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CHAPTER ONE

Mizuno Ami sat outside on a glorious October day. The air was sweet and the trees swayed as if to say, 'Remember we're here, too.' Ami was saddened by the fact that her mother was not there to share this lovely afternoon with her, but she understood her mother's job as a doctor was extremely important.

The phone rang. Ami sat up and left the beautiful sun to go inside her dreary mansion and answer its call. She picked up the phone to hear a sobbing Mrs. Tsukino on the phone.

"Ami," she cried openly. "come; Usagi is very sick. She wants all her friends to see her."

"I'm coming; don't worry."

This was as far as the conversation went before Ami hung up the phone and was back in the October sun; this time, she was running.

At the Tsukino residence everything that was usually fast and upbeat was somber. Mrs. Tsukino wept and Sammy was locked in his room. Ami was the first person there later entered Rei, Makoto and finally Minako and Artemis.

Mrs. Tsukino spoke to them in between sobs. "Girls, Usagi wants to see you. The doctor says what she has isn't contagious. It's like she's dying; no one knows what going on."

The four young ladies walked slowly up the stairs that they had ran up on so many times in the past. As they entered Usagi's room they put on the biggest mock smiles they could and tried to be brave for her sake.

Mrs. Tsukino hadn't been exaggerating, Usagi had lived through the Negaverse, the NegaMoon Kingdom, the Dead Moon Circus and even Sailor Galaxia but this illness was beating her ever so slowly and painfully. The Scouts couldn't believe what they saw. Usagi was pale and her blue eyes were glassy and bleak; her usually impeccable hair was in tangles and there were dark circles under her eyes.

Ami, being the mentally strong one, stepped forward and gave Usagi a hug. "You're going to be okay."

Seventeen year-old Usagi broke down into tears. "I want Mamoru."

Immediately Makoto ran downstairs and called Mamoru. Ami, Rei and Minako told jokes and rumors and funny stories about school but unfortunately, when Usagi laughed she broke into a fit of coughs that could be heard around the planet. Luna tried to be as helpful as she could be she only drove Usagi into a fit of sneezing so she had to be taken out of the room.

Makoto entered again. "Ami," she said." why don't you analyze her?"

Ami nodded and took out her computer. She began to shake her head.

"What the hell is going on?!" That was Rei. "I can't take it any more."

"It's like the bubonic plague, malaria and all the horrible diseases all in one. I don't know what to do."

"Just give her the cures for those illnesses," suggested Minako.

Ami shook her head. "That could be dangerous. What if one medicine only makes her worse? For example, quinine is the cure for malaria but it could just make her worse because of the part of this disease that resembles the yellow fever or the bubonic plague."

Suddenly there was a commotion downstairs as it sounded like Mr. Tsukino was trying to throw someone out of his house. Minako and Rei went to investigate. They came back up with Mamoru.

Mamoru immediately knelt by Usagi's side and kissed her forehead gently. He held her in his arms tenderly wiping the perspiration off her head. "What does she have, Ami?"

Usagi had fallen asleep. "I think it's incurable." Ami said sadly.

Looks of loss and pain floated about the room. Mamoru was devastated he began to pace about the room. "No, not Usagi..." he began, but he never finished because he collapsed on the floor.

Ami quickly analyzed him. "He's got it," she whispered. "he's got the illness."

Makoto ran downstairs to tell the Tsukino they had another invalid.

Ami still sat in Usagi's room trying to figure out what had happened.

Mr. Tsukino appeared with Makoto and politely kicked them out of her house, Mamoru took the spare bedroom across the hall.

Then they were farther away from the house Rei grabbed Ami's shoulder. "Ami, what's going on; what's going to happen to them?"

Ami bowed her head. "It's deadly."

They all departed without saying good-bye, without even a word.

In the heavens Jupiter looked down upon them and called the gods to appear before him, Minerva, Apollo, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Diana and Cupid appeared. "It is time to stop this," Jupiter began," I want you seven to appear to the scouts. This a very important mission. The Moon Princess could die if we don't send the scouts to when this started."

Venus raised her hand to speak her blue eyes and blonde hair shining. "Surely mine and Cupid's scout will be the leader of this mission since she is the leader of the inner scouts."

Mars shook his head. "My scout has better leadership qualities, she will lead this time."

Diana looked at Jupiter. "Our scout will be in charge because of her strength… right, Jupiter?"

Jupiter shook his head at them all. "Mercury, Apollo and Minerva's senshi will be in charge this time."

Mars stood up. "Is it because those three are your favorite children? Why does Mercury have two gods and a goddess for her anyway? My senshi deserves more divine intervention than she gets. Mercury isn't strong enough to lead."

Jupiter sent a thunder bolt at Mars quieting him instantly. "Mercury will lead this because of her emotional strength and her knowledge of history. I want you to get the scouts together tomorrow. They will need our training for this mission."

Mercury, Minerva and Apollo smiled at each other from across the room. They met up at the end of the gathering. Mercury spoke first: "I can't wait, this is the chance Sailor Mercury deserves to prove herself totally to the others."

Minerva smiled. "I invested in Sailor Mercury because of her inner strength, her beauty and well, because she's a lot like me." Minerva's green eyes flashed as the three siblings walked together. For once, they were getting along, they usually argued about everything, even the best things about their own Senshi and who is more her owner, Mercury, Minerva or Apollo.

Mercury's brown eyes and hair shined as he thought of Mercury being in charge, even the usually flighty Apollo's blue eyes danced when he heard the news. His sun blonde hair started to glow as his excitement flowed through him.

Mercury created Sailor Mercury the way she was because he knew the scouts would need her. Because he was the god of travelers, thieves and merchants, he knew human nature very well. Minerva was later interested in the senshi because of her wisdom, grace and heroism, all things that Minerva was goddess of. Apollo was interested in Mercury because she wanted to be a doctor, besides he believed she was the most beautiful senshi of all. Being the god of the sun, medicine, prophecy and archery made him powerful and Mercury and Minerva grudgingly accepted his help. Mercury, Minerva and Apollo, all together made them the second most powerful senshi protectors, other than Jupiter and Diana. This made their senshi powerful, but for different reasons.

Mercury put on his winged shoes and floated down to earth, he simply couldn't wait for the dawn of a new day. The sun rose as morning dawned on Juuban.