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As Super Van Vanessa had learned the importance of anonymity. This was why she did not attend school as Sailor Vulcan, and also why she did not sleep powered up. But when she was alone and out on the town, Vanessa was almost always henshined. And it ******** rocked.

Because it was the winter she wore warm clothes over top of her fuku. But for those who knew what they were looking for, there could be no mistaking the tiara on her forehead or the collar around her neck. Civilians, unaware of her power signal, undoubtedly chalked these things up to an unusual and enthusiastic taste in jewelry.

Today Sailor Vulcan was on patrol. It was cold and close to Christmas, but Destiny City was Destiny City. Crime and bad guys didn't take any vacations for the holidays, so she wouldn't either.

It was the dark signature of Zinkenite's power that drew Vulcan to the park. Reminded vividly of Paragonite, who had attacked her outside a grocery store only a couple of days before, she hadn't been able to resist the pull of such obvious strength and the promise of a good fight.

Vanessa had never hunted anything before and, while it didn't take her a very long time to find the source of that unnameable power, she was not quiet about it. The snow crunched audibly under her clunky winter boots. When she finally caught site of ZInk, sitting at the chess table, Vulcan approached him and shouted;

"Hey!"

This was more of a warning than it was a greeting, but not exactly hostile. There was a curious look on her face.

"Who are you?"

Vanessa was familiar with Alice's story as told by Disney. She did not, however, make the connection between that Mr. Caterpillar and Zinkenite's lofty demeanour. But the way he brushed away her question in favour of his own made the senshi purse her lips.

Irritating.

"I asked you first," she countered childishly, jaw set in a way that made her face look more square than usual. Vulcan didn't understand what, exactly, it was that she was dealt with now. She was so new to this senshi thing, but aware of the dark power that wafted off of Zinkenite like steam.

It was intimidating. This also made it very exciting.

Vulcan cocked an eyebrow. "I have played chess before, yes."

If she had any skill (she didn't), Vanessa wasn't telling.

"Is that an invitation?"

Zinkenite had pushed Vulcan into a stalemate.

She wanted to know who he was. She had asked first. But he was withholding information. Vanessa's stubborn pride kept her from surrendering to the Captain's little game. It was childish of her to be so resistant, but he has started it.

Impatient, reminding herself that it would be too mean to just beat him into submission, Vulcan's gaze flickered from the chessboard to Zinkenite's face.

"I'll make you a deal," she said, and plopped down on the nearest seat, "I will play you, but for every man I take, you have to answer one of my questions. And vice versa, of course."

If she could help it, Vanessa always played fair.

If it weren't for the darker nature of his power signature, which she could still feel, although she had no name for it, Vanessa might have found it easy to let down her guard. But she was too aware and all too fascinated by him to relax on that particular front. Paragonite had taught her the importance of caution.

Sort of.

"I'll be white," Vulcan said at once, because she liked going first. And then, remembering her manners, flushed a little pink. She turned a bright smile on Zinkenite. "You don't mind, do you?"

It was always nice to ask.

She removed her gloves to help him set up the chessboard, and the warmth of her breath clouded in the nippy winter air. "Oh yeah," a shrug, "I'm fine. The cold doesn't bother me at all."

Especially when she was covered in seasonal apparel from (almost) head to toe.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, though, I'm pretty excited for the summer," those golden eyes crinkled upwards at the corners, "My name's Va- Vulcan. Uh, first name Sailor? Sailor. Vulcan."

"Sure," that smile still refused to leave her face, and even brightened to hear Zinkenite's soft chuckle. The joke was lost to Vanessa, but she could tell the difference between hostile and genial laughter. It made her feel good, to know that he thought her funny.

Vanessa liked to think of herself as witty.

"Vulcan is fine. It is nice to meet you, Zink-en-ite."

Her tongue stuck out at the corner of her lips as she concentrated on setting up her half of the chessboard, and tried to remember which piece went where. It took her a little while but, in the end, Vulcan felt sure that she'd gotten everything right.

She hadn't.

Faultless, white as the snow that littered the ground, Vulcan's knights and Vulcan's bishops were all mixed up.

"I don't play loads," the senshi offered honestly, golden eyes twinkling at Zinkenite with good-natured zeal, "I am kind of the opposite of you, though. I think war's a pretty bad thing. Because it would be better if everyone could just get along. But I do like to fight."

"I guess I am a par-a-dox."

Big words. Sometimes, Vanessa used them.

For Vanessa, every mistake came with a level of embarrassment. She flushed when Zinkenite had to rearrange her chessboard, but was grateful for his encouragement. It would have been different, if he'd scoffed or treated her with disdain. But he didn't, and the young senshi found herself warming to him quickly.

"The Queen," Vanessa knew the path the She took, because She was her favourite piece, and indicated all of the ways that She could travel with her finger, "moves like this."

The others were a little more difficult for her, but not by much. John Jr was an enthusiastic chess player. Vanessa, lured by the promise of good competition, was always suckered into playing with him, and eternally frustrated when her baby brother proved the victor.

She was careless and sometimes forget where the pieces went, but familiar enough with the game to play Zinkenite with confidence.

"I fight to save lives," came Sailor Vulcan's proud answer. She puffed out her chest a little and moved her first pawn. "What could be more right than that?"

Zinkenite posed difficult questions. A lot of what he said rolled over poor Vanessa's shoulders in waves. While she did not, truly, understand what it was that he was getting at-- she tried to, and regarded him carefully through those bright golden eyes.

There had never been a more thoughtful expression on any face ever before. Vanessa had her serious pants on.

"Every life is important to me," Vulcan concluded simply, and nodded to show that she remembered which paths the other pieces could take, "But some people do bad things. It is my job to stop them."

Fighting was not synonymous with killing. Vulcan was no murderer.

[fin]