her heart --

-- and the Opal Crystal of the Zodiac appeared in the air in front of him, hovering above his hands.

"Well," he said with admiration. "You know, that never gets old."

He enfolded it in both of his hands, savored the glow for a moment, and then pushed it seamlessly into his chest like he did this every day.

If Chronos were to guess what it was like to have her heart be ripped out, this would about be it -- except this was the sensation of having her heart ripped out and still feeling it beat outside of her body, as the Opal Crystal vanished and the man took a deep, shaky, satisfied breath.

She was snapped out of it by the man, in fact, snapping his fingers in front of her face; his smiling face swam into view. His eyes glowed nuclear reactor blue. "Don't scream," he said. "I hate screaming. Gives me a headache. Can't abide rollercoasters."

The man tilted his head at her, heaved a long sigh barely audible through the screaming, and then raised his hand and clapped it shut into a fist. Simultaneously her airway was choked shut, as if in a fist; and although she gasped and struggled, it was as though the grip of an invisible hand held her there now. "Now look what you made me do," he said with a shake of his head. "You know, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you, sweetie."

She couldn't breathe. "Okay, a little less," he conceded, and looked at Black Lady again and cleared his throat, while Chronos saw white --

-- and red, actually, as the running form of Sailor Aries made itself visible, followed shortly by Sailor Gemini, or one of them. Any hope Chronos might've had that he wouldn't notice until they were upon him was gone, though, when he glanced idly over his shoulder and turned with a sweep of his cloak, putting his hand on Chronos's shoulder as he did so. "But of course," he said brightly. "The cavalry. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed." He waved. "Is that Captain Aries I see? Oh, it is! Oh, mercy, mercy me."

When the Wiseman had shown himself, Black Lady had caught her breath at how absolutely magnificent and masterful he was. Casually, like it was nothing more than Sunday brunch at Buckingham Palace, he had pulled the crystal from the senshi's chest and added it to his vast reserve of power. Just the same way he'd assimilated a similar crystal, not so long ago.

Now, with her loyal soldiers charging into the fray, her blood was up and color was coming into her too-pale cheeks. It was so delightfully amusing, to watch him play with these children. These cheap reincarnations of once-noble soldiers were nothing compared to their real power. It was admirable, however, the way Aries tried to charge. Foolhardy, but admirable.

Delighted laughter hung on her lips as the Lady extended her hand, grasping out of air what looked like a bowl with a stick hanging out of it. The edge was framed in scallops similar to the edge of her dress, and in the center of the glass was an inverted crescent matching the one on her forehead. "Our lives are forfeit? Oh, I am not sure that will do at all, will it?" All pretense fell away, and the soulless woman behind the mask finally showed herself.

"No, I don't think so. I think it will be your life." Raising the glass high above her head, black power crackled around the scallops and over her fingers, making hair and gown both blow gently with the force of the power inside her body. With little warning otherwise, a black beam shot out at the Zodiac senshi like a beam of dark matter. With any luck, this would be swift. Painless.

Perfect. Just like her.