Sailor Phact leaned forward on the railing of the roof garden of one of the upscale hotels. Elbows folded and chin resting atop, she gazed out over the city. The reason she was there was to teach Sabine to use her aura abilities for finding people. Earlier that day, Phact, as Delilah, had send the girl a general area of the city and told her to find her after sunset.
But while she had been standing there alone, Phact’s mind had begun to wander. Her mind was back on a conversation she had with an agent some time ago.
What was she fighting for? Why did she wear this uniform? Why did she bother to help teach Sabine…
“Is unity my goal? Is it even possible?” Her head flopped to the side. How many times had she seen the two sides both fight each other only to turn around and help one another. And when they did, nothing stood to harm the planet. But it was when they were left on their own that things went to hell and a hand bag.
“So Phact, why do you wear the uniform?”
---
Mercy had gotten the text and had slipped out of her dorm pretty quickly. She made sure to lock it and turn the lights off to make sure everyone thought she was in bed before curfew. Moving out of the dorm area of Crystal, she powered up and headed toward the area of the city that Delilah had asked to meet her. As Sabine.
It didn’t take her long to find the energy aura she had to assume was Phact. Moving quickly towards it, she worked her way up to the rooftop garden and landed next to phact with a light thud of her boots.
Dusting off her fuku, she turned to Phact with a small smile. “You rang?”
---
It was the aura that broke Phact’s thoughts. As it came upward towards the garden, Phact stood up straight, though she never turned her eyes. “You are getting better at tracking auras. Next time I’ll have to bring in a youma first.” Her words were meant as a joke but the tone lacked.
Finally she turned around and looked at the girl. “How are you this evening Sabine? Any trouble on your way here?” Phact was trying to smile but falling. This was supposed to be a patrol, not a get a grip girl.
---
Sabine’s smile lasted for all about thirty seconds. Her gaze went from happy-to-see-you to what-is-wrong in about that time. Moving over, she walked over and gave the older woman a hug. Something she’d found was super easy to do after having broken down in front of her at the fabric store not too long ago.
“What’s wrong Phact?” She asked the older senshi quietly. “You’re not yourself, something’s bugging you… You can tell me.”
She shot the older girl a small smile. “Is it Quinn or?”
---
Phact wrapped her arms around Sabine and smiled. How had this girl become so important to her in such a short amount of time? Oh well. Phact was glad to have her even if it had been a complete accident.
At the mention of Quinn, Phact felt her smile grow and she shook her head. “No no. Nothing wrong there. He’s doing well.” As long as he stayed away from her cousin. “I have something on my mind. Something I haven’t been able to answer in awhile and being up here brought it back.”
Releasing Sabine’s hold, Phact turned to look back out at the city. She inhaled and closed her eyes. “Some time ago, I ran into an agent that seemed to be questioning his own path. But he made me think. What am I fighting for?” Her hands went out to the railing and she stepped towards it, opening her eyes. “That’s easy. At least I thought it was. I’m fighting to find unity in all this. Two sides that really have the same goal…”
Her voice trailed a moment as the wind blew around them. “But I have never been able to really make a difference.”
---
Sabine frowned as she listened to Phact. She knew all about self doubt. She was a teenage girl for crying out loud. She lived self doubt every day! It was strange though, hearing the words come from Phact though. She was normally so sure about things. She knew what she was doing, what her convictions were. Still…
Sabine reached out and took one of Phacts hands, giving the older woman a small smile. “You’re only one person, Phact, nobody is expecting you to win this war single handed while hopping up and down on one foot and singing ‘I’m a little teapot’.” She grinned a bit as she spoke, trying to lighten the mood.
“I think you were right though. We really are all looking out for the same thing in the end. We all have people we want to keep safe. I think unity is something we should be striving for.” She gave the older woman’s hand a squeeze.
“But you’re not alone in this, I’m here and I’m ready to help you!” She let go of Phact’s hand and struck her pose.
“I Sailor Sabine, Senshi of Tactics, will help you concoct a plan that will help win this war!”
Turning her head she smiled a little at Phact. “I’m not sure how, yet… But we’ll figure it out as we go I suppose…”
---
The serious expression on Phact’s face faltered. How could one not crack a smile and a bit of a snort at the pictures of either one of them hopping around on one foot singing ‘I’m a little teapot’. Okay. That would have been one way to throw everyone off! Senshi! Start singing!
Or strike poses like you were being photographed for a magazine.
“Sabine, have you been in the sugar pot again?” Phact laughed, leaning her elbow up to rest her head on her hand. “Or is this just your natural energy level and I’ve just been seeing the polite little lady all this time?” Smiling as she watched Sabine, Phact could only be happy she wasn’t alone. “I like this side of you.”
“But you know, that’s the hard part. The how.” Turning completely around, she gazed back at the garden. “It’s so easy to follow the chaos. I mean, the dark side does have cookies after all.” Phact, bad joke. Oh well. “I’m tired of seeing people die for nothing more than selfish reasons.”
---
Sabine gave Phact a small curtsey as she giggled. “This is just my natural energy level… I think we’re friends enough that I don’t have to be a lady all the time…” She grinned at the older woman.
“You’re right though, the how is never easy…” She sighed then and moved over to the railing herself to look out over the city. “But then, it’s doing things one step at a time. We can’t unite both sides if one side is in complete disarray…” She turned her head to look at Phact again.
“Order has to live up to its name or else all of this will be in vain. Can’t herd cats and expect to get things done.”
----
“You know, I find some ironic humor in that statement. Thank you Guardian cats.” Phact gave a smile and leaned her head back to look at the stars. “But you speak a true statement. Our side is like a punch of cats running around after the fish nega holds out to them. So focused on the little things the big picture seems to be missed.”
She shook her head. “Or focused on themselves. I honestly wonder if it is worth trying to convince people set in their ways. People who are determined to kill without question…”
Falling silent for a moment, she brought her head back down. “It’s like the old wars. Some so thrown into it and invested in it cannot have their minds changed.”
---
“Then we work around them, we try to unite those who are willing to listen. Not everyone has to be completely invested in their own issues to not see that we have to unite if were going to survive…” Sabine seemed a little sad that there were people out there who couldn’t see past their own needs in the moment.
“But we need to start small… We start with me and you… We stand united in this - and then we work with others, talk with others. We build a network… A family.” She smiled a bit at Phact. “We need organization and leadership… and Obviously none of the current will suffice.”
She sighed a bit, wishing it really didn’t have to be that way.
---
“You do have a good point…” Phact started as she turned to join Sabine looking out at the city. “I used to hear about groups, teams...courts...as they called themselves. Senshi and knights banded together to work towards the same goal. A family…” She smiled gazing at the girl.
“Sorry to drag you down into this mess tonight Sabine.” She dropped her head to look down. They were quite a ways up. “But you are right. Most of the current leadership seems focused on their own goals. Though rumor has it some do have close ties to others.”
---
“That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t help us very much right now,” Sabine said with a small smile. “I suppose we could start our own little club, but that only works if people want to sign up. Honestly there’s not much we can do if people aren’t willing.” She sighed a bit, looking down at the ground below.
“It’s no problem Phact - you’ve helped me out of similar funks.” She smiled at the older woman then. “So what do you think? We start our own thing? Or we just try to do the best we can spreading the power for friendship and love?”
---
“Now you sound like a hippy.” Phact laughed, looking back at Sabine with a smile. When had they become such fast friends? In a strange way, it really felt like she had known Sabine for quite a bit longer than just a few months. Guess some things are just meant to be. “Or you have been reading too many of your mother’s novels.”
Waiting for the facial reaction, Phact braced herself. “But you know, maybe we should figure out then what we stand for. Hard to sell something without an elevator pitch. Even in design we have to sell ourselves and make others believe in what we are doing.”
“And then I guess we go rogue. You know I have your back.” Reaching out, Phact touched Sabine’s shoulder and smiled. “So at least we can count on each other.”
---
“That was uncalled for, Miss.” Sabine playfully swatted at Phact. But she was right, that was a lot of ideal and not a lot of action in those words. Not very helpful in the current situation. She thought for a moment.
“So what is it that we stand for?” She asked with a small smile. “Unity? What is Unity? Are we all uniting under the banner of the White Moon? Or of Earth?” She huffed. “We’re all humans so I favor the later…”
“The question is will anyone else be willing to follow?” She smiled at Phact then and reached up to squeeze her hand. “And I have yours.”
---
There was a moment of silence before Phact inhaled. “You know, that does beg a question.” She started. “The same agent that asked me what I stood for brought up a very strange point. Something I have come wonder myself. He said though our bodies are all human, our souls are not.”
She looked over at Sabine as she spoke. “I have heard rumors before that we are all reincarnated forms of past people. Individuals from other worlds.” She stopped a moment. “Like I said before about traveling to the moon. We also can travel to the place we draw our power form. If what he says is true, I have to wonder if maybe we all had lives before coming here.” Phact blinked and cracked a smile. “Oh here I am rambling. Reincarnation. That would be a trip…”
“It would also add the element of why did we all come here?” She gazed at Sabine and shrugged. “Neither here nor there. Just the musing of a mind that lacks information.” She started. “But I don’t know if Earth is the correct banner. That would be like going to the United Nations and demanding they all follow us.”
---
“Then what are we unifying? Worlds? The universe?” Sabine sighed a bit, watching Phact with a little bit of consternation. Not at Phact herself, but at the seeming impossibility of what they were proposing. “So we have alien souls?” That really didn’t explain anything beyond the magical superpowers which, if she was going to be honest, she had yet to see any real use for as far as she was concerned.
“People need… An idea.” She said, walking away from the railing to pace as she thought. “My father always says that its ideas that lead to plans - and its plans that get things done.” She huffed a little. “We won’t even start on what my mother says about ideas because frankly…” She shook her head for a moment.
“Anyway… We need something that people can identify with. That they can see themselves following and feel they’re apart of. If we want people to change their ways and work with us anyway…” She looked at Phact with a small smile.
“If it’s just me and you against the world, then I say we just roll with who we are and show the people what two strong women can do.”
---
Phact turned, her eyes following the woman as she walked and muttered. The older could feel a smile crawl over her face as Sabine shook her head at even the idea of what her mother would say. The price of having an author as a parent. Especially of one whose daughter did not like the books.
“Aliens hm? Scarry to think you have the soul of a little green man. But no, you and your father are right. An idea makes a large difference.” She took a moment and looked back to the sky. “It’s an odd feeling.”
---
Sabine followed Phact’s gaze up into the sky. She sighed herself a little. Her brain was trying to comprehend what it meant to have an “alien” soul. Was she really all that different than her parents? What was it they said in science class… Nothing was created or destroyed - it only moved.
So it was therefore possible the souls of these… now dead… aliens had simply moved to earth for whatever reason. Maybe Earth was one of the last few places with life in the universe? Who knew? It was a chilling thought all the same that space was vast and cold and empty and all that was left were empty shells and barren planets.
Shaking herself out of the sudden feeling of cosmic insignificance, she turned to look at Phact again.
“At the end of the day - regardless of what anyone says. We were born human.” She placed her hands to her chest. “I have a human heart, human feelings…” She gave Phact a small smile. “So in the end, even if my soul belonged to some long dead Alien, or whatever, in the end, I’m still human.”
Moving over to the railing again she looked back up at the stars. “I think if we fly a flag of unity - it should be for the freedom to be human.”
---
That was what Phact needed to hear. It was her lips that smiled as Sabine's words echoed in her head. Reaching out to the young woman, she placed a hand on Sabine's arm. "I needed that."
"It doesn't matter what we were. What we are now...what we will be...that is what matters." Phact turned and looked out. "I wonder if it is possible..." Her words trailed off and she shook her head. "No. It might not be."
---
“Well, not to play the pronoun game, but I don’t know what it is.” Sabine said with a small smile at Phact. “But I’m sure whatever it is is important so I’m sure you’ll let me know when you think I’m ready.”
Sabine looked back out over the city. “I just… want this to be a place where people can be people? You know? That we don’t have to worry about going out of our homes and being attacked in the street…”
---
“Attacked by people with magical powers.” Phact corrected giving Sabine her own smirk. “I can’t do anything about thugs. But I think kicking them in the shin could help.” Giving a chuckle, she knew what the young senshi meant. Still, it was fun to poke.
“I was thinking if it was possible to find friends on both sides. To mix Order and Chaos.” Phact gave a half shrug. “I know we could never stop all the fighting. I’m not blind to that. Agents have hurt me just as much as I’m sure we have hurt them. But there are some that do not like the way they are being run…”
“Well now I’m rambling. Let’s be true. I would rather everyone talk things out before fighting but no one should die just to make a point. Not like it has been….”
----
“Honestly I’d rather be costumed vigilantes fighting violent crime than in a war…” Sabine sighed as she looked back at Phact. “But you’re right - we can’t be everywhere.” Not to mention that all it would take was one good shot and they’d be down and out. Some superheros they were…
“I’d hope so - but it’s getting those two sides to not fight long enough to talk that’s the real problem.” Sabine rubbed her temples for a minute as if warding off a headache. “Can’t trust one side to not rat us out or try to turn us… You know?” There was that whole folktale about the scorpion and the frog.
“But I’d like to see a little peace… at least a truce?” Sabine sighed. “People shouldn’t have to fight for their lives…”
---
“Not one of my favorites if I have to admit.” Phact shook her head thinking about the tale. It was one that made her shake her head every time. Some people just didn’t know how to write well.
Or maybe it was just too old fashion for her.
“I think that would require an even playing field. Somewhere that neither said had powers or access to their abilities.” She offered with a look to her friend’s face. “Then again, it would also test the human nature of the people in question. Are all agents as bloodthirsty as they are made out to be…”
Grabbing onto the fence, Phact leaned back and stretched before swinging herself forward. “But we could throw this back and forth all night. Time to get to work Sabine before something else finds us first.” Pulling herself up onto the railing, the senshi of doves looked back at her little hatchling. “Shall well?” She said offering a hand.
---
Sabine took her hand, and easily joined her on the railing. “Yes, we should get moving before we end up having to find out those answers the hard way.”
She did not want to fight - but she would if she had to. That much she knew. She’d talk first, fight if she must. She had no desire to duke it out with anyone. Strange as for name… Senshi of Tactics.
But she supposed knowing when not to fight was thinking tactically as well. Smiling at Phact, she nodded her head.
“Lead the way!”
Torvil
