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CHAPTER TWO

Ami Mizuno awoke as the sun rose over the horizon as she usually did. She bathed, dressed and read for an hour. Today Ami had no school but she felt as if something major was going to happen, the sun was brighter, the sky was bluer and the grass was greener. Everything inside her told her that today was a day to be remembered.

Ami had read on Usagi and Mamoru's disease. She could find no historic medical documents or non-historical for that matter, stating what the illness could possibly be. The fact that not only was there no cure, but there was also no name or place where the sickness could be traced drove all the Sailor Scouts mad.

Ami picked up her henshin stick wondering when would be the next time she would use it. I would give anything to have Usagi and Mamoru well again, help me, Mercury. Ami sent out a silent prayer to the heavens that would be answered sooner than she thought.

Suddenly a blue light entered her room, there stood a handsome man with dark brown hair and large brown eyes. Ami almost screamed but was unexpectedly enveloped with a calm. She scanned him, on his feet were a pair of winged shoes. "Mercury," she whispered.

"Sailor Mercury, your friends are expecting you at Sailor Mars' temple immediately. Go and I will meet you there."

As silently as he had appeared he was gone.

Minako was asleep her legs hanging over the side of her bed, her golden hair in tangles on the pillow that her arms were grasping. Artemis was on the opposite side of the bed sleeping his little crescent moon producing a little bit of light.

Venus appeared in a ray of pink light and shook her head at what she saw. She snapped her fingers and Minako was up, dressed, showered and her room was clean.

Venus straightened her pink empire gown and addressed Minako formally. "Sailor Venus, you're are being addressed by the goddess Venus. Good morning. You have no time to spare on basking in my light; hurry on to Sailor Mars' temple. There you will be accompanied by the rest of the Sailor Scouts." In a flash of pink light she was gone again, leaving Minako to wonder what had just happened. 'No matter,' she thought as she picked up Artemis, left a note for her parents and began to jog to Rei's temple.

Makoto exercised in the early morning light Sweat dripped from her face as she lifted her weights and ran in place. As she sat down to take a break and drink some water, a flash of white light appeared before her eyes.

"What in the name of Jupiter?" she breathed.

The white light began to form into a man with dark black hair and green eyes. He wore a crown of stars and suit of light; his eyes merrily glowed as he realized her confusion. "I am Jupiter, the King of the gods. Go to Rei's temple immediately…" He looked at her and shook his head. "…but not like that." He clapped his hands making a sound like thunder and Makoto was ready to go. Before she could thank him he disappeared.

She ran down the street seeing Minako's yellow head bobbing up and down. She caught up with her and they shared their experiences once again realizing what a queer day this was.

Rei tried to meditate but this time she couldn't seem to get the chant right. Usually she could focus her whole being on the meditation but for some odd reason today she couldn't.

The room began to heat up, Rei tried to stand up and go outside but a strange force held her in her place. The Sacred Mars fire began to glow more fiercely. A flash of fire appeared in front of the fireplace. It began to take on a form. A tall handsome man with black hair and eyes almost as dark stood in front of her.

"Sailor Mars, I am the god Mars. A meeting will be held here soon. The scouts and all their protector gods will be here; be prepared for a mission of great danger."

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke as Ami entered breathless. As she set foot in the temple three forms appeared, a beautiful dark haired green-eyed woman, a handsome blonde haired blue eyed man and another handsome man Ami already knew as Mercury.

The woman stepped forward and introduced herself and the others to Rei and Ami.

"We are Sailor Mercury's guardians. I am Minerva goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts, war and helper of heroes."

The blonde man stepped forward, "I am Apollo, god of the sun, medicine, prophecy and archery."

The last man stepped forward, "I am Mercury, the messenger god, protector of the thieves, travelers and merchants."

Again fire appeared in the room. "I am Mars, god of War." The flame became man and the gods parted to separate parts of the room considering their difference in opinion concerning the scouts.

Minako and Makoto appeared, at the same time causing a pink light, a white light, a red light and a yellow light to appear in conjunction. Venus, Cupid, Jupiter and Diana made their presence known.

Jupiter pulled Diana to the center of the room and introduced himself. "I am Jupiter, king of the gods, guardian of Sailor Jupiter."

Diana glared at him and introduced herself, "I am Diana, goddess of the hunt and the Moon, I am also a guardian of Jupiter."

They joined Mercury, Minerva and Apollo in a far corner of the room.

Venus and Cupid stylishly walked to the middle of the room, introducing themselves to the ever-confused Sailor Scouts. "I am Venus, goddess of beauty, sexual desire, gardens and fields, I am obviously Sailor Venus' guardian."

Fair-haired, green-eyed Cupid stepped up, he had wings and an arrow, but he certainly wasn't the fat little baby you usually imagine. He was about 19 and Minako and Makoto already had a crush on him. "I am Cupid, god of love and guardian of Sailor Venus."

He walked over and joined Venus and Mars at the opposite side of the room. Jupiter once again strode to the center of the room and began to speak.

"I have a grave mission for all of you. Let us just hope you can accomplish it or the Moon princess and the Earth Prince will die."