--Motherhood--
Chapter 7: Victory
By: Tisha


	"How do we know which room they'll be in?" Sailor Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter stood in 
the building where their children as well and Usagi and Mamoru were being held. There were at least 
fifteen doors, all locked. And they guessed that the other twenty stories held just as many doors.

	"Well we need keys to get in them." Mercury scanned one of the doors. "I can tell this way if 
it's occupied. This one is not. But this can take a long time. What if they have them all in separate 
rooms?"

	"You won't have to worry about that." They all turned the voice behind them. "You annoying 
senshi." He sighed as he stepped closer. "You can call me Aku. A convenient little nickname I made for 
myself. I'm guessing you are here to 'free' your friends and/or children but I'm sorry to tell you that 
won't be happening today."

	"You're going to give me back my daughter or you're going to regret it." Jupiter stepped ahead 
of the others.

	Aku laughed at her. He pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a small silver rod. 
Pointing it at her it emitted a red light that Jupiter dodged. Pointing it again he shot four different rays. 
Most were dodged but Mars was hit by one of them. She cursed as it brushed her arm, causing the 
new wound to bleed.

	Mercury ran to her to check the wound. She ripped a piece of cloth from her own skirt and tied 
it around the cut. Mars thanked her as she used her Flame Sniper, which Aku easily dodged. He 
zapped a few more lasers; this time they all dodged every one.

	Aku laughed. "You know you can't dodge forever. I can easily shoot so many of these things 
that you won't have the slightest chance to live. But I enjoy playing with you."

	As Jupiter and Venus fired attacks at Aku, Mercury tried to scan the building. She heard an odd 
noise and looked around. There was a corridor behind her to the left so she discreetly backed up and 
looked down it. Standing right there were all five of their kidnapped friends and children. Mercury 
nodded toward them and tugged on Mars' skirt. Mars looked at her a little aggravated. "What?"

	"They're in the corridor. Give me the brooch." She motioned with her head toward the 
corridor. Mars followed her sight and then handed her Sailor Moon's brooch, which had been in the 
returned luggage from California.

	Mars fired an attack as a distraction as Mercury backed up and tossed the brooch to Usagi, 
who caught it. She nodded toward Mamoru and quietly transformed. Meanwhile Aku was firing more 
random shots. One of them burned into Venus's leg. She yelled in pain as several of the others came 
to check it out. She was unable to put her weight on that leg so she had to lean against a wall to 
support herself.

	Sailor Moon took this as her cue to reveal herself. She came out from her hiding place and 
proceeded to say her usual introduction. Sailor Venus and Jupiter were surprised to see her, but not as 
much as Aku. "What the- how did you get out?"

	Sailor Moon took his confusion as her cue, yelling out "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss." The 
attack hit him directly, sending him against a wall. He got up, cursing constantly.

	Mars and Mercury teamed up on him, knocking him against the wall again. He had definitely 
lost his dodging concentration as he still tried to understand how his prisoners had escaped. 

	Mercury lifted her visor and looked at Sailor Moon. "I think he's pretty weak now. Try your 
attack again."

	Sailor Moon tried again, and this time Aku lay unmoving.

	The senshi sighed with relief. Moon, Jupiter and Venus were the first to round the corner and 
pick up their kids. They made their way out of the building, happy to have their missing loved ones 
back. As they were exiting, Pluto reappeared. "The future is as it should be." She looked to Kado, who 
had waited outside during the fight. "You need to be getting back." He smiled at Sailor Mercury and 
returned with Sailor Pluto to the future.

	Takara, Naomi, and Chibi-Usa were talking excitedly as they had just discovered that their 
mothers were the Sailor Senshi they admired so much from their favorite show. Minako realized she'd 
have to make sure Takara didn't go to school claiming that her mother was Sailor Venus. The five 
senshi hugged their goodbyes, heading to their homes and families. Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa 
headed to Ikuko's house to assure her they were fine. Usagi had decided in the prison that she 
wanted to tell her mother about her identity. She was planning to tell the entire truth about the 
disappearances.


To be continued....