A Visitor from the Past, Part 5
by Ice-Wizard@gmx.at
PG

A few explanations:
                
"        "		Something is said
'        '		Something is thought
CAPITAL LETTERS		Sailor Pluto talks or someone yells
			(You'll know the difference)


First of all I'd like to inform you that this text was not proofread.
I hope that there are not many logical mistakes.

One other thing: The sad fact that I have a private live besides 
writing Fanfics is to blame that this part is even shorter than the
others. 


I rematerialized in the Mizuno's guest room. I still had to keep up the 
spells that protected Ami so I had to sit down to recover. After a 
minute I got up and headed for Ami's room. I was greeted by a pleasant 
surprise. Ami was sitting in her bed, eating. Dr. Mizuno sat next to 
her, carefully watching her daughter. Ami still looked very tired. I 
just stood there for a while and watched them. Ami finished her meal 
and when her mother left with the empty plate she saw me. "She is very 
weak. Don't say anything to her that might worry her." I nodded and 
entered.

Ami didn't notice me first. She stared at the opposite wall as if she 
was seeing something there. Suddenly she blinked and stared at me. 
"Mentus? Is that really you?" I came closer and took her hand. Ami 
shivered a bit and I tried to withdraw my hand, afraid I might have 
hurt her. But before I could do that she gripped my arm with a strength 
I hadn't expected. "You did it. You escaped the dark kingdom."

I sat down. "I couldn't have done it without your help. I just hope 
that some day you can forgive me what I have done." Ami didn't answer 
that. She just leaned forward and kissed me. That was about the last 
thing I had expected. I just sat there and enjoyed the feeling of her 
lips on mine and hoped this would never end. The kiss didn't last very 
long but it seemed like an eternity to me. I just sat there, mouth 
open, staring at Ami. She grinned and gently closed my mouth. "It's 
impolite to stare, you know?" That helped me to relax a bit. I took a 
deep breath to tell Ami what I have never before dared to say.

"I love you."

Finally. It was out, no way of taking it back. Not that I wanted to. "I 
should have done this a long time ago." Damn, I said that loud. 

Ami hugged me. "Yes, you should have. You know what they say? 
Better late then never."

I laughed at that. "You're right, as always." We just stayed that way a 
while, just holding each other. When Ami could barely hold back a yawn 
I carefully freed myself. "You should rest for a while. If you need 
something just call. I'm living here now, for some time at least." I 
didn't know if Ami had understood me because when I got up she was 
already asleep. I placed a soft kiss on her cheek and left.

I noticed that Dr. Mizuno was standing next to the door. I didn't know 
how much she had heard. "Are you serious about what you said to my 
daughter?" I guess that answered my question.

"I love her."

"My husband had said the same thing to me too."

I knew what she tried to tell me. "I can promise you one thing: I will 
never leave Ami just to wander around in the world to collect magical 
spells or so. I'm sorry about what Ami's father did to you. I cannot 
change that. But I won't repeat it."

Her face softened a bit at that. "You have to understand me. I am very 
happy that Ami found someone she loves and who feels the same way for 
her. But she is the only one that is left of my family. I will not 
forgive you, should you make her feel bad."

"If I did something like that you would have to step back in line, 
right after Makoto and Rei."

The doorbell interrupted us. It were the girls and Mamoru. They had 
come to see Ami. Makoto had baked a cake, Minako brought a Radio. Rei 
had some Charms she had created in the temple. Even without my aura 
vision I could feel the immense power that was imbedded in them. In 
every one of the small scrolls lay more Mana than in all of my combined 
spells. Usagi had some Manga with her. I noticed that some of them had 
came out the same day and she probably hadn't read them herself. Dr. 
Mizuno led them to Ami's room. I stayed behind, they probably wanted to 
be alone for some time. I headed for the kitchen to get something to 
drink.

				*	*	*

I took a glass of orange juice and prepared some others for our guests. 
I also prepared some little snacks. I felt a presence behind me and 
thought that Dr. Mizuno had returned. It was Rei. I offered her 
something to drink but she declined politely. "Mentus, I want to thank 
you for what you did for Ami."

"You thank me for almost killing her?"

"No, off course not. And you know that. The spells you used must be 
using all your life-force. I doubt that you will survive that for a 
long time. That is why I brought the charms. They are powered by the 
sacred flame. It's power is eternal and can replace your energy. I 
placed them, so you can close the link now."

I nodded. "I wouldn't have died, but I appreciate your concern." Slowly 
I took away my energy and let Rei replace it. The spells became 
stronger that way. "Ami asked for you. Come with me." Rei's behaviour 
was strange. She was so cold and controlled. Not like the temperful 
priestess I learned to know and respect. 

'YOU ARE RIGHT. SHE HAS CHANGED.'

'Pluto, it has been some time.'

'THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOUR SUCCESS IN PROTECTING THE ROYAL COUPLE 
SHOWED ME THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF ANOTHER URGENT TASK. THE SENSHI OF 
FIRE, SAILOR MARS, IS STARTING TO WITHDRAW HERSELF FROM THE GROUP. THE 
LOVE SHE FEELS FOR MAMORU CHIBA IS FAR STRONGER THEN IT IS SUPPOSED TO 
BE. SHE SAYS THAT SHE ACCEPTS THE ETERNAL LOVE THE PRINCE AND THE 
PRINCESS SHARE, BUT THAT IS A LIE. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE SHE DOES 
NOTHING FOOLISH.'

'I am a mere Wizard, I cannot change a persons feelings for someone.'

'I KNOW. BUT, AS YOU SAID, YOU ARE A WIZARD. THAT MAKES YOU THE ONLY 
ONE WHO CAN HELP.'

'I don't understand.'

'THE DANGER IS NOT REI'S LOVE. BUT HER JEALOSY WILL MAKE THE DEMON THAT 
SLEEPS WITHIN HER MORE AND MORE POWERFUL. RIGHT NOW WE CANNOT TAKE CARE 
OF ANOTHER SENSHI WAR.'

'Your point is?'

'MY POINT? YOU HAVE TO TRAIN HER. MAKE HER A WITCH. THE WISDOM OF THE 
WICCA WILL HELP HER TO EASE HER MIND AND TO BURY HER FEELINGS DEEP 
WITHIN HER.'

'She won't like that a lot, you know.'

'THE MAIN GOAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FEELINGS OF AN INDIVIDUAL.' 
With that the contact ended.

				*	*	*

I had taken the snacks and followed Rei to Ami's room. Knowing Usagi's 
appetite I had made an extra portion just for her. But even that was 
barely enough. With Dr. Mizuno around they couldn't really talk about 
what happened. They pretended to be surprised when they heard about the 
attack. When Ami's head sank down to the pillow her mother pushed us 
out. She stayed inside, readjusting the blanket and cleaning up the 
mess we made. Minako was about to plug out the radio when a message 
came in. I couldn't understand a lot but it was about two strange 
creatures who drained children at a kindergarten.

The senshi transformed while I looked after Dr. Mizuno. She was still 
with Ami and couldn't see anything. "Ami's friends are going now. I'll 
go too, ok? You need something?" She just shook her head so I left. The 
others were already out of the house and started jumping from roof to 
roof. The only way of keeping up with them was to levitate. I HATE THAT 
SPELL!!! It's one thing to just teleport from one place to another. It 
took about a second of concentration and a minimal amount of Mana to do 
it. Levitation was the opposite. It needed Mana to keep it up for a 
long time and a lot of concentration.

				*	*	*

The kindergarten was just 6 blocks away so we arrived there soon. I 
felt powerful magic being cast and heard a voice from above. "Anne, 
chose a Cardian." The sound of a flute followed and a strange, 
snakelike creature appeared. It had a human body but the head and tail 
of a cobra. 

"How dare you attack innocent children? I won't allow that." The 
Cardian wasn't very impressed by Sailor Moons speech and jumped at her 
before she could finish. She was able to dodge but the monster was 
about to strike again.

"STOP IT!" I yelled at them. That gave me their attention. 'Ok, let's 
make this short and painless.'

Ail and Anne floated down and watched me curiously. Ail came closer. 
"I know you."

I nodded. "Yes, we met before."

				*	*	*

A Memory of the Silver Millennium

The Wizards-in-training and our Master, Kunzite, were on a study trip 
to see the most powerful Manatree this universe had ever seen. I was 
rather curious about it. To become a Mage, that was the next level 
after being a Wizard, one had to create a Mana Tree that would draw 
energy from its surrounding. He was also a focus point to cast spells 
of summoning. A Wizard could teleport himself to a place he was 
familiar with. A Mage could also summon objects that he had bond to his 
will. During the flight, Kunzite told us about the Tree. I didn't 
listen to him. Now, I wish I would have paid more attention. Finally, 
we landed. Each of us got an artefact that would enable us to breath in 
this different atmosphere. Two elf-like creatures greeted us and showed 
us around.

I was distracted by a strange sound. It was the sound of a flute being 
played. A little boy, he seemed to be about 2 years old, was the one 
who played the music for a slightly older girl. I had learned that these 
creatures had immense lifespans. In earth years they were about 200 
years old. It would take them thousands years to be at the level of an 
10 year old. Their process of aging wasn't different, it just took very 
long. I turned around to leave but the others were nowhere to be seen. 
I heard a scream. Turning around I noticed an older one of the aliens 
who grabbed the little girl and tried to kill her. Rare power flowed 
through the very air and so I was able to cast a fireball. I threw it 
at the attacker and he had to drop the girl to avoid being hit. He 
hissed at me and ran away. I looked after the girl but she was ok. The 
boy looked at me. Never before have I seen eyes like his. They were so 
full of love for his companion, but there was fear too. "Thank you, 
strange man." He whispered. "How can I thank you?"

"I arrived with others like me. Do you know where they went?"

The boy nodded and without another word he led me to the rest of the 
group. I wanted to know his name and he told me: Ail. And the girl was 
called Anne.

				*	*	*

Ail looked at me amazed. "How is it possible that you could survive 
such a long time? Anne and I are thousands of years old. Your race only 
lives for about 100 years, if you are lucky. You are a Wizard, the 
knowledge of certain spells could have enable you to become about 600 
or even 700, but that is all. The Silver crystal couldn't grant you 
that immortality, it was destroyed."

I smiled at them. "I was sent here through the gate of time by Queen 
Serenity."

Anne shrugged at that. "But I thought the keeper of time was..."

'Don't say her name. She must not be revealed now.' Ail and Anne must 
have received my telepathic message. Anne just blinked one time before 
she continued.

"...killed a long time ago."

"Ahem, excuse me?" Sailor Moon interrupted our conversation. "Are we 
going to fight or just chat a bit?" I had almost forgotten the senshi. 
They just stood there, not believing that I knew some of their enemies.

This was a delicate situation. Both parts didn't trust each other and 
yet they had to if my plan should succeed. We needed every help we 
could get. Ami was out for the next weeks, Rei was depressed because of 
Mamoru, and Usagi didn't care a lot about fighting exercise as long as 
she had her prince nearby. On the other hand, we had Makoto's immense 
strength and firepower and Minako's combat experience and dexterity. 
Plus, Rei became more and more experienced in the meditation techniques 
I taught her. Soon enough she would be able to tap the Mana of her soul 
and her surrounding to cast more powerful spells than I could ever 
dream of.

But that was something I could take care of later. I tried a direct 
approach. "Ail, Anne; Why do you attack these humans? They haven't done 
anything to you."

Anne thought about that for a while. "There is no reason why I 
shouldn't tell you. Our tree supports us with power. We feed him with 
human energy."

I couldn't believe it. That was the most stupid thing I ever heard. 
Summoning a Cardian and keeping him under control was a very difficult 
ritual that used up far more energy than the monster could ever drain. 
It was as if you used a chainsaw to cut paper. A waste of time and 
energy. I told them about it; off course by using different 
explanations. Another rule of Magic: 'One who deals with gods and 
demons should always be polite and careful. One wrong word in the wrong 
situation to the wrong person has killed more Wizards than all spells 
of destruction together.' This rule also included immortal aliens.

Ail took Anne's hand and I felt a telepathic message. I couldn't 
understand it. "We will leave now. If you were telling the truth we 
will gladly accept your offer. If you were lying we will destroy you." 

I nodded. "Understood. There is no reason for me to fear death, I 
didn't lie to you."

With a gesture the two were gone. I concentrated and tried to find out 
where they teleported but I failed. They had changed their pattern 
several times.

			*	*	*

The senshi didn't want to make a scene at the kindergarten so we 
returned to the Hikawa Shrine. After transforming back I explained to 
them how I met the two and that they were no enemies. They just tried 
to survive. Makoto still didn't believe me and Minako was suspicious 
too. It was quite a surprise for me that it was Rei who helped me. 
"They didn't really hurt anyone, unlike the Dark Kingdom. They also 
drained far less energy from their victims. A lot of them didn't even 
notice it."

Luna nodded at that. "Right. If there is a possibility of a peaceful 
solution we should try it. The Senshi are not only the Warriors but 
also the princesses of their planets. That titles bring diplomatic 
responsibilities that you all will have to accept sooner or later. And, 
if you ask me, the sooner you learn that the better for all of us." 
Luna shook her head. "Now where did THAT memory come from?"

I had to grin at that. My theory had been correct; just by giving them 
little imaginations of the past such as my story I slowly reactivated 
their own knowledge of the Silver Millennium.

			*	*	*

The girls left the temple after a while but I stayed with Rei. We went 
to the sacred flame and meditated there for a while. After about an 
hour Rei opened her eyes. "I am ready."

Without moving or looking up I answered. "Prove it."

She nodded. Her eyes glowed red. Then her whole face was covered with 
flames. They spread over her robe and soon nothing of her could be 
seen anymore. There was only fire. It was magical fire, so it had no 
real heat, but to one who could sense such things the amount of power 
set free was unbelievable.

I followed her example. It took me more time and the effect was very 
different. My primary element was water. It was the element of 
illusion, the element of healing. My eyes glowed with a soft shade of 
blue. My whole body became transparent and soon only a large, floating 
globe of water remained of me.

I didn't look at the sacred flame. I would have needed eyes to do that. 
I just focused my attention on it. The fire had changed. In it's place 
was a portal. Not the gate of time but quite like it. While Pluto's 
gate was covered with symbols of the moon kingdom this one was covered 
with symbols of the art. Strange runes warned everybody who would dare 
to enter this realm. I sent a message to the fireball that floated next 
to me. 'Rei. Whatever you do, don't touch anything unless I tell you. 
Do whatever I do, no matter how strange it looks.'

'Yes. I understand.' She followed me through the portal and it closes 
as soon as we passed it. I sensed some fear and tried to calm Rei down.

'We are going to leave through a different portal.' It was a labyrinth. 
A huge labyrinth of light and darkness. It could only be crossed in a 
special pattern and learning that pattern would be part of the 
training. We had left the physical world and now saw the universe like 
it really was. Not the illusions that protected the human mind. What we 
saw now was but the entrance to a new world. It had not been a long 
time ago when I had made the same experience with Kunzite, my Master. I 
didn't think of myself as Rei's Master. She was far more powerful than 
I could ever be. I was just her guide. Her teacher if she would accept 
me.

I felt Reis presence behind me. 'Is this heaven or hell?' 

I would have laughed at that were I still in my body. 'No. Yes.'

'What do you mean by that?'

I stopped. 'It is neither heaven nor hell. Yet, it is both and nothing 
at all.'

'I don't understand.'

I guided her mind to a little globe of pure light. 'Tell me, Rei, is 
this of heaven or hell?'

She watched it. 'It is pure and good. It must be a part of heaven.'

Foolish one. 'Touch it.' She did as I told her and suddenly the light 
changed. Black slime covered Reis astral body and it looked like it 
would kill her any second. But it didn't do that. The liquid returned 
to the globe and the light floated away.

'Now, my pupil. Was that heaven or hell?'

Reis mind was full of fear and disgust. 'It was hell. I shouldn't have 
been fooled by it's appearance.

'Wrong. It was, indeed a piece of what you would call heaven.'

'But it was evil. It attacked me.'

'Did it? I don't see any wounds or scars on you.' I noticed her 
surprise. 'You greeted it by a touch. It returned the greeting by 
embracing you.'

I gave Rei some time so that my words could sink in. She followed me in 
the labyrinth. I increased our speed. Another presence was nearby.

METALLIA.

I could feel the darkness. She was close. Rei wasn't ready to see the 
true face of the senshi's enemy. She couldn't fight what she would see. 

We met many strange creatures. Some looked like angels, others like 
demons. Some had the appearance of normal humans and others glowed with 
an inner light that made them appear like gods. 'Rei, take care when 
you deal with them. Ignore these you can see and fear these you cannot 
see.'

Her mind was too busy with all the impressions that surrounded her. 
There was a voice. 'Mentus, Wizard-in-training. You found a student of 
the art. Will you accept your responsibility for her actions? Will you 
pay the price for her failures?'

'Yes, to all questions.' Suddenly we were in our own bodies. We stood 
in front of the same small light that had embraced Rei earlier. 

Rei was in her Senshi form while I was clad in my grey robe. The globe 
was there too. It hadn't changed. 'Mentus, Wizard-in-training. Do you 
accept Rei Hino, Senshi of Mars, as your pupil? Will you teach her 
whatever you know? Will you keep no secret from her? Will you answer 
all her questions?'

'Yes to all you asked'

The light turned to Rei. 'Rei Hino, Senshi of Mars, will you accept 
Mentus, Wizard-in-training as your teacher, your guide and your 
mentor?'

'Yes.'

The voice continued. 'Will you accept all lessons he gives to you 
without questioning his decisions? Will you believe whatever he tells 
you, no matter how strange? Will you do whatever he tells you to do?'

I held my breath. This was a delicate situation. It would prove if Rei 
was really ready. She thought about the question and answered after 
some minutes. 'No, I would never do that. I am sorry, but if that is 
the price I don't want any magic.' She turned around and was about to 
leave.

The light became brighter and she couldn't move. 'Rei Hino, Senshi of 
Mars. You have proven yourself worthy. Now, you are the official pupil 
of Mentus. You didn't want to give up your freedom. That's the way of a 
Wizard like Mentus... and the way of a Witch-aspirant, like yourself. I 
could feel raw energy float through the sphere as a bond was created 
between us. My robe changed. The grey colour became darker and darker 
until it was completely black. I kneeled down.

'Mentus. Your time of training is over now. You are accepted in the 
order of Wizards with all privileges and duties. Treat your pupil like 
your master did to you before darkness covered his mind. Stand up, 
Wizard.'

Rei was covered in a robe like mine but hers was white. She kneeled 
down next to me.

'Rei Hino. Your first steps in the arts lie before you. The future will 
show if you will be able to be accepted in the order of the Wicca. 
Stand up, Witch-aspirant.'

We did as we were told. 'Go now and return here after one year. Both of 
you will be judged then.'

With a flash of light we were gone, back to the shrine, still in our 
robes. I looked down at myself. The black Robe of a Wizard. How long 
have I waited for this day. I looked at Rei and saw that some of the 
fire had returned to her eyes. 'Rei Hino' I used the bond between us 
to communicate with her. 'Let's begin our first exercise. Focusing the 
Mana of our surrounding.' I started the lecture and Rei listened. She 
was a very good student, that knew to ask the right questions at the 
right time. But this is another story....


To be continued...



Whoever read this: The descriptions of the 'other world' are a mix of 
whatever I heard/read about Magic. If there is something you absolutely 
don't understand, tell me. 

I grow tired of writing this but I will do it again. Mail me if you 
like my story, mail me if you don't like it, bla bla bla. ok?