Disclaimer:I own neither the characters of Kannazuki no Miko, nor the ones from Sailor Moon. I make no profit with this story (and I couldn’t, even if I wanted to), it’s just a bit of fun.

A/N: The story’s title was inspired in Jennifer Hanson’s “All Those Yesterdays”, because I feel it fits perfectly with what I’m trying to write here. I recommend it, it’s a beautiful song. Also, I don’t have a beta reader, so if anyone finds grammar or spelling mistakes, please tell me so. Constructive criticism is also very welcome. Enjoy your reading!

CHAPTER ONE - MOONLIGHT GIRL

Tsukino Usagi awoke with a start. A terrible sadness gripped her heart. It was like a vice, slowly squeezing the life out of her. Tears sprung to her eyes and slid down her cheeks, dripping soundlessly onto her comforter.

“Usagi? What happened?” Luna asked worriedly, pawing the girl’s arm gently. She had been dislodged out of her sleep when the young princess had abruptly sat up. To see the usually cheerful blonde so desperately sad was heartbreaking. “Why are you crying?”

“I- I don’t know,” Usagi hiccupped, vainly trying to wipe away tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

“You don’t know?” Luna looked at her oddly. “You don’t know why you are crying?”

“I just… I just felt like something terrible happened. Like when…” Usagi’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh God!”

“What?” Luna urged.

“It’s just like what I felt when one of the girls… died.” Panicked blue eyes stared at the cat in absolute terror. “I need to call them!”

“Usagi, it’s three o’clock in the morning!” Luna argued, even as worry started to claw its way into her mind. What if…

“I don’t care!” Usagi was already up and grabbing for her communicator. “C’mon, pick up!”

“You better have one hell of a good reason to wake me up at this god-forsaken hour, Odango-atama!” Came Rei’s annoyed voice.

Usagi was never happier to have the fire senshi mad at her. “Oh, Rei! Thank God you’re alright!” She sobbed.

“What’s wrong, Usagi? Are you crying?” Rei was immediately worried.

“God!” Usagi fell down on her knees. “I was so worried!”

“You were worried?” Rei was nonplussed. “What’s going on, Usagi?”

“I…” Usagi took a deep breath. She was feeling a little calmer and her guardian deserved an explanation. Even if she wasn’t sure what was going on herself. “I woke up a few minutes ago and I felt terrible. So sad, like a part of me had been ripped out. Just like when one of you died…”

Rei was silent for a moment. She had no idea her princess had felt their deaths so strongly. “Do you know why? Were you having a nightmare?” She asked, her voice gentle.

Usagi looked at Luna, who shook her head. She didn’t know either. “I don’t know, Rei. I think I was dreaming something, but I don’t remember much. Just… fleeting sounds, smells… It’s confusing.”

“What sounds?” Rei coaxed, trying to help her remember. “Everyday sounds? Like cars, children?”

Usagi squeezed her eyes, trying to bring back those sensations. There was nothing. “I can’t remember! It’s like it’s on the edge of my mind, but I can’t reach it!”

“Calm down, Usagi,” Rei said soothingly. “Why don’t you come over to the shrine in the morning? Maybe the sacred fire will tell us something. We can call a meeting.”

“But-” Usagi started to protest.

“It’s a good idea,” Luna interrupted. “If it’s a vision or an omen, it’s better to discuss it with the others. Maybe they felt something too.”

The blonde sighed. “Okay. In the morning then. Can you call the girls, Rei?”

“Yes, don’t worry. Now go back to sleep, Odango-atama, or you’ll be falling asleep mid-meeting,” Rei teased.

Usagi pouted. “You’re so mean to me, Rei!” But there was a smile on her face. Rei always knew how to cheer her up.

“Good night, Odango.” And the communication was cut off.

“You feel better now, Usagi?” Luna rested her paws on the princess’s knees, looking into her eyes. She could see the girl wasn’t so desperate anymore, but sadness still lurked into those normally bright blue eyes, making them darken to a deep cobalt.

“Yes, thank you.” Usagi got off the floor, carrying Luna with her to the bed. “We better get back to sleep, ne?”

For the rest of the night, Luna didn’t sleep. She watched over her princess, waiting for the sun to take the moon’s place in the sky.

The following morning saw all the senshi reunited at the Hikawa Jinja. Everyone was suitably worried when they heard what happened.

“And you don’t remember anything about this dream?” asked Ami, looking troubled.

Usagi shook her head. “I tried and tried, but I can’t.” She looked down, frustrated. “I can’t shake the feeling that I’m supposed to be doing something.”

“And you didn’t dream anything else after?” Artemis asked from his perch on Minako’s shoulder.

“No,” she sighed.

“Could it be a new enemy?” Haruka voiced the question in everyone’s mind. There had been a few months of peace after Galaxia, and this had them all on edge.

Beside her, Michiru shook her head softly. “The Aqua Mirror doesn’t tell me anything.” She glanced down at her talisman, which was blank. “The sea is calm.”

“Setsuna-san, do you know anything?” Rei asked the Time Senshi, who had been conspicuously silent.

The garnet-eyed senshi smiled mysteriously. “I think you should consult with the fire, Rei-san.”

The others looked at her suspiciously. It was clear that she did know something about what was going on. It was also abundantly obvious by now that she wouldn’t reveal anything of the future. There was a collective sigh around the room.

“Alright, then.” Rei shot Setsuna a rebellious glare before leading the senshi to the sacred fire room. “Stay quiet,” she ordered as she knelt in front of the fire.

Rei stared into the flickering flames intently, murmuring a prayer under her breath. She focused on their immediate future, on their princess, and asked the fire for guidance. What seemed like hours passed before she saw something. A vision flashed in her mind, along with a sharp stab of pain. Rei cried out, clutching her head. Along with the vision, she felt an overwhelming sadness that made tears roll down her face.

“Rei! Rei, are you alright?” Her princess’s worried voice cut through the fog of pain, both emotional and physical, that Rei felt.

When she looked up she saw the senshi crowding around her. Only then she noted that she was lying in a fetal position on the wooden floor. Standing up quickly, she swayed as a wave of dizziness hit. Strong arms lifted her off the floor and carried her back into the meeting room.

“Thanks.” Rei smiled at Makoto weakly as the Thunder Senshi put her down.

“Don’t mention it,” Makoto laughed embarrassedly. “Are you alright, Rei?”

“Yes, fine,” she answered, though she was anything but. She felt sick, but refused to acquiesce to her body’s need for rest. Her duty came first, as always.

“Are you sure, Rei-chan?” Usagi’s big blue eyes were teary above her.

“I’m okay, Odango-atama. Now stop hovering!” She pulled the princess down beside her.

“Well, if she’s already snipping at Usagi-chan then she really is fine,” Minako joked, blithely ignoring Rei’s glowering.

“What did you see, Rei-san?” Michiru swiftly redirected the conversation to its proper course.

Rei’s eyes darted around the room, pausing over each of her friends’ faces, stopping on Setsuna, who stared back impassively. “She’s trapped.”

“Who is trapped?” Hotaru looked between Setsuna and Rei.

“A girl,” Rei answered, closing her eyes in remembrance. “She was dressed like a miko, but different. Her clothes were more ornate, I guess. There was blood, so much blood.” She bowed her head, massaging her throbbing temples with shaking hands. “And flowers. I smelt flowers. She was taken away, ripped off the world.” Her eyes opened, meeting placid garnet orbs. “She’s trapped, Pluto.”

“Who?” Usagi asked impatiently. “Who are you talking about?”

They watched with interest as Setsuna inclined her head slightly, as if in deep thought. When she looked at Usagi a few moments later, her eyes shone with unidentifiable emotion. “Kannazuki no Miko.” The Time Senshi’s voice was strangely reverent.

“Priestesses of the Godless Month?” Haruka frowned.

“So they have awakened!” Luna exclaimed.

Artemis was equally astounded. “When did it happen? Did they defeat Orochi?”

“What are you cats talking about?” Minako bopped Artemis on the head. “Start explaining.”

“Who are these Priestesses of the Godless Month? What does it mean?” asked Ami, almost looking like she was ready to take notes.

Luna cleared her throat, jumping onto the table. “During the Silver Millennium, there was once a threat that went beyond the powers of the senshi. Yamata no Orochi, the serpent of eight heads. There was a prophecy that said that he could only be defeated by the Priestesses of the Sun and the Moon, with the help of Ame no Murakumo.”

“The God of swordsmen?” Hotaru piped up.

“Yes,” Artemis nodded. “The priestesses were very powerful on their own. Like the Sailor senshi, they were warriors in their own might. But Orochi could only be defeated if Ame no Murakumo was invoked. There was a price.”

Haruka snorted cynically. “There always is.”

Michiru squeezed her lovers arm comfortingly. “What price was that?”

Luna sighed, looking down. “Sacrifice. One of the priestess had to die-”

There was a collective gasp by the Inner senshi. The Outers, however, were far too jaded to be affected by such things.

“By the other’s hand,” Artemis finished what Luna couldn’t say, looking ill as he said it.

“Oh God!” Usagi was horrified, as were the others. “That’s awful! How could they do something like that?!”

“It was their duty, and they accepted it,” Setsuna answered. “The Lunar Priestess killed the Solar Priestess, and became Ame no Murakumo’s vessel. She defeated Orochi and saved us all.” Garnet eyes swept around the room. “But young Tsukiko couldn’t take the burden of what she had done. She was on the front line of the battle with Metalia.”

“That’s so horrible.” Minako shook her head. “To be forced to kill a friend…”

Haruka and Michiru exchanged glances. They knew exactly what that felt like. The battle with Galaxia was one that would haunt them forever. Though their friends had forgiven them, they were a long way from forgiving themselves.

“But they reincarnated, didn’t they?” Ami asked astutely. “The ginzuishou would have sent their souls to Earth too.”

“Yes.” Setsuna nodded. “And, like you, they found each other again.”

“But Orochi came back,” Rei stated with quiet certainty.

“God, they had to do it all over again?” Makoto clenched her fists in anger. It was so unfair. She had always been protective of her friends. Even not knowing those girls, Makoto felt her instincts screaming that she should have done something to prevent that tragedy.

“They did,” Setsuna answered somberly, but then gave a tiny smile. “However, everyone underestimated the Lunar Priestess..”

“What happened, Setsuna-mama? Did they manage to stay alive?” Hotaru asked hopefully.

Setsuna ran a gentle hand through the child’s black hair. “No, my dear. But the Lunar Priestess regained the memory of her life as Tsukiko. She knew exactly what would happen and decided that if anyone would die, it would be her.” She paused, sighing sadly. “She knew killing her would destroy the Solar Priestess. So she joined the enemy, to make her partner hate her enough to kill her. Foolish child. It didn’t work, of course, the girl is far too gentle to hate anyone. But she did manage to get herself stabbed in the process.”

“What a waste,” Haruka muttered angrily.

“Ame no Murakumo was summoned and Orochi was destroyed, but the Lunar Priestess had broken the rules,” Setsuna went on. “So, instead of her soul being reincarnated, she is now being held prisoner on the shrine on the moon.”

“There’s a shrine on the moon?” Ami was intrigued. She knew about the ruins of the Palace, of course, but she had no idea about the shrine.

“Hai.”

“It’s her pain I felt, isn’t it?” Usagi whispered. “Last night, it was her despair, her suffering, that crashed on me.”

“Hai.”

“Being the Lunar Priestess, her powers are closely linked to yours, more so than the other senshi” Luna explained. “You can feel everyone else too, even the Solar Priestess, but to a lesser extent.”

“That makes sense, their powers come from the same source,” Ami concluded.

“The question is, can we free her?” asked Rei.

“Not you,” Setsuna denied. “Only the princess has that power.”

“Me?” Usagi gulped.

“She’s your priestess, princess.” Setsuna smiled softly, a twinkle in her eyes. “On the Silver Millennium, you two were very close. Because of the nature of your powers, you share an unique bond. You can use this bond to bring her back.”

“Then… Then I will,” she said firmly. Usagi was scared, but determined. If there was anything she could do to help, anything at all, she would. She felt that she owed it to the girl who had sacrificed so much for the world.

“What about the Solar Priestess?” Michiru questioned.

“She’s alive, but has no memory of the Lunar Priestess, or the recent battle.”

“Will they find each other again, Setsuna-san?” asked Minako.

Setsuna simply smiled.

Haruka rolled her eyes. “She just loves to be mysterious.” She whispered to Michiru out of the corner of her mouth.

“But how is Usagi-chan going to do this?” Makoto looked at Setsuna questioningly.

“The ginzuishou, right?” Usagi guessed.

“Hai.”

“But will she have enough power?” Michiru looked at the Time Senshi questioningly. She had, obviously, figured out that Pluto was guiding this chain of events, so they must have great importance in their future.

Blue eyes narrowed. “Yes, I will.” Usagi touched her brooch. “Moon Eternal, Make Up!”

After a few seconds of brilliant flashes of light, Eternal Sailor Moon stood before them, scepter in hand. She closed her eyes in concentration and the ginzuishou appeared before her, shining brightly. Taking the crystal in her hand, she lifted it above her head. She glanced at Setsuna, who nodded minutely at her. All the senshi watched entranced as their princess started to glow, and her sailor fuku became a flowing white dress. The moon symbol on her forehead was pulsing with golden power, even as sweat dripped down her face.

Then, suddenly, everyone was forced to cover their eyes as the room was bathed in light. When they could finally see, they were greeted with the sight of their princess cradling a dark haired girl in red priestess clothing. The senshi were quick to gather around the two girls.

Serenity looked down at the girl in her arms. She looked so frail, her clothes were stained with blood. The princess trailed a hand along the Lunar Priestess’s cheek, and her eyes fluttered open. Two pairs of blue eyes locked, two souls recognizing one another.

“Hime-sama…” The priestess gasped weakly.

“No, don’t talk,” Serenity interrupted. “You need to rest.”

The priestess nodded, closing her eyes. Before she passed out, however, the princess heard her whisper a single word, her voice full of longing.

“Himeko…”

After freeing the Lunar Priestess, Usagi had fallen down in exhaustion. It had obviously been a taxing process, so they had put her to rest in Rei’s bedroom along with the priestess - after changing her out of her bloody clothes, of course. Surprisingly, the dark-haired girl had no injuries, so they assumed whatever wounds she had sustained had been healed when she was transported to the moon shrine.

“Well, I don’t remember all the details, but I can tell you what I do know,” Luna offered.

“Better than nothing I guess,” Haruka shot a glare in the general direction of Rei’s room, where Setsuna and Hotaru had stayed to watch over the unconscious girls. “We all know Miss Mysterious over there won’t spill the beans, she talked too much as it is.”

“You do know there is a reason Setsuna doesn’t tell us everything, don’t you?” Michiru glanced at her sideways, utterly amused by her lover’s grumpy attitude.

“Yeah, she likes to see us squirm,” huffed the Senshi of the Wind.

“Ara, nothing to do with preserving the timeline at all,” Michiru giggled.

“Ahem,” Artemis cleared his throat. “You want to know about the priestesses or not?”

“Spill!” Minako pulled on his ear playfully.

“How did they come to be?” Ami asked curiously. “I though the senshi were the only guardians of the Moon Kingdom.”

“Actually, you were,” Luna responded. “The miko were guides. They used to joke that while you guarded the kingdom, they guarded you.”

“They had a lot of power, but it wasn’t necessarily offensive power,” Artemis added. “Oh, they could fight, but that was not their objective.”

“Sorceresses,” Rei muttered to herself.

“In a way,” Artemis allowed. “Not many dared to go against them, specially if they fought together. As a team, they were practically unbeatable.”

“If they were so powerful, how come they didn’t fight by our side?” asked Haruka.

“It was not their way,” Artemis explained. “At least, not then.”

Haruka raised an eyebrow. “You mean they will fight now?”

“Maybe,” Luna shrugged eloquently. “They have fought Orochi twice now. I don’t believe they would stand by if there was a threat to the planet.”

“And they will protect Usagi to their last breaths.” Artemis said firmly. “Of that I have no doubt.”

“Were they assigned as the princess’s bodyguard as well?” Minako wondered.

“No,” Luna shook her head, tail swishing back and forth as she pondered her answer. “But they were very close to her. The shrine was not too far from the palace, so they saw each other a lot growing up. Haruko and Serenity were quite the duo.”

“Our princess and the Solar Priestess are kindred spirits, I believe.” Artemis smiled.

“How so?” Ami asked.

“Both are innocent, sweet and gentle.”

Nine pairs of eyes snapped around. Leaning on the door frame stood the Lunar Priestess, clad in a simple white t-shit and faded jeans, both borrowed from Rei. Setsuna stood by her side, apparently helping her walk. They walked into the room together, stopping before the moon cats. The priestess knelt, bowing her head.

“Luna-sama, Artemis-sama,” she whispered respectfully.

They blinked confusedly, not knowing how to react. “Eh…”

“I think what they’re trying to say is ‘hi’.” Minako went to the rescue, a huge grin on her face.

Soft indigo eyes turned to the Senshi of Love. “Hello, Venus-san.”

Minako laughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “No need to be so formal. Call me Minako.”

“Minako-san.” The priestess’s lips curved ever so slightly. “I am Himemiya Chikane.”

The other senshi quickly introduced themselves, but it was clear that Chikane recognized all of them. It would have been unnerving, had it not been for the gentle power the girl exuded. They all felt it, and it was not too different from their princess’s.

“So, what now?” Makoto asked, more to herself than anything.

Minako turned eager eyes to the quiet miko. “Are you going to look for the Solar Priestess?”

“No,” Chikane’s head dropped, long bangs obscuring sad blue eyes.

“Why not?” Michiru questioned kindly. She had an inkling as to the nature of the priestesses’ relationship. A glance at Haruka revealed that her lover thought much the same thing.

“I don’t want to impose myself on Himeko’s life again,” she answered calmly. “I’ve already caused her enough problems.”

“But…!” Minako protested. “Isn’t she your partner? Your friend?”

Chikane sighed, looking down at her palm. Resting on top of it was a small pinkish seashell. “Have you ever heard the saying ‘if you love something, let it go…’?”

Minako smile, nodding. “If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever.”

“If it doesn’t, it was never meant to be,” Chikane concluded quietly. “I’m letting Himeko go. If she truly needs me, she will find me. She promised,” she whispered the last part, clenching her hand around the tiny shell.

“What if she doesn’t?” Makoto asked compassionately.

“As long as she is happy, it doesn’t matter.” Chikane gave a serene smile.

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other. They could see the pain Chikane was hiding, clear as the day. The placid façade was one they were familiar with, specially Michiru. There was only so long it would hold. Silently, they vowed to keep an eye on the priestess.

She was one of them, after all.