Shieldsman: Act II
A Sailor Moon S Fanfic

All Sailor Moon characters the property of the people who have rights to
them.  Don't sue me.

***

6 - Ignition

***

In a small hospital in rural England, a child was born.  It was an easy
birth, so much so that no one noticed that the sigil for Mars flared on the
child's head for a moment.  The mother held her child while her husband
looked on.

"What are you going to call him, Mr. Steele?" the doctor asked.

The man looked at the child and smiled. "Ares."

***

Across the world, in the palace of Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity woke
from her slumber and smiled.  "Mamo-chan?"

Her husband stirred, and sleepily smiled at her.  "Yes, Usako, what is it?"

"The red star shines again."

Endymion blinked, then suddenly sat up a little.  "He's back?"

"Yes."

"About time."

***

Sailor Pluto looked at the orb she held in her hand and smiled.  "Welcome
back, Crimson."  She turned and stepped through the time gate.  *Now to set
things in motion.*

In Manchester, a real estate agent capered in glee.  "I sold it!  I finally
sold the unsellable house!"

"Who'd you sell it to?" one of his co-workers asked.

"Some woman named Susanna May," he replied cheerily.  "Just walked in,
slapped down a check, and walked out with the keys."

"Wasn't the woman who sold us the house named Susanna May?"

The agent checked his records.  "Why yes, she was.  What a coincidence."

***

A young child with strawberry blonde hair limped down the street, sniffling
as he tried to fight back tears.  He had a black eye and a bloody lip, and
his clothes were dirty and torn.

"Reez?  What happened to you?"  The child looked up and saw a beautiful
woman with greenish-black hair standing before him.  She walked forward and
kneeled down in front of him.  "Did you get into another fight?"

The child looked up, and broke into tears, running forward to hug the
woman.  "Aunty Suzy!  That bully Cory keeps on picking on us.  I tried to
fight him but he was too big and strong!"  He sniffled for a few moments. 
"Someday, I'm going to be big and strong and no one's ever going to be able
to pick on me and my friends!"

Susanna sighed and picked up the little child.  "You will, Reez, someday
you'll be big and strong and you'll be able to protect the girl you love."

"Girls!  EEEEEWWWWWW!" he protested.  "Girls are icky!"  He looked around,
his protests forgotten in curiosity.  "Where are we going, Aunty?"  

She smiled at the child she was carrying.  "I'm going to patch you up and
take you home, young man.  Then I'm going to talk to your parents."

"Am I in trouble?" Reez asked worriedly.

Susanna laughed.  "No, Reez, you're not in trouble.  You did something very
good today.  You tried to defend others, even though you knew you'd lose."

As Ares ran around in the back yard playing, Susanna talked to his parents.
 "Susanna," his father began, "I don't like him getting into fights as it
is.  Training him in martial arts is only going to make him more violent."

"We don't want our son to become a bully," his wife Ruby added.

Susanna smiled and sipped her tea.  "Sol, do you know why Reez fights?" she
asked him.  "He is trying to protect his friends."

Sol blinked in surprise.  "Really?  That's awfully noble of him."  He
turned to his wife.  "Did you know that, love?"  At her negative response
he frowned.  "Why didn't he tell us?"

"He trusts me, and tells me everything.  You forget what it's like to be a
child," Susanna said softly.  "If he told you, you'd call his teacher, and
he'd be teased by his friends for weeks for telling his parents."  She
smiled indulgently.  "Your boy is a very good person.  It would be a shame
to see him become frustrated in his goals."

A few moments later, Susanna was standing in her home, holding a strange
rod in her hands.  "Pluto Planet Power, MAKE UP!"  *Time to make a visit to
Serenity.*

Sailor Pluto disappeared from her home.

***

Neo-Queen Serenity fought the urge to fidget as Court wound to a close. 
*You'd think after almost five hundred years I'd get used to the boredom,*
she mentally complained.  She locked eyes with Lady Rei and rolled her
eyes.  She fought the urge to giggle as she noticed Rei's mouth twitch. 
*One of these days she's going to lose it in Court, and I'm going to
declare a holiday to celebrate.*

Serenity's mind snapped back to the matter at hand as she noticed Sailor
Pluto enter her hall.  The normal murmer of the Court was hushed as the
oldest being alive walked up to the throne and nodded her respect. 
Serenity shot another look to her Chamberlain, and waited for her to clear
the hall.  Soon, there was only Serenity, Lady Rei, Lady Makoto, and Sailor
Pluto in the room.

"I must request you and I speak alone," Pluto finally said.  Something in
her voice told Serenity that this was not a matter to be argued.  She
nodded to her two old friends, and they left the room.

A second after the door closed, Serenity smiled at the elder woman, "This
is about Crimson, is it not?"

Sailor Pluto started a little in surprise, and then smiled ruefully.  "I
keep on remembering the girl I knew, and forgetting she has grown into a
queen.  Yes, it is about Crimson."

"I felt his birth," Serenity said softly.  "The Ginzuishou sang."

Pluto nodded in agreement.  "It It will sing even louder for Small Lady. 
But I have a request for you."  She paused, and finally spoke.  "I would
like you to strip Crimson's powers from him."

"Why?" Serenity asked simply.  She knew the answer, she was considering it
herself.

"The events of five hundred years ago must not repeat themselves,"  Pluto
said simply.  "When Queen Serenity created the Shieldsmen, she was not
thinking clearly.  She was much like you were in your childhood, prone to
impulsive actions that were poorly thought out.  The idea of partners for
the Senshi was a sound one in and of itself, but she let the power she
granted them run wild."

Neo-Queen Serenity nodded in sudden understanding.  "So the final results
were living bombs."  She frowned in thought, and after many long moments
finally shook her head.  "No."

Pluto's face darkened in uncharacteristic anger.  "You would doom them to a
repeat of their past?"

"If the powers can be granted, and they can be taken away, why can't they
be changed?"  Serenity asked.  "You are helping his parents raise him,
correct?"  Pluto nodded.  "Would he welcome an eternal life where he cannot
protect his loved ones?"

As she thought of the boy she left behind, Pluto could not help but laugh
softly.  "No, he wouldn't."  She sighed in aquiescence.  "Please be
careful, Serenity.  What you are planning is not a small thing."

"Nothing worthwhile is."

***

"Aunt Susanna!  I won first prize!" As she hugged Ares in congratulations,
she could not help but be struck at how he was growing into a mirror image
of his past life in appearance, if not in attitude.  She once again
lamented the twist of fate that caused the death of Ares' parents, and how
it had affected the life before her.  It was a bitter reminder that even
the great Sailor Pluto didn't know everything.

*Lives,* she mentally corrected as another young man ran up behind Ares,
his younger brother Apollo.  *Sol really was stuck on gods,* she thought
with amusement.  "Congratulations, Reez.  How did Pol do?"

Apollo was another surprise to Susanna.  A child she never expected, he was
wild and an uncontrollable.  If it wasn't for his unbelievable charm, his
smart mouth and lack of respect for anyone or anything would have gotten
him into even more trouble.  The young man had black hair and a dark beige
complexion, and his eyes alwyas seemed to be bright with a smile.  He was
substantially shorter than his brother, but made up for the lack of height
in slightly more bulk, most of it muscle.

"He got first in the senior Kendo ranking," Ares said proudly, "and second
in the freestyle."  He smiled lightly.  "Can't beat his big brother yet." 
He laughed and dodged as the younger boy mock-scowled and made a playful
swipe with his bokken.  "Missed me, sword-boy!"

"Stand still, you shield-toting freak!" Susanna watched the young men run
around the yard, she couldn't help but smile at seeing the side of Ares she
rarely saw anymore.  After his parent's deaths, his personality had been
alloyed with a sadder, darker one.  He had grown up much sooner than he
ever should have.

"Boys, get inside, I have dinner waiting."  She gave them a stern look as
they made to protest, and defeated, the two teens trudged into the house. 
*Ares is what...18?  19?*  She felt a little edgy in anticipation.  *He
will not only be remembering one life, but two.  I hope he can take it.*

Susanna sighed as she considered again what she was about to do.  
Awakening a young man to a past he only had the most vague hints of. 
Uprooting him and his brother from a home they had known for their entire
lives.  *I'd have to fight Ares to make him stay, and Apollo will cause
trouble whether I bring him along or not,* she mused. 

***

Ares woke up from his sleep, and stumbled his way down to the kitchen. 
"Who IS she?" he whispered.  He poured himself a milk and pulled out a
sketchpad, and began idly doodling the face he had seen in his dreams at
the kitchen table.

"Reez?"  He looked up and saw his Aunt standing in the doorway to the
kitchen, looking as beautiful as ever.  "Is everything all right?"  She
walked over and sat down beside him.  "The same nightmare?"

The young man shuddered as the images from his dream came rushing back to
him.  A woman, whose beauty sent such longing into his heart.  Crying over
her dead body, and then seeing her crying over him as he died.  He felt the
tears come to his eyes, and tried to wipe them away.  "I don't know who she
is, Aunt Susanna.  But when I think of her, all I know is that I need her
more than life itself.  And...I know she's hurting.  I can feel it, and it
hurts..." he trailed off as his Aunt pulled him into a gentle hug and
rocked him.

"It's OK, Ares," she whispered to him as he cried into her shoulder. 
"You'll find her, I promise."  She held him for a very long time, until his
tears ran themselves out.  She half-carried, half-led Ares up to his room,
and put him to sleep.  "I promise."

She closed the door behind her, and turned to see Apollo behind her.  "Is
he OK?" he asked.  She nodded, and he sighed in relief.  He held up a
sketchpad.  The one Ares had been drawing on.  "Aunt Susanna, why is Ares
dreaming about Sailor Mars?"

Susanna took the pad and looked at the drawing inside.  On it, sketched in
breathtaking detail, was a beautiful young woman with dark hair, wearing a
sailor fuku.  She looked in Apollo's eye's and saw that he wasn't going to
let it go.  She opened Ares' door and touched his forehead with her own,
and then turned to Apollo.  "I will explain."

***

"Hold it!" Apollo said, holding up his hand.  He stood up from his chair
and began walking around the kitchen.  "What you're telling me is that my
brother, Ares, is a reincarnation of a dead superhero from the twentieth
century called Crimson.  Not only that, the reason he's dreaming about
Sailor Mars is because she's his 'one true love'."  He gave her a look of
disbelief.  "You've GOT to be kidding me."

"Show him."  Apollo looked up, while Suzanna whirled to see Ares standing
behind, his face neutral and his voice carefully controlled.  "Show him,
Aunt Suzanna.  Or should I say Oniichan?  Setsuna Meiou? How about Sailor
Pluto?"  Apollo turned pale and looked at the woman who raised him in
horror, then turned that same gaze upon the man he thought was his brother.

"You remember it all?" she asked him.

"Being Crimson?  Or being Kaneda Akasei?  I remember them both, and I
remember how they loved, how _I_ love Rei."  He smirked slightly. 
"Remembering puberty three times in a row kind of sucks, though."  He
indicated Apollo.  "Show him."

"Turn around, both of you," she ordered, pulling out her transformation
rod.

Ares rolled his eyes.  "Aunt Susanna, do I need to remind you how many
times I've seen this?"

"Who do you think of me as first?  Sailor Pluto, Setsuna Meiou, or
Suzanna?"

"Suzanna," Ares responded, frowning, and then he nodded in understanding. 
"And in your eyes, I'm still Ares."  He sighed and turned around, facing
away from her.

"You too," she said to Apollo, who numbly turned around.

"Pluto Planet Power, MAKE UP!"  After the swirling lights faded, the two
yound men turned to see Sailor Pluto standing in front of them.  "Gather
your things," she commanded, "we're leaving for Crystal Tokyo."

"One second," Ares said.  "I assume you have my bracers?"  Pluto hesitated,
then pulled his bracers out of hyperspace.  "Thank you," he said, soberly,
and then grinned.  "I'm going to meet the girl of my dreams, I've got to
make an entrance," he gleefully chortled, running off to his room.

*Maybe this did him some good,* Pluto mused.  She turned to Apollo, who was
looking at her in shock and fear.

"A-a-aunt Suzanna?" he asked tentatively.  "Y-you're S-sailor Pluto?" 
Pluto smiled at him and nodded, and Apollo relaxed. *I know that smile. 
Whatever she may be, she's still my Aunt.*  That thought comforted him
greatly, and he felt a mixture of hope and worry as he formulated his next
question.  "Am I a reincarnation too?"

"No, Apollo," she said kindly.  "You are Apollo Steele.  What else you
become is up to you."  She reached out and patted his shoulder, wincing
inwardly as he flinched.  "Go, get what you think you'll need."  Sailor
Pluto's thought's whirled as she watched the young man walk off.  *This may
be tougher on him than it was on Ares.*

***

"The Court of Neo-Queen Serenity is now clos-"  Lady Rei was cut off as
Sailor Pluto made her entrance into the hall, leaving silence in her wake
as she walked.  *How does she DO that?* she wondered, and her eyes narrowed
as she noticed the two masked men accompanying her.

Serenity snapped awake and resisted the urge to giggle in anticipation. 
She looked over at her husband and winked, and noticed him brighten as
well.  Sailor Pluto had picked an excellent time to bring Crimson back, all
of the active Senshi were present in court today.  The mischievous
schoolgirl in her was gleefully anticipating their surprise.  *This must be
how Pluto feels at times.*  "Welcome, Sailor Pluto."

Sailor Pluto nodded her deference to the crowns, and the taller of her two
companions stepped forward.  He wore dark grey clothing, and a maroon cloak
with a hood that covered his head.  The mask on his face was featureless
and black.  Serenity could see his eyes twinkled with amusement.  He bowed
deeply to the King and Queen.  "My apologies for the interruption, your
Majesties," he said grandly, his speech revealing a slight English accent. 
"But I have some business with Lady Rei."

Rei looked startled, and fought to keep her composure.  "What is your
business?" she asked, and the man came before her and dropped to one knee.

"I believe you have something of mine, my lady." He said, looking into the
floor.

"And what is that?" Rei asked sarcastically.

The man lifted his fist and drove it at the floor.  "CRIMSON RADIANCE!" 
Brilliant red light exploded from the impact of his fist, and washed over
his body, banishing his clothes, and forming into a familiar breastplate,
boots, pants, headband, and shield.

Crimson stood before a shocked Rei, a slight smile on his face.  "I believe
you have my heart," he answered her.  

"K-kaneda?" she asked softly, walking forward and tentatively touching his
face.  She looked him over, seeing much that she had known before, and much
that was new.  *It can't be him,* a part of her insisted, *not after so
long.*  She was about to turn away when she looked into his eyes, and saw
in them the man she loved.  The man who died to save her life, five hundred
years ago.

"It's Ares now.  Hello, love.  This time, I'm never leaving aga-" he was
cut off as Rei flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep,
soulful kiss.

The other man pulled of his mask and cloak and began to laugh, and they
noticed he had a sword at his side.   "Damn, and here I was hoping she'd
deck him."  The other occupants of the throne room looked at the laughing
young man in curiosity and shock, and in one particular case, disapproval.

"Apollo," Sailor Pluto scolded, "this is serious."

"Of COURSE it is, Aunt Susanna.  My brother's a superhero that's been dead
for five hundred years, the woman who raised me is Sailor Pluto, and my
aforementioned brother is busy NECKING with Sailor Mars in the throne room
of King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity!"  He paused, and made a quick bow
in there direction.  "Your Majesties."  He turned back to Pluto.  "I may
never take anything seriously again!"

"He's coping well," Haruka mentioned offhandedly to Michiru.  The two stood
off to the side, behind the thrones.

"Do you blame him?" she returned.

Three other Senshi were having a different conversation.  "Cute," Minako
said softly.

"Young," Ami said with a bit of disappointment.

"Healthy," Makoto added, and then flushed slightly as the other two gave
her mildly scandalous looks.  "What?"

Oblivious to the running commentary, Apollo turned and knelt before
Serenity.  "Your Majesty, since it appears my brother is going to be
staying for a while," he glanced over at the kissing pair and snickered. 
"Make that a very LONG while, I'd like to offer myself in your service.  I
may not be much in comparison to the mighty Sailor Senshi, but what I have
is yours."

"Accepted," Serenity said simply, and smiled slightly as Pluto gave her a
look of infinite thanks.  She stood and walked over to where Rei and
Crimson were standing.  "Oh dear," she sighed, "I might as well do it now."
 With that, she summoned the Ginzuishou and concentrated, and soft silver
light illuminated Crimson.

Like a wave, silver light flowed from his feet up to his head, whiting out
his figure.  As it receded back down, Crimson's uniform was altered in the
wake.  His headband was suddenly lengthened, and two long tails ran down
his back from the knot.  His shoulders gained silver guards.  Next, his
breastplate became etched with silver, and unseen by the audience, the
front was embossed with a silver circle surrounding a silver symbol for
Mars, as more plates appeared at his elbows.  The shimmering glow moved
down his legs, leaving behind kneeguards and boots of the same silvery
metal.

"Nice duds, bro," Apollo mentioned offhandedly.  As he said it, Rei and
Crimson broke their kissing, and stepped apart, blushing furiously. 
Crimson looked down at his new uniform, a look of confusion on his face as
he looked askance at Serenity.  She smiled widely and conjured up a mirror
for him to look in.

As he looked himself up and down, a slow smile spread across his face. 
"Nice," he said approvingly.  "Very nice."  He looked over at Serenity and
his eyebrow arched in amusement.  "'Crimson Brilliance'?" he asked
incredulously, and then his face dropped in horror.  "My power, it's gone! 
What have you DONE?" he demanded, aghast.

"I didn't like that power," Serenity told him, "so I fixed an error that my
predecessor made a very long time ago."  She smiled enigmatically.  "You'll
find you've been compensated in...other ways."   She laughed brightly, and
Crimson could see the girl he had known so long ago in the queen who stood
before him.  "Welcome back, Crimson, we've missed you," she said, hugging
him fondly.

"Some of you more than others," Apollo added dryly, and grinned as Rei
blushed and Crimson favored him with a deadly glare.  "What did I say?" he
innocently asked.

*************
Notes:

OK, the names are cheesy, but I like them.  They fit.

--
Christopher Angel
cja124@mail.usask.ca      http://www.engr.usask.ca/~cja124
"You can't be a hero hiding underneath your bed."
                                              -from I Am A Pioneer