Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

April is a time of new beginnings. The climate grows more gentle. Springtime kicks off by showering every flowering tree with clouds of beautiful white or pink blossoms. Lover birds whistle sweet songs to each other, hoping to snuggle close together in their nests.
Devout Christian worshippers celebrate the rebirth of the Messiah…

Without equal in the great events that rule the month of April, however, is the grand celebration that each year prompts millions of children and adults to start the daily migration from their homes to the grand temples of humanity's emancipation from nature.

This illustrious recurring auroral exodus is a celebration of everything that has improved the living conditions of individuals throughout the history of mankind.
For countless years this great worldwide exploit occasioned tears, groans, rage, laughter, and broad blushing smiles.

This highly eminent happening is, of course, the feast of knowledge known to all as the start of the school year!

In a certain classroom on the top floor of Juban Public High School, 26 fifteen-year-old boys and girls were patiently seated at their desks dressed in their minty fresh blue-and-white ensemble of skirts and shirts with a handsome red bow over their proud chests.

Drumming the rhythm of a song on the wooden surface of her desk with her fingers, Hotaru Tomoe lazily looked around at the similarly indolent activities of her classmates.
The eyes of the black-bobbed tomboy landed on her quietly chatting friends Yuna Nakano and Emi Hayashi, who were sitting a row behind her and two desks to her right.

"By the way, Emi-chan?" Yuna interjected into their conversation with a jovial smile. "Would you mind sliding your English textbook a little to the right when class starts, please? I'm afraid I forgot to pack it in my schoolbag this morning. Teehee."

"I was so grateful when we learned of our seating arrangement for the school year," Her friend with the red bow in her dark-brown ponytail deadpanned. "Sitting next to each other will make things so much more convenient."

Hotaru chuckled to herself at the nonplussed reaction of her tall geeky blonde friend who smiled a thank you at Emi when the shorter girl slid her textbook to the top right corner of her desk with a giggle so Yuna would be able to read along during class.

The tall black-bobbed stoic cast a look at the firm back of her green-haired friend Hikari Kimura who sat right in front of her.
Her senpai in Juban Public High School's Pink Pika Tennis Club was somewhat absentmindedly fidgeting with her pencil.

Hotaru was glad she wasn't the only one who felt strangely nervous about the first lesson they would receive from their homeroom teacher.
Her fingers continued their rhythmic "thumb thumb thumb thumb" on the table as the time for class to start drew near.

In sync with the drum of her fingers, the fifteen-year-old thought she could distinguish another sound in the hallway.
A sound that seemed to grow louder.

Thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb

The door was pulled open with restrained vigor and a beautiful and stylish young woman with a bright smile whose sapphire eyes tried their best not to look at anyone in particular walked into the room before closing the door behind her.

"Good morning class 1-3," Kaito Nagahasu cheerfully greeted while resting her briefcase on top of her desk and opening it to slip out her textbook English.

"Good morning, Sensei!" The whole class greeted the young woman with the large dark-purple braid after getting up from their seats.

Kaito allowed her eyes to wander over the face of each student, already being aware of who sat where.

"Please be seated," She smiled and nodded.

Hotaru and her classmates slowly sat down again. Their hands fondled their textbooks as they watched the woman in the white frilled shirt and short green skirt standing behind her desk in front of them.

"I hope everyone had a nice and refreshing spring break," Kaito Nagahasu said. "I see that a few students whom I remember with a slightly more modest appearance if I passed them by when occasionally finding myself in the buildings of the middle school last year have taken full advantage of the more lax dress code allowed in Juban Public High School. Nice earring, Sato-san."

"Thank you, Sensei," Makoto Sato grinned while rubbing the back of his head.

"Those rainbow hairpins look adorable on you, Mori-san."

"Thank you, Sensei," Stout Mio Mori muttered with a blush while touching one of the pins in her long loose black hair.

"It's true what they say," Emi whispered to Yuna. "She can already tell everyone apart."

"Then with your well-rested youthful minds and new public images, I hope you are all ready for us to learn a wonderful poetic language together.

I know that to many of you, English can seem like a bother and a chore to invest your time and attention in. Still, I always ask my students to reflect on this little question: How boring can a language that traveled all around the world and spread its usage over every continent really be?"

Kaito saw several students shrug and smile as if to say: "I guess she has a point."

"Think of the English explorers, Sir Francis Drake and David Livingstone," The woman energetically appealed to her class. "English poets like Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. English generals and admirals, like Horatio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. English authors, like Charles Dickens and Alan Moore. And of course the English musicians, like John Lennon and Syd Barrett.
The English language shaped much of the world we live in, even if that is not so obvious in our everyday lives.

Please take your textbooks at the first reading assignment."

Hotaru opened her English textbook, looking in the index to find the assignment:

"The following is an excerpt from the novel Shogun by British author Clavell James-san," her teacher expanded on the introduction written above the text. "Clavell-san fought the Empire of Japan in WW2 and was imprisoned on Java where he was fed barely enough to stay alive and experienced conditions that crippled his mind and body for years.
After getting discharged from the army seven years later, his path led to a career in the entertainment industry.

Shogun is one of Clavell-san's historical novels, taking place in Sengoku Era Japan. In it, the English sailor Blackthorne John-san is shipwrecked and captured by the local daimyo Yabu Kasigi-san and starts a slow path in which luck, cunning, and the machinations of warlords guide him to a position as Samurai at the side of the future Shogun, Toranaga Yoshi-san.

This excerpt details Blackthorne-san trying to ease his mind as to his future after release from imprisonment.

Tomoe-san? Would you do us the honor of reading out loud?"

Momentarily transfixed by the request, Hotaru swallowed and glanced aside, where Yuna showed her a thumbs-up and mouthed the words: "Fight on, Hotaru-kun".

English wasn't the black-bobbed stoic's strongest subject, to put it mildly.

A more accurate description would be to say that if results from Hotaru's final exams for the previous year were to be used as inspiration for the surface of a natural world, this would result in a fairly level terrain with one extremely deep valley.

Tilting her textbook toward herself with both hands, Hotaru hemmed and began to read:

"Stoup wurrieng abbott it. Atownzand melleian thicks cen hepp'n bevuur thuse thick oscar…"

"Oh my," Kaito reacted with shock while Emi cast a pitying look at her friend.

"Atedal weef ur en ortcake, ur yo… cat yurship and sel ewe…"

The fellow feeling and commiseration shared between the students in the classroom at that moment didn't have its equal in the entire history of Juban Public High School.
One student openly wept in pity for the unflinchingly savage atrocities committed on the English language in the following minute and a half.

"Thank you for your effort in trying to bring Clavell-san's words to life, Tomoe-san," Kaito tactfully concluded the reading assignment. "Can you tell me if you felt you had some difficulty with any part of the text?"

"I feel like the entire text was pretty hard," Hotaru sweatdropped with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Mm-hmm," Kaito nodded. "I noticed that you may need some help. But that is nothing to feel bad about, since that is exactly what I am here for."

Hotaru confidently smiled at the cheerful wink her teacher showed her.

"Nishimura-san?" Kaito Nagahasu appealed to a slender girl with neat long light-blonde hair who sat at the back of the class. "If you can read the text out loud I'm sure it would be helpful for Tomoe-san to see how to improve where she had trouble."

Rina Nishimura was visibly perturbed by the request. But for an entirely different reason than Hotaru was.

Knowing like everyone in class that Rina had an obsessive adoration for English novels and poetry, her black-bobbed classmate turned to face the girl and listened intently.

Sitting upright with a slight blush on her face, Rina read in a clear light beautiful voice:

"Stop worrying about it. A thousand million things can happen before those six months occur. A tidal wave or an earthquake, or you get your ship and sail away, or Yabu-san dies, or we all die, or who knows? Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you're alive and here, and blessed with good fortune. Look at this sunset, it's beautiful, no? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity. Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature, and do not worry about karma, yours, mine, or that of the village."

Yuna and Emi were positively enraptured by Rina's melodic voice alone.

"You would hardly know she is Japanese to hear her recite like that," The latter whispered to her friend.

"Yep. Rina-chan is something else. She could become a movie star if she wanted to."

These kinds of observations bothered Rina as much as they pleased her whenever she overheard them. Rina by nature didn't like to stand out after all. The girl generally felt happier having her friend Chiyuri Otsuka play lightning rod to divert any unwanted attention than standing in the spotlight herself. Chiyuri - to the regret of both friends - was seated on the diagonally opposite side of the classroom however, and Rina's inherent beauty and passionate knowledge of the English language meant that she was bound to stand out in English class.

To everyone in school, Rina Nishimura was known as the quiet pretty girl who sat reading novels or poetry books during lunch break or was otherwise happily led around by her more outgoing and dazzling friend as they interacted with the various groups of male and female friends in school who were invariably overwhelmed by the feisty cheerleader-personality of Chiyuri Otsuka.

Just like they could be spotted together every day at school, the two friends went home together after their first day of school.

Because to Rina, her school life was the happiest time of her day and Chiyuri provided her with the strength to face what came afterwards.

"What a hilarious teacher Nagahasu-sensei is," Chiyuri laughed as she and Rina walked along the last of a series of shops. "To come in and start our English lesson without introduction only to realize she had to assign cleaning duties etc afterwards before our history teacher came in to start his lesson."

"It seemed like having homeroom totally slipped her mind," Rina laughed as she looked at her joyful friend with the long black hair.

Her heart already began to sink, however, because they arrived at the fork in the road to the left that led Chiyuri to her own house.

"Anyway, we had a fun first day of school, didn't we, Rina-chan? Hang in there and I'll come and pick you up to go to cram school after dinner."

"Alright, Chiyuri-chan. See you soon" Rina waved as her friend walked on.

From that point on, just like during her last year in middle school, Rina walked home cast in gloom.

It didn't used to be like this. Back when she was in elementary school, Rina felt happy at home. She didn't yet have to experience the cold derisive remarks of her mother and the wildly disproportionate outbursts of rage from her father.

She also hadn't yet discovered the joys of English literature, which balmed her heart after each treatment that made her fear her family hated her.

When going home cast in such gloom, Rina couldn't help feeling like the heroine in a Victorian novel. She wouldn't allow such thoughts, however, since she had enough pride not to want to prove her mother right.

But perhaps today, Rina might be somewhat justified in feeling herself a heroine from historical European literature, since the gloom that hung over her attracted the attention of a somewhat dated and less than benign gentleman who at that moment carefully observed the girl from the corner of the street as the sun slowly sank over Minato Ward.

His leather boots and beige breeches visible underneath his long dark-green overcoat, the mysterious man whom passersby evidently did not notice dug his wide-sleeved arm into the fabric of his wide garment.

"Yearning for the distraction of knowledge as a means to escape the vicissitudes of daily life," The man muttered to himself with a low clear voice. "A soul so eager to stray from the path of righteousness and industry would perhaps be well-suited to baptize our venture."

From the inside pocket of his coat, the man brought forth his hand again and opened it to reveal a palm-sized gray ball of clay.

With casual carelessness he dropped the ball onto the asphalted street and retraced his steps, leaving the curiously pulsating object behind.

"I wish you Godspeed in procuring our first piece of merchandise, Kurzweil," The tall scholastic stranger voiced his hopes in parting from the lump of clay

Naively unexpectant, Rina entered the hallway of her home.

"Hoho! It sounds like our Lady of Britain returned from school!" A ridiculously venomous voice thundered from the door leading to the living room.

Rina's heart started to pound as if she was a hare under fire.

From the living room, a woman in her forties with a short brown ponytail appeared while wearing a white shirt and a long blue skirt.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, little Princess?" Rina's mother grinned with wildly glowering eyes.

Rina frightendly let her eyes wander from her mother's hostile face to the framed pictures of pop legend Oda Kazumasa, concert tickets her mother had held on to, and even a shirt of the man's Captain Tsubasa character namesake, which decorated the walls of the hallway.

"What did I do wrong?" The teen stammered while feeling frustrated by the injustice of the usual hostile treatment.

"Didn't I ask you to collect your dirty clothes for the laundry yesterday evening?!" Rina's mother pompously demanded. "Or didn't you hear me perhaps because your head was buried in one of those ridiculous poetry books?!"

"I did hear! I asked if it was okay to bring my clothes down after school and you hemmed so I thought it was okay."

"Oh, you were going to treat me to the pleasure of washing your clothes after school?! Why thank you, Miss, but I already took your laundry down myself!"

"But I told you I was going to do it!" Rina whined. "If you didn't…"

Rina fell silent when a burly man in a gray business suit entered the hallway carrying his briefcase in his right hand.

"Good evening," Her father threateningly rumbled as he passed his wife and daughter by on his way to the living room. "What's the damn noise about? I could hear the two of you shouting from the genkan."

"Mother was angry because I didn't bring my dirty laundry down for her to wash," Rina timidly started. "But…"

Placing his leather briefcase on the surface of his desk behind the wall to his right, Rina's father held up his left hand.

Somehow when her father got angry it seemed to Rina that the entire living room fell into a tense hush.

Just in front of the man was a brown three-seating sofa facing the television set against the wall. On either side of the sofa was another brown two-seating sofa.
To the far left were the dining room and the kitchen.

Tears forming in her eyes, Rina saw her father turn around slowly and face her while her mother entered the living room with him.

"I asked your mother why the two of you were shouting!" Akihito Nishimura bellowed. "If I come home after a hard day's work I would like people not to make things harder than they need to be! Let your mother answer the question so I know what's going on!"

Rina's heart shrank as her father waved his hand at her.

"You know what?! Forget it! I don't even want to know! Go to your room and come down when your mother calls you for dinner! You spoiled child! It's always something! Get out of my sight!"

Shaken by another row, Rina ran up the stairs and opened the door to her room.

Stepping inside, the girl closed the door behind her and wiped her tears as she placed her briefcase on her desk.

"I better prepare my schoolbag for cram school and fill my bag for school with the books I'll need tomorrow," The girl muttered while sniffing piteously.

Hanging her coat inside the closet to the left of the door, Rina saw in the laundry basket between the closet and her desk that her mother had indeed emptied it. A single sock remained in the basket, however.

Standing in the breeze of the half-open window to her right, Rina wondered if she should bring the sock down when she was called for dinner.
The danger was that she could provoke another outburst if she did that.
Feeling spiteful towards her parents, she decided that she would bring the sock to the laundry room the next morning before school

But wasn't there also a shirt she left on her bed that morning?

As Rina turned to look at her bed, her blood froze in her heart.
Covered by her light-green blanket it seemed like a man was lying in her bed.

Her eyes wide with fear, Rina's right hand slowly moved towards the doorknob.

"Golem…" The man in her bed seemed to mutter.

Having found the doorknob without letting her eyes stray from the figure in her bed, Rina's hand jerked the door open.

But at that moment, the blanket was shaken from her bed and a wall of clay was launched towards her.

Mei Nishimura walked from the living room into the hallway, her mood half-recovered from the angry outburst that resulted from the frustration she had bottled up all day.

Truth be told, Mei was not much of a mother. That isn't to say that she didn't love her daughter, but as Rina grew up, Mei increasingly felt that her job was done and that Rina and her school should take care of the parenting by themselves going forward.

Mei thought Rina should by now "get" how her mother handled the daily routines of the housekeeping without being told.
After all, if Mei had a plan in her head, shouldn't that plan be obvious to her own daughter who lived in the same house as her?

Her husband understood how things should be without being told at least. That is if he didn't forget his own head half of the time and exploded into a rage because he hadn't left things where he thought he left them.

It sometimes felt to Mei as if she had to do everything for the three of them.
Oh well, things would work themselves out eventually without having to spend too much thought on them.

"Rina-chan!" The woman called out from the bottom of the stairs. "Dinner is ready!"

Mei waited, but there wasn't a sound of movement.

"Rina-chan! Dinner!"

Then to Mei's horror, a large gray figure stumbled down the stairs dressed in a Victorian Era maid's uniform and wearing the face of her daughter on its bald clay head. The horrible thing had a red number 24 etched on its forehead.

"Don't say another word, My Lady! Kurzweil is here to serve those who lack the ability to properly communicate their desires!"

Overcome by fear, Mei screamed her lungs out while the golem scooped her up in his arms and ran into the living room.

Under the gathering darkness outside, Hotaru wandered carefree through the street where Rina's household was situated with Chibi-Usa by her side.

Both were still dressed in their Juban school uniforms, the latter had a beige coat over her shirt while her taller friend had a thin blue vest on.

"I don't understand why you couldn't ask Nishimura-san to tutor you at school though," Chibi-Usa spoke up.

"Ah… Rina-chan always has Chiyuri-chan hanging around her like a titanium shield. It's impossible to approach her because Chiyuri-chan almost always acts like a go-between."

"I see…" Chibi-Usa grimaced.

"That's why I thought it would be more convenient to visit Rina-chan's house in the hope that I can ask her directly," Hotaru shrugged while carrying both of their schoolbags over her shoulder.

"Aren't you collecting a lot of tutors?" the girl's pink-haired friend grinned. "After school, you go to the tennis club. Then you run home for dinner because you don't want to go without Haruka-kun's cooking. Then you have cram school. And every two days you meet up with Ami-chan who tutors you in chemistry. When exactly do you sleep?"

"I discovered I need very little sleep actually," Hotaru chuckled. "Which will come in handy when tournaments start."

Arriving in front of the door to Rina's house, Chibi-Usa rang the doorbell, unaware that they were being watched.

"When are you expecting Nishimura-san to tutor you anyway?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"I don't know," Hotaru grimaced. "Look. All I know is I want to improve in English. I might someday want to study abroad or I might want to take up an internship at a foreign hospital. I don't know. It's starting to bother me that I suck at this language and I want to improve."

Hearing shouts coming from inside the house, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa shared a concerned look.

"Sounds like trouble," Chibi-Usa remarked. "And nobody came to open the door even though I rang a few times now. Let's see if our help is needed."

Hotaru watched how her friend conjured the Chibi Moon Kaleido Scope from the inside pocket of her coat and moved closer to shield the girl from view.

"You know, I noticed this before: You have the unsettling habit of casually intruding on people's privacy. And I don't like you using the Chibi Moon Kaleido Scope to break into people's homes."

"You're not my mother," Chibi-Usa huffed. "And we need to get in if these people are in danger and need our help."

Using a fraction of the rod's power, the two teenagers stealthily entered the house.

Taking off their shoes in the genkan, they entered the hallway where they gazed at Mei Nishimura's collection of Oda Kazumasa memorabilia before moving towards the closed door to the living room.

"Alright," Chibi-Usa whispered while taking the doorknob in hand. "I'm just going to throw a sneaky peek inside and if there's trouble we'll transform."

"Right," Hotaru nodded, wearing a stern expression on her face. "I'm ready if you are."

Slowly Chibi-Usa opened the door at a draft.

To her amazement, the pinkette saw a large clay figure in a classic black-and-white maid's apron feeding a distressed man who was strapped to a brown sofa by way of a bunch of white ribbons with a baby bottle while a woman who was strapped to another sofa was having her nails done and had a pacifier in her mouth.

Slowly and carefully Chibi-Usa closed the door again.

"Hahaha!" The thirteen-year-old chuckled while rubbing the back of her head. "Yes… I think we better transform."

"Shouldn't we let Usagi-chan and the others know?" Hotaru asked as she stood ready to transform with her lip rod in hand.

"Never mind that," Her friend smirked while waving dismissively. "This is my chance to show my moronic mother that I'm old enough to have my own adventures."

Assuming the stance to use her Chibi Moon Compact, a startled Chibi-Usa comically flinched at the sight of the ominous cold glare with which Hotaru regarded her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect disabled people. I know you don't like that kind of stuff. Haha. Don't be so scary, Hotaru-kun. I won't use such words again. Haha," The pinkette giggled nervously while stepping away from her friend and holding her hands up in a defensive gesture.

Her purple Saturn crystal appearing and the sign of Capricorn blazing on her lip rod to which the crystal attached, Hotaru raised her hand while her fingernails glowed a deep purple and gripped the lip rod in her fist, shouting: "Saturn Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Waving the lip rod in front of her face, Hotaru's lips were dyed purple while a golden tiara with a white gem in the middle appeared on her forehead.

Dancing with the lip rod around her body, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth was showered in purple water which formed her white leotard and indigo neckerchief with a burgundy bow over her breasts that sported a purple heart in the middle, her segmented white shoulder pads, her indigo skirt and the long burgundy bow on her back, and her white gloves and laced indigo boots.

The purple wave washing from her, majestic Super Sailor Saturn posed grimly with her Silence Glaive in hand.

"Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!"

Chibi-Usa waved her hand over the Pink Moon Compact, revealing a pink heart-shaped crystal inside.

Being bathed in the pink light from the crystal, a fiery red moon crescent appeared behind her.
The thirteen-year-old gracefully danced around with her arms lifted high while the glowing red crescent spun in the opposite direction.

Pink ribbons twirled around Sailor Chibi-Moon's body and formed her white leotard, her pink neckerchief, and her red bow with the pink heart in the middle.
As she stretched out her arms to the sides, pink ribbons enveloped them and formed her white gloves.

Her dance culminated in a pirouette while pink ribbons formed her pink high heels.

The red crescent wrapped around Sailor Chibi-Moon's waist to form her blue-and-red bordered white skirt with a long white bow on her back.

Lastly, Sailor Chibi-Moon's tiara appeared on her forehead, and her white hairclips appeared over each odango.

With a large pink heart appearing behind her, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon struck a pose in a wide left-leg-forward A-stance with her left hand on her left hip and her right arm parallel to her left leg.

As the pinkette relaxed her pose, she groaned and sweatdroped without struggling while Sailor Saturn pulled a Captain Tsubasa shirt over her head.

Inside the living room, Kurzweil just finished feeding Rina's father and ran with the empty bottle to the kitchen to wash it.

"I won't waste time doing the dishes!" The creature in the maid's uniform shouted. "And afterward I'll give you a nice clean shave, Nishimura-san!"

A terrified Akihito shook his head while his fearful eyes stared at his equally helpless wife.

Then the door to the hallway was thrown open.

A tall young woman with a black bob entered the living room followed by a cute pink-haired girl about a head shorter, dressed in a T-shirt Mei recognized from her collection.

"Take a break from work once in a while to consider the feelings of the ones your effort is dedicated to!" Sailor Chibi-Moon exclaimed to the surprise of Kurzweil, who interrupted its task in the kitchen and arched its clay neck to try and see what was happening in the living room.

"Nobody benefits from a household that tears itself apart because its members don't understand each other!" Sailor Chibi-Moon continued while she and Sailor Saturn slowly walked into the living room and passed by a confused Mei and Akihito in search of their assailant.

"There it is!" Saturn pointed at the golem who sweatdropped apprehensively while placing the clean baby bottle in the cupboard.

Her friend immediately struck a pose, raising her chin and standing with her left shoulder towards Kurzweil while crossing her arms.

"The members of this household will no longer be victimized by you!" Sailor Chibi-Moon warned Kurzweil while the teen pointed her left finger at the golem and rested her right hand on her right hip in a fluent motion. "I am the pretty soldier Chibi-Moon, and I will punish you!"

"And I will restrain you," Sailor Saturn added while stoically standing by her friend's side.

"Language will not be restrained!" Kurzweil shouted while conjuring a shelf-worth of dictionaries with razor-sharp pages and throwing them at its adversaries. "It is free to develop and evolve organically!"

Chibi-Moon's eyes grew wide as she prepared to evade the projectiles, but Saturn simply raised her glaive.

"Silence Wall!"

The books harmlessly fell to the floor in a heap as they bounced against the invisible orb Sailor Saturn created around the creature.

"Wait! What is going on?!" An unnerved Kurzweil stammered while staring around itself.

"What do you suppose that 15… 14 on its forehead means?" Sailor Saturn asked while she walked over to the living room and started to untie her classmate's parents.

"I don't know," Sailor Chibi-Moon replied while glaring at their opponent. "But I doubt we should allow it to reach 0."

"Thank you," Akihito Nishimura said while his wife was being liberated. "Please help our daughter. She's inside that thing!"

"Nothing to grease the tongue like some exquisite marmalade!" Kurzweil exclaimed while throwing a slew of glass jars filled with the preserve at the pinkette.

Chibi-Moon observed the golem without passion as the glass jars bumped up against Silence Wall and broke on the floor.

"This creature is kind of weak, isn't it?" The pinkette deadpanned.

Having freed Mei and Akihito, Sailor Saturn joined her friend's side again while glaring at their foe.

"You said it, Sailor Chibi-Moon," She sternly spoke. "I think this creature is all talk!"

"You still need to improve your English," Chibi-Moon sweatdropped while looking up at the taller girl.

Saturn hung her head with a sigh.

"Now now, Ladies!" Kurzweil bellowed while holding its hands up in a defensive gesture. "Let us not resort to violence! We are all civilized ladies and gentlemen! Would it not suit our common interests better if we discussed this matter with some tea and biscuits to refresh ourselves?! Perhaps even a pint of ale or a glass of rum would do us good!"

"It's all yours, Sailor Chibi-Moon," Saturn said with crossed arms while Rina's parents looked on frightfully from the back of the living room.

Activating the pink crystal on her Moon Kaleido Scope, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon held the pink scepter aloft in her right hand before bringing it behind her back while pointing at the golem with her left hand.

A rainbow appeared behind the pinkette.

Super Sailor Chibi-Moon brought her right hand forward again and held the Moon Kaleido Scope horizontally before her face while closing her eyes to focus the energy of the scepter.

When two small pink wings appeared on the scepter, she opened her eyes while moving her left hand from the base of the scepter to its tip.
Then she held the scepter overhead and aimed it at the golem with her extended left arm as a guide.

Getting down on her left leg while supporting herself on the high heel of her right leg, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon lowered and extended her right arm holding the Moon Kaleido Scope while slowly pulling her left arm back.

A fiery red aura appeared behind the pinkette and she jumped up while exclaiming: "Moon Purifying Meditation!"

A bright light shot from out of the Moon Kaleido Scope and hit the golem as Super Sailor Saturn dissolved her Silence Wall around the creature.

Without further ado, the golem melted from Rina's body while singing: "Salvation!"

Mei and Akihito ran towards their daughter to catch her in their arms before her unconscious form hit the floor.

Beside Rina's body, a small gorgeously enameled porcelain humanoid figure fell on the floor with smoke rising from it.

"Rina-chan! Please wake up, Rina-chan!" Mei wept while caressing the forehead of her daughter.

"Sweet Rina-chan," Akihito whispered. "Rina-chan? Please be safe."

Slowly Rina opened her eyes to behold the concerned and distraught faces of her parents gazing at her with hopeful eyes.

"Father?" The blonde weakly whispered. "Mother? What happened? Is it gone?"

"Oh my sweet girl," Mei wept in relief as she hugged her face to her daughter's cheek.

"The monster is gone, Rina-chan," Akihito smiled. "Don't worry. Sailor Moon defeated it."

"Sailor Moon was here?" Rina asked in a somewhat stronger voice while trying to find the heroine's shape in the living room.

All she saw where a tall black-bobbed tomboy and a graceful pink-haired young teen showing her a smile and a wink before taking their leave.

"Poor Rina," Mei smiled while pulling her daughter up with her. "I think it would be best if you stayed home after dinner when Chiyuri-chan comes to collect you. After what you went through I don't think it's wise to attend cram school today."

"I agree," Rina's father nodded. "And I think you better stay home from school too. Tomorrow at least."

Rina was amazed at the love and care shown her. It had been so long since she felt appreciated by her parents like this.

But the thought of spending the evening with her changeable parents still worried her.

"I would like to go to cram school though," The girl stammered. "I think I would feel more safe if I saw my friends after having been spooked by that creature."

Mei and Akihito shared a look.

"What if we ask Chiyuri-chan to keep you company in your room if she doesn't mind skipping cram school for today?" The latter asked.

"And tomorrow we'll clean the house together and make yours and Father's favorite dinner," Mei smiled at her daughter.

Rina nodded uncertainly.

"I'm sorry for having been so nasty to you, Rina-chan," Mei grimaced. "You were right: I did nod my consent yesterday about you bringing down your laundry when you got back from school today. But I forgot all about it because I was distracted by thinking about the preparations for Aunt Shinobu's birthday party later this month."

"And I was angry because a colleague at work made another unreasonable request for the sale he wanted my cooperation on," Akihito sighed. "It's just that I get so worked up by any problem at work during the day and I feel like everything goes wrong by the time I get home."

"I want to help you out all I can," Rina said. "But I get afraid when you shout at me. I don't know what you want from me when you get angry and make nasty comments."

"I understand, my sweet girl," Akihito smiled. "We'll see if we can find ways to help each other going forward. Now first let's get these books and glass jars cleaned up. Those girls made quite the mess."

Back outside the two heroes of the day were already on their way after having detransformed in the genkan.

"Can you believe they thought I'm Sailor Moon?" Chibi-Usa huffed as she walked home with Hotaru. "Don't I look more different from her than ever now?"

"What's with the changes in your transformation anyway?" Her friend inquired.

"Oh? It's just because I mastered this form without the help of Helios in the future," Chibi-Usa somewhat apprehensively explained away the matter.

"I see," Hotaru shrugged.

"What are you going to do now?" Her friend asked. "You didn't ask Rina to help you out as a tutor?"

"Oh? I figured I'd best leave her in peace after what happened to her today. I'll wait a few days before I ask her for help."

Chibi-Usa looked ahead as they continued on their way. Then a sly grin appeared on her face.

"Shingo-kun gets good grades for English…" She suggested.

"No thanks," Hotaru replied with a worried look. "I love my boyfriend too much to risk our relationship like that."

An athletic clean-shaven man in gray trousers and a blue jacket over a white-and-black striped shirt watched the merrily laughing friends walk away from him in the darkness of the street.

Following at a snail's pace, he pulled out a small notebook from his breast pocket and scribbled down quickly:
"The new threat was dealt with by Super Sailor Saturn and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon.
Identities reconfirmed beyond doubt: Tomoe Hotaru-san and Tsukino Chibi-Usa-san.
Origin of the new threat: As yet unknown."

Chapter Text

"Shopping with my good friend, Rei-chan is so much fun. My eyes are up here, Rei-chan!"
"I know that! I have to see how the dress fits around your breasts, don't I?"
"This dress looks classy, doesn't it? Why are you staring at my bottom, Rei-chan?"
"I was only… Usagi! Look! There's a new enemy!"
"A new enemy? Just when things were going so well!
Hey, you mean golem! If you disturb the shop assistants while I'm trying out dresses for a perverted miko, We'll punish you!"

"Fashion shouldn't wear a woman out. Setsuna guides Rei and Usagi into a new era, acting with foreknowledge and mischief."

Rei bowing for anyone at Hikawa shrine was an exclusive rarity only a select few had been able to witness in their lifetime.
Usually, her friend, Yuuichirou Kumada, or her grandfather, Masao Hino, saw themselves forced to bow to the young woman.
But a recent change at the Shinto shrine had shaken up the pecking order among its residents.

For the miracle of turning Yuuichirou's heart away from her, the usually proud and defiant Rei Hino was all too willing to cow-tow to the young man's beautiful new girlfriend, Megumi Sakurada.

Especially since Megumi volunteered to take over Rei's afternoon shift at the shrine so that she was freed up to help Usagi pick a cocktail dress for a party with Mamoru.
A task that Rei was secretly hyped for when Usagi asked for her help, while at the same time she tried every expedient she could think of to try and escape the pleasure of watching her beloved friend try out lots of gorgeous ensembles.

"Every day I know you, I become more indebted to you," The young woman spoke in a clear voice while bowing deep before Megumi who was wearing Rei's red-and-white miko uniform.

"Think nothing of it, Rei-chan, please," The orangette smiled with slight embarrassment. "It's a nice change for Yuuichirou-kun and me to spend time together while working. It will be fun to get to know a different side of each other."

"I hope you take your task seriously," Rei heard Usagi sulk to her right. "Rei-chan works hard at the shrine. If you agree to take over her shift you better do a good job of it."

Rei narrowed her eyes at the blonde in the short light-green skirt and white-and-green horizontally striped shirt, feeling increasingly irritated as her crush stood by with her chin raised and her eyelids lowered in displeasure, a beige handbag hanging from her left shoulder.

"You bow too!" The blackette in the red French beret and matching jacket over a light-yellow shirt with a black belt around the waist and black trousers over beige canvas boots exclaimed in a sudden rage while pushing her protesting friend's head down with her.

"Please don't worry, Usagi-chan," Megumi sweat-dropped. "I understand what you mean and agree It won't do Rei-chan much good if I take over her shift and do nothing. I'll do my best to replace her;"

"You can't replace Rei-chan!" Usagi exclaimed while struggling against Rei who still pushed her head down. "Nobody can!"

"Say, Rei-chan? Megumi-chan?" Yuuichirou sheepishly approached his girlfriend in his white hakui and mint-green hakama. "I'm afraid I broke the broom while sweeping the sando. "Do either of you know where we keep the spare?"

Standing up and pulling Usagi up with her, Rei closed her eyes in frustration at the question while her companion smirked expectantly at Megumi.

The cheeks of the young woman in the white hakui and red hakama turned a deeper color than her long orange hair as she regarded her boyfriend.

"Why Yuuichirou-kun! Don't you remember Rei-chan told us the brooms and other cleaning instruments are stored in the shrine office store room!" Megumi scolded while shaking the young man with the long brown curly hair by the arms to hide her desire to embrace him because of the clumsy behavior she found so adorable in him. "Honestly, how many years have you been working here!"

Rei smiled and regarded the couple with satisfaction as they walked side by side to the shrine office.

"I don't know why you are letting her get away with this," Usagi said with a sour look.

"You should be kinder to Megumi-chan," Rei simply replied while she started walking to the shrine stairs. "Megumi-chan is a very kind person."

"I don't see how Yuuichirou-kun can ever be happy with a disagreeable person like her," Usagi countered with a whistful look behind her. "All she ever does is command him and yell at him. He was better off with someone else."

"And who might that someone else be, I wonder?" Rei sighed.

"I think you know who that might be," Usagi replied as they walked down the stairs side by side.

Rei observed the disgruntled expression of the twin-tailed friend.
Her heart softened at the obvious misplaced concern for her happiness.

"Stop meddling in other people's love life. Let's find you a beautiful dress to help you shine beside your boyfriend when he introduces you to his American friends," She said with a soft smile to a surprised Usagi. "We need to focus if we are to deceive those people into thinking you are a stylish and erudite young woman."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Usagi fumed.

"It means we'll have to find a way to dress your charming self up so that those noodles on the sides of your head don't clash with the expensive dress we're going to buy for you," Rei winked at her friend.

"Mamochan likes my odangos," Usagi huffed despite feeling happy about the "charming" remark upon reaching the bus stop near the bottom of the stairs. "So I don't want to adopt a different hairstyle just for the party."

"I understand," Rei smiled. "And they make it easier to find you in a crowd."

"Besides," Her twin-tailed friend continued at the same time. "They make it easier to find me in a crowd."

"Bleh, Rei-chan," Usagi reacted with a quick show of her tongue and a shrug. "But it's true."

The blonde spotted the bus they were waiting for approaching in the distance.

"Rei-chan. The bus is here."

Rei looked towards the conveyance and both young women slipped their transit passes from their handbags.

"How nostalgic to be taking the bus here," Usagi smiled as the bus arrived.

Rei ascended the bus and showed her transit pass to the bus driver while Usagi followed and did the same.

"Sure," The miko smirked while seating herself on the second bench from the front. "For you, that's a nice memory. For me, it was the start of endless horrors and death while I basically became your servant."

"You made a lot of friends thanks to me though," Usagi retorted while she sat next to her friend.

"Yes, I did, noodlehead," Rei smiled. "And I'm glad I met you too."

Feeling Rei swinging her arm around her neck and pulling her into a hug for a moment, Usagi smiled happily at the confirmation of friendship.

"Anyway, we've taken the bus together at Hikawa before," Her friend said while looking out the window as she pulled her arm back, hoping Usagi wouldn't notice her guilty blush.

Through the windows to her left on the other side of the passengers' aisle, Usagi watched the rows of trees that only two weeks ago had been covered in clouds of cherry blossoms

Everything was so peaceful now.
Last year, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa had grown into their natural ages and started middle school again.
Minako had finally been able to debut as an idol.
Makoto had amazingly been scouted by a world-renowned chef.
Haruka had raced Gabriel Cobbler on the Fuji Speedway.
Michiru toured the country and South Korea with her orchestra.
Mamoru had finally been able to attend university in the U.S.A.
Setsuna could indulge in her fashion hobby while attending her third year of university.
Ami and Ryo started dating.
Even Rei, who had been so intense with her violent Muay Thai had mellowed a little thanks to teaching Minako how to write lyrics.
And even though Usagi didn't understand why, the blackette seemed strangely happy about Megumi taking Yuuichirou from her.

It had been such a wonderful year. Everyone was so happy.

"It's pretty amazing how you were elected Student-Council President, isn't it, Rei-chan?" The blonde smiled at her friend.

"Yes. More so to be elected for my last year of high school without ever having applied for the position," Rei deadpanned while crossing her arms.

"That's just because everyone at T.A. Girls' Academy loves you so much."

"I thought they did," Rei grimaced. "With a year of cramming for university entrance exams ahead of us, I have my doubts now."

"Asuka-chan told me she helped design the pamphlets," Usagi babbled. "And Junko-chan and everyone from the fashion club designed uniforms for them to visit the houses of students and teachers and convince them of your leadership capabilities."

Rei listened while sweatdropping apprehensively.

"There was even an event in Hinkochi Park and Minako-chan was asked to release a single. Ganbatte Ne reached 5th position in the hit parade," Usagi continued with a serious air while underlining her words with her pointer finger.

"That song was about me?'" Rei gasped.

"You achieved a landslide victory in that even your rivals campaigned for you," Her friend smiled and nodded.

"Ah… I have my responsibilities at the shrine, I have to be ready to fulfill my duties as a Senshi, I have my Muay Thai club training, I have to study for entrance exams next year, and now this," Rei sighed. "At least I don't have to help Minako-chan anymore and I now have a competent ally at Hikawa Shrine."

"But you won't be doing anything you haven't been doing already, Rei-chan," Usagi stated with a blank stare.

Rei calmly regarded the twin-tailed blonde.

"Asuka-chan tells me everyone at school is always looking to you when organizing the culture and sports festivals and the clubs always ask your advice. So you won't have to do any more work than usual," Usagi shrugged. "Your friends at school simply wanted to give you credit for all that you've already been doing."

Rei carefully considered the blonde's claim.

"I suppose put like that I might be spared extra demands on my time," She pondered. "I hope you are right because I'm aiming high for my choice of university."

"Good on you, Rei-chan! So am I! Let's work hard this year!" Usagi cheered.

She saw a look of pure shock on Rei's face.

Sparkles had been one of the hippest boutiques in Minato Ward for over fifteen years.

Founded in the early 1980s by designer Akari Tanaka, the fashionable two-story high-end retailer was the dream employer of now 32-year-old Chiemi Nomura long before her graduation.

One could hardly blame the slender young woman with the braided brown side bun for falling in love with the colorful yet respectable fashion Sparkles made its household style and the daring eighties interior design the store still sported, complete with multicolored tube lighting in just the right places and a similar motley assortment of furniture spread out over a checkerboard tiled floor.

That romance though resulted in a broken heart as her relationship with her place of employment soured over the past few years.

Seated at one end of the large table in the lunchroom next to the mail organizer against the wall, Chiemi was idly drawing a daydream fantasy for a summer fashion retail island display while eating a kombu onigiri.

When her colleague, Hisa Ganaha, entered the room, Chiemi made a low sound in surprise.

"What?!" The stylish silver-haired tomboy in the black bodycon and jacket threateningly exclaimed while staring hard at the brunette.

"You just had your break," Chiemi quietly bit back out of frustration for feeling intimidated by her colleague's behavior.

"What did you say?!" Hisa bellowed. "Your colleagues can't take their break when they please?"

Disgusted by her colleague's social strategy of pretending she was putting up some sort of imagined resistance to an equally imagined instance of tyranny by Chiemi, the brunette quietly averted her face while her blood boiled at the treatment she received for simply being surprised that her colleague entered the lunchroom while she enjoyed her scheduled break.

Chiemi felt her fatigue threatening to overwhelm her again.
Why did she always feel so tired these past few years? Sometimes the brunette feared she might end up like her mother.

Chiemi's mother was a young woman with beautiful flowing curly shoulder-length white hair and a gentle face with a cute narrow chin.
But when Chiemi was six years old, her father left his family for a handsome outgoing woman with a black bob who worked at his company.

Chiemi's mother fell seriously after that and became bedridden.

The brunette vividly remembered how she always sat by the side of her lethargic poorly breathing mother.
Her hair was almost as pale as her mother's back then and equally long and curly.
Chiemi didn't remember her mother's eyes, but she remembered her mother always saying that her father would return.

As her mother's health went downhill, money and thus food became scarce.
Chiemi economized to buy medicine for her lonely mother whom she didn't remember saying anything at all during this period.
She would place the pill her mother needed between the teeth of the young woman and closed her mouth to help her swallow.

Meanwhile, her young mother just lay there, her long white hair spread out on either side of her frail cute face and her hands folded over one another and resting on her belly on top of the bed sheet that covered her

One day, a bunch of people entered their apartment after complaints of an unbearable putrid smell in the building.

Chiemi cried with tears rolling down her cheeks that she didn't want the people to take her away from her mother who would recover if she could just keep feeding her medicine.
But the men and women wouldn't listen to her.

The last thing Chiemi remembered of her mother was the long thin shape of the woman's skeleton underneath the bed sheet and the beautiful long white curly hair on either side of the frail-looking small skull with the cute narrow chin that was half-turned to dust and whose teeth had been half-pulverized by Chiemi trying to feed her long-dead mother her medication.

Chiemi was adopted by a state facility where people took good care of her and the girl was able to enjoy a happy enough time during elementary school, middle school, and beyond.

But the pretty brunette grew up with a slight distrust in people and a certain obsessive preoccupation.
She had a boyfriend or two for short spells but could never truly trust them.
Relationships with female friends were generally shallow and easily dissolved.

Chiemi thought she had a new home when she found employment at Sparkles ten years ago but was now increasingly considering handing in her notice of resignation and starting over due to the hostile behavior of her coworkers.

Realizing Hisa had left the lunch room during her musings and that her own break was almost over the brunette got up and hurriedly pushed the drawing she was killing time with into the box of the mail organizer reserved for her.

The paper sheet slowly whirled down to the floor as Chiemi sighed and opened the door to the store.

It was a rather busy day.

Chiemi saw Hisa talking to a young woman with long dark-green hair. The woman was a regular customer. She was dressed in a beige jacket two shades lighter than her tan over a dark-blue shirt and a long blue dress.
To her right, a woman and her daughter descended the stairs while two teenage boys and two girls ascended.

Kyoko was manning the ground floor cash register near the entrance to the hallway with the fitting rooms which ran parallel with the shop front.

Chiemi remembered how the bluette in the white sleeveless shirt with a star pattern and the short violet dress was promoted over her three years ago.

At an office party after Hisa was hired Kyoko slapped Chiemi lightly on the cheek, saying: "Watch out for Chimie-chan here. She has a poisonous mouth. But she knows she needs to behave around me."
The woman with the long blue ponytail was the one who slowly poisoned everyone against Chiemi.

Two more teens just entered the shop.
A young woman sauntered from the fitting room aisle to the display windows so her boyfriend could observe the dress she was trying out in natural sunlight.

Chiemi's eagle eyes spotted a pair of trousers and a blouse carelessly discarded on the corner of a display island.

"Try to sell something today," A harsh voice whispered behind her as she folded the clothes.

Chiemi turned to face a forty-something redhead in a long sleeveless white dress with a pattern of vertical undulating purple lines.

"I expect you to make a sale to those two girls after you return those," The store manager, Seiko Aburaya, sternly warned her while pointing at the trousers and blouse. "You are not here solely to tidy the store and manage the stock. There is real work to be done."

"Yes Aburaya-san," Chiemi bowed shortly while trying to show her dissatisfied employer a humble face.

Seiko glared at Chiemi as the brunette in the orange shirt and black short skirt walked off to bring the two items of clothing she found to their respective garment racks.

Feeling unjustly admonished, Chiemi reflected on the fact that rather than her needing to be more proactive about approaching customers - which was the subject of most of the fights her colleagues picked with her - the others might pay some more attention to tidying up the store instead of leaving it all to her.

Aside from that, she had been telling Seiko for ages that the hat rack needed to be placed near the summer blouse display island instead of the shop entrance. Her boss never listened to anything she had to say.

While placing the blouse neatly on the surface of the display island, Chiemi measured up the two girls she was assigned to.

One girl had a pair of unwieldy long blonde pigtails and seemed an unruly type herself. Her black-haired friend was about half a head taller and seemed more reserved and modest.
Although Chiemi vaguely remembered a similarly looking girl one time to Hisa's bewilderment vogueing across the second floor while trying on dresses with a tall curly-haired boy as her attendant.

That must have been a different girl.

In any case, Chiemi could tell both girls had a taste for gaudy and clashing pastel outfits.

She also saw they were having a friendly chat with Hisa's customer, which drew a sigh from her since she didn't feel like spending more time near the silver-haired tomboy today after their short clash in the lunch room.

"Hello, Usagi-chan. Rei-chan," Setsuna smiled when her friends walked over to her. "Are you here to check out the summer collection? Sparkles has a nice range."

"Hello, Setsuna-chan," Usagi smiled. "We're here to buy me a new dress. I asked Rei-chan to help me because I didn't want to bother you again."

"Oh! But you can always ask for my help concerning fashion, Usagi-chan," Setsuna smiled. "And the talented employees of Sparkles can provide you with all the assistance you need."

Hisa smiled and nodded at the compliment, waiting until Sestuna's talk with her friends was over.

"I can strongly recommend Nomura-san, who has been observing us over there," Setsuna said while looking over at Chiemi and drawing the eyes of her friends to the startled brunette.

Chiemi heaved a sigh and approached the group.

"Nomura-san may not be the best saleswoman here," Setsuna bluntly told Rei and Usagi. "But she knows the stock of this store and the location of every item of clothing in detail. This results in her being able to imagine from memory any outfit that might suit a customer. What's more, Nomura-san is Sparkles' future visual merchandising manager."

Chiemi blushed in affront as Hisa averted her face and failed to suppress an outburst of derisive laughter.

"I'm serious though," Setsuna soberly turned to the two young women. "Nomura-san will revolutionize visual merchandising strategy and find sincere mutual love with the junior brand manager for Moreau & Dubois."

An awkwardly sweat-dropping Rei and Usagi regarded Chiemi who struggled to retain her composure even though Hisa watched her colleague with a sly smirk.
Both saleswomen thought the brunette's professional shame had become so obvious she had turned into a practical joke to the customers.

"Setsuna-chan," Usagi whispered in her friend's ear. "Should you be doing this?"

The elegant greenette turned to her friend with a defiant smile which the blonde would vividly remember during the coming centuries.

"Usagi-chan," Setsuna calmly stated while looking into the kind eyes of her Queen. "This year I am going to do whatever I want."

"Welcome Okyaku-sama," Chiemi greeted Usagi and Rei. "Please, can I help you?"

"My friend here and her boyfriend have been invited to an informal party by university students he befriended while studying in the U.S.A.," Rei addressed the woman while pulling Usagi close. We want to buy a cocktail dress that accentuates her grace and beauty. And we'll have to do it while somehow making these look complementary."

Usagi made a sour expression as Rei's hand moved down her left pigtail but fell silent as her friend gently weighed the long cluster of hair as if it was silk and allowed it to slowly cascade from her fingers when the weight of the blonde strands' length she already fondled exceeded that of the length that was still to come.

The blackette quickly added: "Ahem. And we should look at some swimwear too in case the party location has a swimming pool."

Setsuna grinned with glee behind Rei as the miko tried to look composed.

"Then let us first see what we can find to your liking among our dresses," Chiemi smiled at Usagi while leading the two teens to the garment racks near the window.

"I have no further need for assistance, Ganaha-san," Setsuna told Hisa. "I found what I'm looking for."

With a short bow, the tomboy left the greenette to join her friends.

While Chiemi was trying to make small talk with Usagi and gathering the dresses she thought would look good on the girl, a 46-year-old woman in a beige jacket over a white blouse and a dark-green skirt entered the store's stockroom via the backdoor.

Akari Tanaka was notorious among her employees for occasionally bringing unannounced visits to the various locations of Sparkles.

The woman with the shoulder-length curly black hair let her eyes hover over the shirts and blouses in the stockroom. She appreciated the cleanliness of the shelves while checking the stock of the store's merchandise.

But Akari's attention was divided.
Sparkles' brand appreciation was waning. Profit was down too for the last eleven months.

Akari knew where the problem lay. Sparkles hadn't evolved with the times.
The store could still offer a wide and trendy assortment of designs from the top brands at highly competitive prices.
Her cultivation of customer relations with her suppliers ensured the quality of the products she bought.
She had the right people in the right places to control that quality and ensure no subpar product would be distributed to the loyal customers of Sparkles.

The fault lay not with the products Sparkles offered. It lay with the image of the chain the blackette started over fifteen years ago.

Proud Akari had a hard time admitting so, but the creative vision of her youth had left her.
After a fierce personal struggle, she contracted a marketing firm to design a new image for Sparkles, but while the people she hired could not have shown more effort and enthusiasm while working on the marketing plan they eventually presented Akari with, the seasoned businesswoman could not envision her darling child dressed up that way.

Ever since, Akari was at a loss on how to proceed.
Should she contract another firm? She had a hard time letting go of creative control the first time.
Maybe she should be harder on herself? Surely she was only making excuses for herself at the expense of Sparkles' future?

With this internal dialogue occupying her mind, Chiemi's employer entered the employees' lunch room.

"And lastly," Chiemi smiled while handing Usagi another dress, which Setsuna took from her and hung in the fitting room with the brunette's other suggestions. "I think this beige sheath dress complements the color of your hair, which helps your pigtails to blend in."

Having stayed behind in the store where she had found two more dresses and a classy blouse-and-skirt ensemble she thought her friend would look incredibly sexy in, Rei arrived at the fitting room aisle a little later than the others.

"Here, I found these and wondered if they might look good on you," She told Usagi while handing over the dresses to her.

"Did you really, Rei-chan?" Setsuna asked in an insinuating tone while looking at the blackette with a suggestive smile. "How nice of you to give so much thought to the matter."

"Erm… I'm just doing what Usagi asked me to come with her for," Rei momentarily faltered under scrutiny.

She strategically averted her gaze towards the fitting room to her left, finding herself staring at the dresses Chiemi had selected for Usagi.

"There sure are a lot of beige, gray, white, and black dresses among that selection," The miko sweatdropped.

"Those are the colors of the approaching decade. We can finally leave the nineties with their garish pastel color combinations behind us," Chiemi chuckled amusedly. "If you look at our summer collections, they reflect a break with past trends. Sparkles is guided by a new era, acting with grace and elegance."

'Where have I heard that before?' Setsuna wondered.

"Thank you for being so helpful, everyone," Usagi smiled as she hung Rei's suggestions up in the fitting room. "I thought this looked cool too. I can't wait to try it on."

Rei and Chiemi watched the blonde hold up a fiery red short-sleeved Chinese dress with a couple of eye-catching gold embroidered long-tailed phoenixes front and back.

"Oh!" Chiemi exclaimed as an idea struck her. "I know the perfect accessory for that dress. I'll go to the stockroom for it."

"Then we'll start trying out the other dresses, Usagi-chan," Setsuna smiled while pushing her friend into the large cubicle. "I'll help you into the more challenging ones.
We won't bother Rei-chan with such a tedious task."

"What is that supposed to mean?" A suspicious Rei fumed as Setsuna closed the curtain before her eyes with a teasing smirk.

The miko turned around with her arms crossed, her thoughts returning to her duties as her school's student council president for the year.

Usagi did have a point about Rei not needing to spend more time on those duties than she did helping out the clubs last year, but Rei was acutely aware she didn't boast quite the brainpower of Ami, Ryo, Hotaru, Mamoru, or Setsuna.
If she wanted to get into Tokyo U she would have to cram like a demon.

What was Usagi talking about anyway, saying she was aiming high too?

"We are ready for your scrutiny, Rei-chan!" She heard Setsuna call out.

The curtain was drawn immediately, revealing Usagi standing next to Setsuna in a beautiful black off-the-shoulder ruffle dress with an asymmetrical skirt.
The longest part of the hemline fell over the blonde's right leg, leaving much of the left limb exposed.

Rei's enlarged pupils feasted on her friend's bare lower leg and shoulders while marveling at the perfect cohesion of cuteness and elegance in the "leaping white bunnies" print on the stylish black dress.

"Oh! I think Rei-chan likes this dress very much, Usag-chan," Setsuna gleefully whispered in the blonde's left ear.

"You do, Rei-chan?" A thus far neutral Usagi now eagerly giggled.

"It's nice," Rei quietly stammered while a low hissing sound rose from the handbag over her shoulder.

"Only nice?" Setsuna teasingly inquired while Usagi tilted her head.

"It's… It's c… cute," Rei embellished with a slight blush. "And sen…"

"Sensational?" Setsuna smiled.

"Sensual…"

Now Usagi blushed, hardly knowing why.

"Let's try on another dress then, Usagi-chan," Setsuna said, pulling the curtain that hid them from Rei's sight. "But we've established this one is a favorite of Rei-chan's."

Rei exhaled. She hadn't been ready for this, she now realized.
This fitting session seemed like so much of her idle daydreams of Usagi visiting her in the shrine while dressed in some alluring outfit were coming to life.

"What? But I thought…" She heard Usagi quietly protest in the cubicle behind her.

"I might have shot myself in the foot in agreeing to this," The miko muttered while facepalming.

"Did you say something, Rei-chan?" Usagi called out.

"No. Nevermind."

'But Usagi did look gorgeous in that dress,' a heated Rei reflected with a firm nod. 'I hope she buys it even if she doesn't wear it to the party.'

"Alright, Rei-chan!" Setsuna spoke up, urging the miko to turn towards the fitting room again. "We have another pretty ensemble for you to appraise."

Rei's jaw dropped when the curtain was drawn back and Usagi stood before her in a revealing violet floral halter top bikini and bottom that proudly displayed the bosom whose growth the miko had been taking note of during the past two years.

The miko's handbag sprang open as if exploding when Diana jumped out of it and covered Rei's eyes with her body.

"That's enough of your games, you devious temptress!" The catten furiously exclaimed to Setsuna's amusement and Usagi's confusion. "It's not the time for that yet!
My mission is hard enough as it is without your tampering!"

"Why was a blank furry spy hiding in my handbag?" Rei threateningly inquired while gently pulling Diana from her face and holding the white cat by the neck.

Diana grinned sheepishly and racked her brain to invent a plausible excuse as she stared into Rei's smoldering glare.

The visitor from the future was saved from her predicament when the boutique's front door swung open with a gust of wind ominously blowing into the store.

Rei and Setsuna simultaneously turned their heads to watch how Hisa pushed the door shut again. The apprehensive looks on their faces told Usagi and Diana all they needed to know.

"I sense an evil presence," The miko whispered.

"Yes! That's what I wanted to warn you guys about!" Diana hurriedly spoke.

"I sensed it too," Setsuna nodded. "I think you better both enter the fitting room and transform in case trouble starts."

With a stern nod, Usagi and Rei entered the cubicle and closed the curtain while Diana jumped on Setsuna's shoulder.

Chiemi, meanwhile, reached the entrance to the stockroom when a conversation between Hisa and two teenage girls caught her ear.

"And why are you giving those to me if you don't want to buy them?" The bluette asked the two girls with black ponytails in the T.A. Girls' Academy uniforms.

"The lady with the brown hair once told us to bring clothes we fitted to one of the employees if we're not buying them," The tallest girl said.

Obscured from view by a garment rack behind her colleagues' back, Chiemi stealthily hid behind a neon blue pillar to spy on Hisa's reaction.

Hisa looked at the green sweater and black short skirt the girl held up to her.

"Ah…" She grinned. "I know what you're talking about. I'm afraid that person is experiencing psychological problems. You girls can simply leave any clothes you don't want to buy on the display tables wherever you see fit. We'll fold them or hang them up in their proper place."

The vicious remark and the suspicion that Hisa or Kyko had said similar things about her to other customers cut Chiemi like a knife.
Tears pricked her eyes. She felt like screaming out her pain.

It was Seiko turning down her suggestion to organize the discarding of rejected fits at the entrance to the fitting room aisle that made Chiemi feel forced to appeal to customers in order to create some sort of system.
The handling of this situation was increasingly pushed onto the brunette as a result of her professional insecurities and the lack of respect shown to her by her colleagues.

Overwhelmed by the cold empty sensation inside of her, Chiemi fleed to the storeroom.

'Meioh-san used to seem like a nice person,' Chiemi reflected while wandering around in the storeroom. 'Perhaps her nasty jokes from earlier originated from Kyoko or Hisa turning her opinion against me after such talk too.'

The woman leaned against a shelf of skirts and rested her head against the cold steel of the support beams, feeling tired again.

This wasn't the first time Chiemi felt like quitting her job.
But she was always held back by her love for Sparkles and her indefatigable urge to learn everything about the boutique and the nature of her job.
The brunette knew the ins and outs of the store as thoroughly as Seiko.

This extensive knowledge, or rather the need for that knowledge to feel confident in her function, was keeping Chiemi from leaving Sparkles more than anything.
But she was also horrified of immediately being found out as a fraud of a saleswoman if she tried to get a job at a different store.
After these past few years, the brunette was afraid of again finding herself among colleagues who despised her if she changed jobs

Chiemi's love for Sparkles had been her anchor once. But that anchor was dragging her down and shipwrecking her in the depths of despair.

At this moment, when Chiemi found the gold-colored silk shawl with an embroidered red dragon for Usagi, Christoph Wagner walked up behind the depressed woman.

"It is an unbearable sin to corrupt knowledge into an excuse for inertia," The wiry young man with the neatly trimmed caramel-blonde mustache and marquisetto beard sharply condemned Chiemi as he brought forth a ball of clay from the pocket of his long blue robe.

The pulsating clay ball fell from the scholar's hand and rolled towards its prey.

"My faith is with you, Seepocke. I am sure you will be able to procure our merchandise." The Soul Merchant muttered while observing its advance.

Chiemi lifted the gold-and-red shawl from the pile and humourlessly admired the fabric.

'Maybe this time,' She reflected. 'I should gather my courage and leave. I don't know how fast I can find employment elsewhere, but I can't deal with this constant harassment and obstruction anymore.'

"Golem."

'If I don't want to end up like Mother I need to cut myself loose and save myself. I have to do it now.'

"Golem."

'Who said that?' Chiemi wondered upon finally hearing the low hollow voice behind her.

When the brunette turned around, her comprehension of the physical world failed her in a crashing tumbling dizzy sensation.

Before Chiemi stood a bald woman dressed in a yellow blouse with white horizontal stripes and a gray yoke waist skirt.
What had Chiemi gasping in fear and losing her grip on the shawl for Usagi no less than on reality was the realization that the woman had no face.
Chiemi felt her consciousness slip. Emotional exhaustion and the shock of what stood before her finally overtook the woman.

Before the muscles of her body gave way, however, the creature in front of her dissolved into a gigantic blotch of gray clay that sprayed all over her.

Meanwhile, in the employee lunch room, Akari Tanaka wandered towards the mail organizer against the wall while noting the slightly dirty table in the middle of the room.

The woman in the beige jacket and dark-green skirt spotted a piece of paper lying on the floor between the table and the mail organizer.
With a sigh, she kneeled on her left knee and grasped the paper with her right hand before lifting it from the floor.

Upon getting up, Akari took the paper sheet into both hands.
Her facial expression changed into one of deep wonder as her eyes traced the lines of the intricate drawing they found on the paper.
She saw her child's adventurous neon eighties soul reformed into a confident adolescent Sparkles guided by a new era and acting with grace and elegance.

Akari was amazed at the creation by the person who had so perfectly achieved what she had been striving for in vain these past months.
But before she could search for the creative mind responsible for this amazing design, the woman with the shoulder-length black curls turned towards the door to the store from where she heard a frightening howl.

"Please allow Seepocke to redesign your worn-out image, Okyaku-sama-sama! It will only take a minute of your time for me to create the new you!"

Pushed into the corner between the cash register and the entrance to the fitting room aisle, Hisa Ganaha stared in horror at the hulking brightly colored humanoid coral reef creature that somehow wore Chiemi's face.

"Please… Please…" The terrified young woman with the short boyish silver hairdo whispered while staring in shock at the bright red number 23 on the monster's forehead.

Kyoko and the customers in the store stood transfixed in horror.

"Let's take a look at the new you!" Seepocke exclaimed, taking a screaming Hisa by the hand and twirling her around.

Seiko slowly moved towards the door to the lunchroom, hoping to slip out of the store unnoticed and call the police on the only telephone in the store.

The store manager watched how Seepocke seemingly permanently attached Hisa to the wall by way of a formless coral structure covering her body and silenced the young woman in the black bodycon by stopping her mouth with a pacifier.

The door Seiko was trying to reach was stealthily opened by Akari, who carefully peeked out.

"What is going on out there?" Seiko's employer sissed to the startled redhead in the long sleeveless white dress.

"I think now is a good time for you to transform," Setsuna whispered to Rei and Usagi.

In an instant, the Eternal Moon Article appeared and opened its lid, revealing the crystal inside. Usagi brushed her hand past the crystal while exclaiming her transformation command: "Moon Eternal, Make Up!"

A bright pink light radiated from the Eternal Moon Article while feathers twirled all around. Four swirls of golden light coalesced and formed the crescent moon on Sailor Moon's forehead.

Sailor Moon spread the wings that appeared on her back and extended her arms to the sides, revealing that she was clothed in her white leotard with pink puff shoulder pads, a dark-blue neckerchief, and a white feather-shaped bow over her breasts with a golden heart embraced by a crescent moon.

The young woman covered her chest with her arms and spread them out again.

Feathers gathered around the limbs to form her long white gloves.

She then twirled around her axis and, in another swirl of feathers, her red-and-blue bordered yellow skirt appeared.
So did her long white boots and the red hairclips that covered her odangos.

Eternal Sailor Moon spun around once more while her wings became smaller and the two long red ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailed around her.

Then she finished her transformation by posing with her left knee bent and raised while looking to the left with her left arm extended behind her and her right arm bent at the elbow above her head.

The Mars symbol activated on the fiery red Mars Orb as Rei exclaimed her transformation command: "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Rei raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Mars Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The red Mars symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and five swirls of blazing fire streamed from the tips of the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis while the fiery swirls morphed into circles of fire that danced around her as her long black hair streamed upward.

Standing with her feet wide apart, Rei raised her arms with the Crystal Change Rod still in her right hand.

The circles of fire narrowed around Rei's body and legs, forming her glowing red high heels, her red skirt with the large red bow on her lower back, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the fiery red heart at the center of the purple bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her red neckerchief, and the golden tiara with the glowing red crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Mars spun around once more, the two long red ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailing around her while her long black hair slowly lowered over her shoulders and back.

A glowing red bow and arrow appeared behind her as she struck a pose in a wide left-leg-forward A-stance with her left hand on her left hip and her right arm parallel to her left leg.

"Mars!"

The symbol of Mars appeared in the palm of Mars's hand, unleashing a veritable inferno.

"Flame!"

A startled Sailor Moon jumped back when she realized her friend was about to launch her attack without exiting the fitting room cubicle.

Mars got down on her left knee and bent her right knee, balancing herself on her right foot while a fiery bow appeared in her right hand. She drew a glowing arrow with her left hand.

The Senshi of Fire and Passion's glaring purple eyes peered at the shadows she discerned through the fabric of the fitting room curtain. Her ears listened intently at Seepocke's ramblings when the creature addressed a trembling Kyoko at the cash register.

"Sniper!"

As Mars jumped up, the air around her bow spontaneously burst into flames from the heat of the several thousand degrees Celsius hot arrow of fire the young woman launched through the fitting room curtain.

The entire sequence took less than ten seconds and the flaming arrow that pierced a hole in the fitting room curtain and set it on fire consecutively took Seepocke entirely by surprise.

"Salvation!" The coral giant cried out when the huge beam of fire blasted the creature and melted it away from Chiemi.

Its clay shape was reduced to a small gorgeously enameled porcelain homunculus that fell on the floor next to Chiemi's unconscious body with smoke rising from it.

Akari, Seiko, and the customers in the store slowly and cautiously gathered around Kyoko and Hisa's coral-covered bodies, and Chiemi, whose trembling eyelashes showed that the woman was recovering from her earlier shock.

"That… That didn't take long," Sailor Moon muttered with some astonishment.

"I have a talent for pottery in my blood," Mars smugly reacted, blowing at the tip of her left Fire Soul finger. "What's more: I can't spare the time to fight these things.
I'm glad we were able to handle the situation quickly. Let's de-transform."

A smiling Moon nodded her consent.

Setsuna and Diana observed how Seiko and a few men who had entered the store when people outside saw what was happening occupied themselves with the disgusting task of breaking Kyoko and Hisa from their coral reef prisons.

Akari moved to Chiemi's side when the brunette crawled up.

"What happened?" The half-conscious young woman muttered.

"What happened?!" Seiko repeated in anger. "What you did. That's what happened."

"I don't think any ordinary human being can cause such strangeness, Aburaya-san," Akari said. "Your employee seemed to have been under the influence of this thing."

Chiemi saw the small baked clay figure on the floor beside her green pumps and remembered the clay figure looming over her in the storeroom.
Shuddering at the recollection, the brunette couldn't get her head around what had happened.

One thing was crystal clear to her: If that thing had caused her to have Kyoko and Hisa covered in the disgusting gue they were being freed from, she couldn't stay at Sparkles after today.

With a look of mingled anger and gratitude, the internally screaming brunette put her heel to the dead husk of the golem that had taken control of her and crushed the clay figure.

"I'll contact a firm I know to clean up the store, Aburaya-san," Akari addressed Seiko. "And I'll run the cash register for the rest of the day.
You call an ambulance to get these women checked out at the hospital. I'll call the rest of your staff with my cellphone and see who can come to work.
Of high importance is also who drew this."

Chiemi recognized the drawing in Akari's raised hand.

"That is mine. Can I have it, please?"

Stunned at finding the person she wanted so fast, Akari allowed a semi-instinctively acting Chiemi to grasp the paper from her, fold it, and pocket it.

"Excuse me, Aburaya-san," Chiemi next bowed to Seiko. "I can no longer remain at Sparkles after what happened today. You can expect my letter of resignation on your desk if the doctor allows me to resume work tomorrow."

Seiko and Akari dumbfoundedly looked on as Chiemi left them and walked to the storeroom.

"I think I'll pick this one after all," Usagi smiled, admiring her reflection wearing the red Chinese dress in the mirror. "It's so cool."

"It suits you surprisingly well," Setsuna observed with her hand on her chin while Diana regarded the greenette suspiciously. "The dress with the bunnies looked good on you too though. If you have the money to buy two dresses… What do you think, Rei-chan?"

"Hmm," Rei reacted. "Buy this one for the party. Buy the dress with the bunnies for another occasion."

"Taiki-kun's birthday is coming up," Setsuna smiled. "That would be a perfect moment to show it off."

"Excuse me, Okyaku-sama-sama," Chiemi smiled while presenting Usagi with the golden shawl featuring the embroidered red dragon draped over her hands. "I think you'll find this a perfect addition to your dress."

Setsuna and Rei watched the brunette cover their friend's shoulders with the accessory.

"I knew that would look glorious on you," Chiemi smiled as she stepped back.

"An ensemble fit for an Empress. Or a Queen," Setsuna grinned.

"For a Princess in any case," Rei soberly corrected her friend.

"My apologies Okyaku-sama-sama, but I won't assist you beyond this. Due to some accidents just now in the store, I have to accompany two colleagues to the hospital.
But this does result in you having the exceptional opportunity of getting the items you buy checked out with the founder of Sparkles, Akari Tanaka-san, at the cash register," Chiemi bowed.

As the woman turned away, Setsuna detained her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Nomura-san," The greenette smiled.

Chiemi frowned at the younger woman.

"I just want to tell you one more thing," Setsuna said. "Tanaka-san doesn't give up easily when she wants something for Sparkles.
Don't worry about any future decisions you will have to make. Certain things are set in stone."

"Tha… Thank you," The confused Chiemi bowed.

"I have to agree with Usagi," Diana sweatdropped when the brunette returned to her employer in the store. "You just can't go around telling people about their future."

"According to a certain someone, it is our highest endeavor to fight the laws that keep us from improving the quality of life, catten," Setsuna muttered while watching one of her all-time heroines meet with destiny.

"Yes," Diana groaned. "And mentioning them in the present day is dangerous in itself."

"But it looks like our life of peace and happiness is ending," Rei spoke up behind them."We'll have to tell the others a new enemy has emerged."

"Do we have to?" Usagi sulked. "I don't think one creature means we're facing a major threat."

Rei turned to face her friend with an annoyed expression.

"These things don't usually come alone though," She said. "From experience, we can tell…"

"It's one creature, Rei-chan," Usagi reacted in an equally irritable tone while tapping her foot. "I say we still live in peace until we see at least three more creatures."

"Usagiiii. Remember how usually when a new enemy surfaces we laugh and play around without forming any real plan and get into trouble because we don't take them seriously until things get really scary?"

"Scaredycat, scardeycat," Usagi whined. "Rei-chan is a scaredycat."

"What?" tumbled from a cross-eyed looking Diana's tongue.

Setsuna watched how Rei closed her eyes and controlled her breathing to temper her frustration.

"You know what?" The blackette then smiled viciously. "I needed this. Thank you. I can't believe I almost forgot about this side of you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Usagi flared up.

"It means you are a pain in the butt!"

"See?" Setsuna smiled at the white catten sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Don't lose any sleep over your assignment, little one. Change doesn't occur that easily."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"Why are you so obsessed with Carolina-senpai, Fuminori-kun? She's arrogant enough without being made the center of attention!"
"I'm not obsessing over her, Chibi-Usa-chan. I have a boyfriend, remember?"
"That may be true, but it seems like everything everyone does today is somehow connected to my conceited club senpai. It's so annoying!"
"Would you prefer to have me to yourself, Chibi-Usa-chan?"
"I'm not going wild over your girlfriend, Chibi-Usa-chan. I'm just grating wasabi."
"Ugh! She's not my girlfriend, Mako-chan!"
"I don't think she's that special either. I'd rather get a girlfriend back on Kinmoku."
"With Chibi-Usa-chan in this state, I guess it falls to us to save the day, Taiki-kun."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Makoto-chan. Time for us amazones to shine!"
"Thanks... Although I would have preferred a more ladylike nickname. But... Thanks."

"Heroes don't persecute a person for the sake of an ideal! Enter the crusading knight of the German order!"

During the month of April, it became a habit for Masanori Tsuzuki to leave his and Chibi-Usa's homeroom at noon and share lunch with his boyfriend in the school's courtyard.
After this happened a few times, his pink-haired friend started to join them. Often in the company of their friends, Momoko Momohara and Kyuusuke Sarashina.
As soon as this was revealed in the art club through conversations between Masanori and Chibi-Usa, their senpai and club president, Carolina Rodrigues, was quick to join the regular lunch party.

So, naturally, on a bright and sunny Friday in the first week of May, the blossoming friendship between the six boys and girls deepened as they discussed the most recent exploits in sports and romance over bento boxes filled with delicious and healthy meals.

"You should have seen Hotaru-chan!" Chibi-Usa gushed. "It was as if she played tennis all of her life!"

"Moritaka-sensei must be pleased the team did so well on their first preliminary matches," Fuminori dryly commented. "Suginami East High has a pretty strong team, so that was a great introduction for Hotaru-kun."

"She was fast," Momoko grinned while chewing on a sweet tamagoyaki. "Her opponent was trying to hit her with lots of feints, but though she could fool Hotaru-kun some of the time, she couldn't fool her all of the time. Hotaru-kun was also too fast for a lot of the feints to work. If she was put on the wrong footing she quickly recovered and reached the ball anyway."

Kyuusuke observed the animated talk of his girlfriend sitting to his right on the bench they shared with Chibi-Usa while drinking his bottle of Coca-Cola.

"Yes," Chibi-Usa nodded while swallowing a piece of cabbage and gesturing with her chopsticks. "Hotaru-chan went like Swoosh-swoosh! Swoosh-swoosh!"

Her club-senpai, Carolina chuckled at the feast of Chibi-Usa-cuteness on display.

"Well, it's only natural for Hotaru-kun to have trouble finding answers to the other players' strategies in her first matches," Kyuusuke shrugged. "She might be skilled, but she's still new to competition-level tennis."

"A score of 5-6, 6-4, and 6-3 is quite the performance on your first competitive match though," Fuminori nodded while pushing up his lower lip. "Against Shimizu Karen-san no less."

"Don't do that, Fumichan" Masanori whined at his boyfriend with a half-amused/half-annoyed grimace. "You look like an old man when you make that face."

Carolina, Momoko, and Kyuusuke burst out in laughter when Fuminori glanced at the boy with the slik dark-brown haircut to his left who exaggerated the face he just made.

"Just for that, I might very well start to practice that grimace in the mirror," The blonde third-year middle school with the wild tuft of hair hanging just over his left eyebrow deadpanned. "I'd mold my face by doing it every day and make sure that's the expression you'll have to look at when I become an old man."

"Something to look forward to, Masanori-kun," Carolina teased.

"He's flattering himself if he thinks I won't find myself a handsome toyboy in my old age rather than stay in the house with a guy who looks twenty years older than he is and smells like sweaty gym socks," Her friend joked.

"The two of you sound like you're an old couple already," Kyuusuke chuckled, causing Masanori and Fuminori to share an embarrassed grin.

"Imagine us living together," A grinning Masanori started to daydream.

Eating a piece of carrot, Chibi-Usa watched her friend's face.

Masanori and Fuminori stood side by side in their handsome dark navy-blue uniforms.
The latter curiously regarded the animated expression of his boyfriend.

An instinct made Chibi-Usa turn to her left, which allowed her to catch Carolina - who stood to the left of the bench the pinkette shared with Momoko and Kyuusuke - watching her with a grin before the Portuguese with the low curly black ponytail turned her eyes to their male friends.

"Just enjoying how cute you look nibbling that carrot, my little rabbit," The pinkette's shameless club president quietly spoke to her kouhai's happy embarrassment.

"We'd have to get a dog to tire Fumichan out after work," Masanori shared. "Or he'd drive me against the walls with his hyperactive behavior."

"Fuminori-kun is hyperactive?!" Momoko laughed. 'Stoneface Nakano is hyperactive?"

"I hope you made that nickname up on the spot?" Fuminori deadpanned.

"Don't worry. She did." Kyuusuke sagely nodded while Carolina and Chibi-Usa shared in his girlfriend's amused disbelief.

"You don't believe me? Fumichan may look like a cool collected superhero at school," Masanori laughed. "But he can't sit still for a minute when we hang out."

"Hey, that's confidential information," His boyfriend nervously complained while tapping against Masanori's heel.

"Aren't you just bragging about your love life now, Masanori-kun?" His club senpai smirked.

"Isn't he always?" Kyuusuke sighed. "Listening to him, they are always in each other's bedroom. I sure wish Momo-chan would invite me to her room so often."

"Well those are the joys of being gay," Fuminori sarcastically commented. "You're in danger of becoming the subject of malicious gossip anytime you get too intimate together in public."

"And it's not like we get to hang out much when I watch Fumichan during practice or competitions," Masanori added. "I can't help it if you guys only get to have a love life in your imagination."

The boy with the slik dark-brown hairdo saw a sad puppy-faced Carolina stealthily eyeing Chibi-Usa, with her kouhai rolling her eyes skyward and pretending not to notice.

The pinkette was still coming to terms with the fact that she couldn't help feeling attracted to her club senpai.
The possibility of her going into puberty and finding out that she likes girls never entered Chibi-Usa's mind until certain things were properly explained to her about her parents.

The fact that both of them were so busy with the sensitive politics of the time and her being taken care of as often by the other Senshi and their lovers as by her parents didn't exactly make it easy for her to figure the latter's relationship out as a child. But once she was told everything, a range of new romantic probabilities for herself gradually eased themselves into Chibi-Usa's acceptance.

Chibi-Usa also couldn't get out from under the fact that the predatory Carolina had been making advances on her since the private club event she and Masanori hosted for the younger girl's sake.
Handsome, inspiring, dependable, and solicitous, Carolina instantly became one of the reasons Chibi-Usa decided to join.

But there was also the fact that said senpai in a very un-Japanese way put her personality on full display to the object of her affection.
Carolina's pride and girl-crazy nature presented Chibi-Usa with more than a few considerations not to give in to the feelings of wanting to be held and cherished by the taller girl or to chat and joke with her without reserve about a thousand things the two of them discovered they shared an interest in.

"Ow!" "Ow!"

The exclamations coming from Carolina herself and an unfamiliar voice prompted Chibi-Usa to turn her face to the left where she saw a boy about Kyuusuke's height and Masanori's build with a ragged light-brown hairdo after he bumped into the Portuguese.

The boy in the dark navy-blue uniform turned what seemed like an antipathic scowl on Carolina as he regarded her post-collision.

"Sorry there, buddy," Carolina smiled amiably to the young man. "I'm alright. I hope you didn't get hurt either?"

Without saying a word, the boy moodily turned ahead and walked on.

"Hey! It wouldn't be impolite to apologize for what we both know was a maliciously intended collision!" Fuminori exclaimed with unexpected passion.

His outburst shocked Chibi-Usa and her friends, but the object of the table tennis ace's anger walked on toward the other side of the schoolyard seemingly unperturbed.

"That guy…" Fuminori fumed.

"It's alright, Fuminori-kun. Really," Carolina chuckled with genuine amusement. "Thank you for defending my honor, but I really don't need a knight in shiny armor for a little bump."

"Why do you let him get away with this?"

Carolina simply shrugged and smiled.

"Matsumoto-san is a bit of a weirdo, but he doesn't mean any harm."

"This is about more than a bump and you know it," Fuminori sighed while folding his arms.

"You seem to know it," Carolina said in a slightly annoyed tone while rolling her eyes. "As far as I know Matsumoto-san bumped into me and not you, so there is no reason for you to get worked up about it, is there?"

"You know that guy?" Kyuusuke asked.

"He's in Carolina-senpai's class," Masanori explained.

"He can't stand her because she's a foreigner," Fuminori huffed.

"Allegedly," Carolina dryly commented.

"I heard he asked some classmates who were talking about you if you even knew a single Kanji," Fuminori said.

"Hearsay," Carolina countered.

"Another guy in your class told me he wanted to know why you couldn't stay in your own country."

"I hope that friend of yours was so considerate to spread the word that I came here because Japanese girls are cuter than Portuguese ones?"

Momoko burst into laughter while Masanori rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Is there some sensible reason why you want such a ridiculous claim to be spread?" Chibi-Usa heard herself ask in an annoyed tone before she blushed and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my!" Carolina gleefully chuckled. "Is that perhaps a veiled compliment I heard just now?"

"I was merely speaking in defense of other Portuguese girls," Chibi-Usa suavely claimed upon recovering herself. "Only someone as vain as you would interpret those words as a compliment to herself."

"Aw..." Her senpai sighed in defeat.

"To change this clearly loaded subject..." Momoko spoke up. "How was the movie you saw together with Hotaru-kun and Shingo-kun last weekend?"

"It was an interesting story," Carolina grinned.

"We saw Lost Paradise," Chibi-Usa said. "A drama about two older married people who start an affair. They feel miserable in their marriages and the man feels trapped in his job so they only savor happiness when they are together.

"It's very tragic," Carolina added. "Because the affair slowly starts to destroy their lives and hurt their loved ones. Eventually, they see no other way to be together than by committing suicide during a romantic weekend.
The first part is slow-paced and contains several explicit love scenes."

Chibi-Usa narrowed her eyes at her club senpai.

"Yes. We all know you were feasting your eyes on the heroine's naked body," She smirked.

"I was more into the hero's daughter. Kimura Yoshino-san is such a cutie," Carolina gushed. "She's going to become a major movie star. I can feel it"

Fuminori quietly chuckled while Masanori rolled his eyes.

"When the heroine's husband sent the pictures the private detective he hired made of the lead couple to the hero's company so he could get him into trouble with his boss…" A smiling Chibi-Usa deadpanned. "Carolina-senpai whispered in my ear that she wouldn't do anything so mean if I was unhappily married to her."

"Gee, Chibi-Usa-chan," Momoko whispered into her friend's ear. "I don't want to push you into anything, but Carolina-senpai is so obsessed with you. Maybe you should see if you'd be happy with her?"

"No way!" A surprised Carolina heard the pinkette sitting to her right stubbornly exclaim with her arms folded over her chest. "For starters, Since we sat down here, Carolina-senpai has been ogling no less than six girls in the schoolyard around us."

"Hahaha!" The sweat-dropping Portuguese laughed while Masanori showed her a critical stare.

"On top of that, I have yet to hear a proper confession. I'm not starting a relationship with someone who doesn't want to commit to it."

"I think Carolina-senpai has just been called out to prove she's not playing around," Masanori grinned.

"Then I'll just have to come up with a major romantic confession," His friend with the low black ponytail smugly returned his smile.

"But it was a good movie," Chibi-Usa returned to the original subject. "Shingo-kun has great taste in movies, even if they are often sad. The actors convincingly conveyed why their characters sought comfort with each other and an escape from their lives through death."

"The male lead was very handsome and gentle," Carolina added. "He reminded me of Richard Gere with his graying wavy hairdo. The sort of man you can imagine a woman convinced that her life is over can find solace with."

Chibi-Usa watched her senpai's face while sipping her can of iced tea, thinking just like she did at the cinema that somehow the male lead reminded her of Mamoru.

Assistant Professor Jirou Higashi sipped his coffee from a beige ceramic cup while lazily admiring the view of the city through the window of the love hotel where he stayed the night.

The neatly-shaven young man with the short unassuming dark-purple hairdo felt satisfied after an evening of drinking and hungry sex and a morning of gentle lovemaking with occasional breakfasting.
Now showered and dressed in a dark-blue suit over a light-beige shirt while his student was still lying in bed, he lingered with faint regret before leaving for his first teaching job of the day.

"I wish you would allow me more than a date per month, Meioh-san. I understand your concerns. I have them too. But still… you are a harsh mistress."

"I simply cannot have you developing any romantic feelings for me, Higashi-sensei," Setsuna matter-of-factly replied while combing her long dark-green which had finally dried after her shower. "As you acknowledge, we both have reasons to keep this boundary."

Jirou turned around to face the tall handsome young woman. The greenette's left leg was hanging over the edge of the bed while her right limb was lying underneath the white bedsheets. Her beautiful plump breasts were covered in an alluring black-and-white print bra.

Even though he was still young, he was confident he could keep his feelings in check and wait until he could employ them for the romantic attachment to a woman that would not get him in trouble with his employer. But to be denied the taste and touch of this student's glorious body for such long periods was a hardship that troubled him occasionally.

"In any case," He idly continued the argument. "I doubt this rule of yours would prevent the development of romantic attachment. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Setsuna finished combing her hair and quietly regarded her teacher, a quizzical smile appearing on her face as he deposited his empty coffee cup on the cocktail table near the window.

"I am only too aware, Higashi-sensei," She smoothly spoke. "The restriction isn't meant to keep us from falling for each other. It is meant to provide a timeframe between each meeting during which I can soberly evaluate your behavior and end our agreement if I feel the need to do so."

Jirou shivered shortly at the coldness of the statement while returning Setsuna's gaze. The optical physics professor averted his eyes when Setsuna pulled her gray blouse over her head and walked to the mirror beside the door to look himself over.

"Sometimes I start to doubt this story of an illness that you refuse to go into detail about," He gently spoke. "And I worry you might commit some ill-advised act over a lost love I am supposed to substitute for."

Setsuna paused shortly while pulling the long black skirt she recently bought at Sparkles over her legs.

"Perhaps it is a bit of both," She thoughtfully reacted.

Jirou watched his student sit on the side of the bed, sliding her feet into a pair of black peep-toe shoes.

"I knew it!" He laughed. "You're just messing with my head. Well… I have to leave now."

The handsome young man turned around and picked up his briefcase while Setsuna turned on the television set opposite the bed.

"Don't forget to join us in the observatory for the teaching practicum at eight. I won't give you a passing grade just for having a stunning body."

Setsuna looked at his cheesy grin and chuckled at the joke.

"Sensei, your classes are always fascinating. So I wouldn't dream of missing them."

"Good," Jirou nodded. "And don't forget the book I told you about before we dozed off yesterday: Against the Gods by Peter L Bernstein. It's an intriguing read, expertly translated from the original English."

"Thank you, Higashi-sensei. I wrote it down while you were in the bath."

"Good," Jirou nodded again, feeling awkward. "Have a nice day, Meioh-san."

Setsuna watched the man turn and open the door. Then gently close it behind him after leaving the room.

He was nice enough. His slight awkwardness made him endearing while belying how incredibly knowledgeable and thought-provoking he was. But even with all those attributes he would never catch her heart. Setsuna knew this as a fact.

She honestly wasn't messing with his head, but what he wanted her to go into detail about was still a riddle to Setsuna herself.

The greenette had very unclear recollections of the events she would be involved in during the last months of her 20th-century life.
She knew in broad terms what was going to happen to her. That is, she had a visual memory of what happened before her death. But why it happened or how it happened was a mystery to her.

The same was true of Setsuna's reason for wanting to enjoy the closeness of someone who shares certain traits with the man she remembered would soon catch her heart.
It was annoying and confusing to know who she was going to fall in love with without knowing why, when, or how that would happen.

Watching the news anchor report on Guetamala's President Alvaro Arzu and the country's leftist guerilla ending 35 years of civil war with a groundbreaking peace accord, Setsuna once more considered whether the reason she had such a limited memory of the coming months might not after all be the result of malicious influence.

Everything she did know had been corroborated by Diana and Chibi-Usa, however. And those two confided in her that many things had been kept secret from them too, which was in line with the cruel but vital spacetime protocol employed by the royal couple of Crystal Tokyo.

But the employment of this protocol in relation to her memories of the future inadvertently handed Setsuna one piece of information: There was a high risk of her making a different decision or decisions in situations where there was only one desired outcome for the sake of the millions who would find a haven in Crystal Tokyo. The millions who formed the hope of humanity's future.

About half an hour later, at Tokyo Dagaiku Sakana, Haruka accompanied Michiru from the cafeteria to the graduate lecture building on the east side of the campus.

Walking alongside a row of conifers, the blonde in the yellow frilled shirt and the long white trousers in conversation with her lover passed by small groups of students who walked in similar or opposite directions.

"After what Hotaru-kun told us about those golem attacks, this sounds very bad," Haruka growled.

"It's frustrating that I can remember so little of the dream when I wake up," Michiru sighed while they walked. "There's some kind of angelic figure at the center of it. But I can't seem to remember a face or even a gender."

"Do you know if Rei-chan had similar visions?"

Michiru shook her head, causing her green curls to bounce back and forth to Haruka's diversion.

The blonde tomboy's eyes traveled from her lover's face to the beige overshirt and gray shirt covering the greenette's torso and the matching wide beige linen trousers and mocassins she was wearing. An outfit she bought for Michiru while visiting Sparkles with Setsuna.

"No. But I should ask to be sure," Michiru said. "Minako-chan was involved in one of the attacks Hotaru-kun mentioned. There's a chance the others were involved in other attacks. We don't tend to communicate these things well."

As the couple passed by a group of four young women flocking around a tall man with spiky light-brown hair, Michiru noticed Haruka exchanging a hostile glare with the broad-shouldered hunk in the light-gray shirt and blue jeans outfit.

"I will never understand your talent for sparking such instant animosity with any random guy you haven't even talked to," The greenette burst out in laughter.

Haruka rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't believe the nonsense they say about this guy," She sighed.

Then, with a couple of fake voices in imitation of her male and female classmates:
"Valentin-kun is a real man! I heard he served in Bosnia with the U.N. for his military service."
"Meijer-kun is so cool! Did you know he worked in a casino on a yacht?"
"Meijer-kun is so brave! He used to hunt lions in the African savannah."

"I can see why you get along so well," Michiru smiled.

"That reminds me…" Haruka changed her tune. "I've been in the mood to visit Ueno Zoo. Fancy a date among the wildlife this weekend?"

That earned the blonde tomboy a suspicious look from her lover.

"I don't suppose this "mood" was inspired by a certain black panther enthusiast?"

Haruka nodded her confirmation with a guilty smile.

"I'm sorry, but you are an open book to me, Haruka," Michiru chuckled. "And I know you can't say no to Hotaru-kun."

"Hotaru-kun and Chibi-Usa-chan tricked me into asking you and Setsuna-chan out on an Outer Senshi family weekend. They invited Shingo-kun too. He's excited about seeing the Siberian Tigers they said."

"We have Siberian Tigers at Hellabrunn Zoo too," A sharp male voice behind them surprised the two young women.

Michiru and Haruka stopped walking at the entrance to the lecture hall and turned around.

Realizing their conversation had allowed Valentin Meijer to follow them unnoticed, they were put on edge as the insidiously grinning young man with the thin mustache caught up to them.

The athletic Bavarian's sharp light-brown eyes first met Michiru's before turning to Haruka.

"Hellabrunn measures 99 acres. It is quite a bit larger than your Ueno Zoo. But you are probably used to being second best by now, Tenoh-san," He provocatively sneered at the blonde before walking past her and up the stairs where groups of other students were ascending or standing.

"Is that supposed to be an allusion to my race against your countryman, Cobbler-san?!" An irritated Haruka demanded while Valentin walked on without reaction.

Annoyed by the confrontation, The blonde and her lover watched the young man enter the lecture building while two or three heads turned to see who was arguing with the German exchange student.

"I suppose you might have some cause for your antipathy this time," Michiru remarked with her stern eyes on the open double doors. "But don't let him get to you with this kind of childish behavior. He seems intent on causing a row with you for some reason. Don't let him succeed."

After this incident, the two young women entered the lecture building and attended their classes for the afternoon.

Just the same, Mamoru and Setsuna listened to the wisdom shared by their professors at K.O. University.

And like them, Rei followed her lessons at T.A. Girl's Academy, and the rest of the Inner Senshi, their friends from Kinmoku, and Hotaru and Chibi-Usa participated in their afternoon classes at Juuban Public Middle School and Juuban Public High School.

After class and cleaning, everyone cheerfully joined their afternoon club activities in the various club rooms and facilities their schools had to offer, where the more leisurely atmosphere allowed their thoughts and feelings on the impressions they gathered during the day to ripen.

A little after six, thousands of students started to leave the school buildings in Minato Ward.
They were happy to enjoy the festive warm weather and the bright sun above their heads.

Groups hung around convenience stores on their way to their cram schools and lovers walked hand in hand, waiting for a moment to cuddle and kiss in a secluded area before parting.

At Juuban Public Middle School, Momoko Momohara and Kyuusuke Sarashina left their school grounds and walked northward, intending to do just that.
Hiromitsu Matsumoto, who didn't have a love life but in his imagination, left school via the eastern road which led to his cram school.
Masanori Tsuzuki exited the school's art club early to have dinner with his family before going to cram school, leaving his boyfriend Fuminori Nakano to pursue his goals eastbound.
Chibi-Usa Tsukino and Carolina Rodrigues lastly, left school together in a westerly direction, the latter racking her brain for an awesome way to confess to her kouhai as they chatted on the way to their cram school.

A variation on these scenarios was repeated at Juuban Public High School, with Hotaru, Minako, and Yaten leaving together again, Usagi having gone home early to do battle with books and fangs, Ami walking to her cram school in the company of an animated Seiya, and Taiki bumping into Makoto as the latter two left their respective clubs a few minutes later than their peers.

"Makoto-chan?" Taiki reacted in surprise when they walked out of the front gate side by side. "I didn't know you were still at school."

"Hey, Taiki-kun. I guess I lost track of time."

The Kinmokuan in the dark navy-blue boy's uniform saw the brunette in the blue-and-white girls' summer uniform chuckle an embarrassed laugh while carrying her school bag over her shoulder and a peculiar briefcase in her hand.

"I was practicing grating wasabi in cooking club," Makoto smiled while the sun sparkled in the curls of her ponytail. "Ebihara-sensei sold me a wasabi rhizome and lent me an oroshigane to grate it. I'm visiting Haru No Ike on my way to cram school to sell him back the finished product."

"You're very dedicated," Taiki reacted with a raised eyebrow. "But it seems like you're working for him in your free time now?"

"Well, it's a privilege to be trained by Ebihara-sensei, Tsuji-sensei, and the others. So I can't exactly complain," Her companion shrugged. "And depending on the quality of my work I'll earn a profit. Why were you staying late?"

"Seiya, Yaten, and I got permission to use the auditorium for practicing our upcoming tour after classes," Taiki explained. "So that's what we've been doing today. But the president of the orchestra club caught me in a rather long conversation while Yaten and Seiya left."

"You must be nervous?" Makoto teasingly grinned at the redheaded boy. "It's been a while since you sang in public, I think?"

"Hahaha. Honestly, I don't think I'll eat the day of the first concert," Taiki quietly chuckled. "But it feels great too. I look forward to seeing all those happy people in front of us again and hearing the fans cheer for us. I missed that."

"I bet," Makoto smiled while patting her friend's shoulder. "Must feel great to sing and make people happy again after the war you've been absorbed by for the past year back home."

"It bothers me that we didn't have the chance to perform for people at home after everyone was revived. But things should be peaceful from now on. As soon as we return to Kinmoku, we'll plan an amazing tour through the Federation of the 14 Kingdoms."

Taiki felt the sunshine warm his shoulders. The young man casually wiped a droplet of sweat from his forehead and rubbed his hot red hair.

Makoto seemed to have led them through a quiet part of town as a shortcut to Haru No Ike. People were probably also simply staying inside because of the heat. Occasionally they passed a lone pedestrian, a couple of women chatting at the front door to a house, or a couple of teens hanging out together on their way to cram school.

A strange but leisurely silence hung over the neighborhood, with the only constant sounds being a few birds twittering or the rustling of the wind through the trees they passed by.

"We're going to visit all the major cities in the country," Taiki smiled as they walked. "Starting in Sapporo next week. Sendai, Niigata, Tokyo next… Ending with a special show at Okinawa in October."

"Sounds like hard work," Makato commented.

"Art requires hard work and passion. But if you aren't having fun doing it, all that hard work and that passion are just a waste."

"An inspiring quote from an inspiring young artist," Makoto affectionately smiled.

"Chibi-Usa-san is an inspiration," Taiki chuckled. "I'm glad I got to make her aquaintance.
She's a bit serious for being so young. When I talk to her and look at her art I feel that I'm in the company of someone who has seen so much more than we have."

"And we have seen our share of things," Her companion nodded. I get you. It makes me wonder about everything that will happen in the future."

"And yet, Chibi-Usa-chan also seems like her heart contains a bottomless well of love and compassion. Just like her mother."

"That she does," Makoto happily replied while looking ahead.

"Having said that," Taiki frowned. "I don't know anything about your parents, Makoto-chan. Usagi told me a lot about her father's career and her mother's… temper. But…"

"Ah…" Makoto reacted while looking to her left with a mysterious smirk. "Haven't you seen the trucks sometimes that say Kino Construction on the sides?"

"Oh! That's your father's company?"

"My father is a general contractor based in Shinjuku Ward. My mother worked as a housewife when I was little - although her cooking wasn't the greatest," Taiki saw the brunette confess while hanging her head. "But after I graduated from elementary school she re-enrolled in college to update her education and became an amazing landscape architect."

"So there was always a creative streak in your family?"

"Just like Rei-chan's, my parents are always busy," Makoto continued. "But we do have a better relationship, thankfully.
I get to have dinner with my mother regularly and sometimes also with my father. And we call each other regularly. How about your parents?"

"As you can probably guess, our family was always engaged in musical performance," Taiki replied. "Our father founded the world-famous musical venue, Kagura Toro. And Mother is a celebrated audiovisual performance artist who is adored in every continent.

Thanks to their status, our family was able to remain neutral when the Jīnsè Yumi had the royal family assassinated and the sad era of the civil war began. A loyal servant of Queen Kakyuu's father and mother was able to escape the carnage and save our Queen. She was a good friend of our mother and hoped Queen Kakyuu would be safe with us."

"Wow! So that is how you first met?" Makoto reacted.

"The three of us and Kakyuu-nee were raised as brothers and sister from age 7," Taiki remembered fondly. Our parents taught us to sing and play music together. Queen Kakyuu's instrument is something similar to a konghou. She has a sublime voice, but she is fastidious and rarely grants us the pleasure of hearing it these days.
It was while practicing our singing together that the four of us awakened to our powers and the realization that the guardians of the four great stars were incarnated in us. Soon after that we decided to contact the Royalist Army and helped them in their struggle to liberate the F.O.F."

"You guys have very different experiences than us it seems," Makoto commented. "We've been in mortal danger ourselves. But we have only on some occasions had to fear being attacked in our homes. And that was mostly Rei-chan and Hotaru-chan, I suppose."

"Don't get me wrong. We also fought a few extra-terrestrial threats. But we mostly served our Queen as bodyguards against magical attacks from the Jīnsè Yumi in the context of the civil war. Our brave and loving parents are the ones who protected us in our youth, however," Taiki fondly smiled.

Hiromitsu Matsumoto felt a similar fondness and gratitude towards his parents. They did their best to give him a chance at a better youth than they enjoyed.

The boy with the ragged light-brown hairdo walked over the footpath of Torii Zaka along the cobblestone walls of the International House Of Japan feeling a little dry with the sun beaming down on him.

It pained him that all of the trouble his parents went through to raise him in standard Japanese so that he wouldn't have a recognizable dialect when they moved to Tokyo seemed to have been in vain so far. It felt like he wasn't capable of doing their efforts justice.

Admittedly, he was finally starting to make a few friends at school. But it was evident his past had influenced his personality too much to be able to make a fresh start as easily as he wished for.
The collision during lunch break proved as much to the slender young man in the dark navy-blue uniform.

Thankfully, Hiromitsu reflected, Harada-san and Aoi-kun seemed to enjoy his company and friendship despite the talk he occasionally caught wind of among other students.

Getting increasingly thirsty, Hiromitsu was relieved to see the vending machines behind the right wall of the recently finished Torii Zaka House.
He eagerly crossed the quiet street and took a coin from his wallet when he stood before the big red Coca-Cola machine.

Not a minute later he leaned against the wall with the vending machines obscuring his view on the Torii Zaka road to his left, guzzling the cool black liquid from its plastic bottle.

"Aah…!" The boy sighed upon twisting the lid over the bottle and closing his eyes in enjoyment.

"Tastes good in this weather, huh?"

Taken by surprise, the prickle of the soft drink in his throat made Hiromitsu cough. Wiping his mouth with his right hand the young man was dismayed to see Fuminori Nakano walking up to him.

The outburst earlier that day hadn't been the first time Fuminori made his aversion to Hiromitsu clear, and the latter immediately felt agitated by the appearance of the table tennis ace.

"What do you want?" Hiromitsu growled as his athletic antagonist stood before him.

"What do I want?" Fuminori bit back. "When do you think you'll apologize to Rodrigues-san for purposely bumping into her today?!"

"It wasn't on purpose!" Hiromitsu huffed while pushing his back against the wall in a reflex against the familiar situation. "What business is it to you anyway? I'll apologize to Carolina-c…san if she asks me to."

"Where do you get off talking back to me with that angry blush?!" Fuminori snapped. "You don't think you should apologize because Carolina-chan is a foreigner?! What a disgusting attitude! You think you're better than her just because you were born here? You're not even worthy of talking to her!"

Hiromitsu turned white as a sheet as he heard the accusations hurled against him. The young man was aware of the gossip about him, but now that he was faced with someone telling him all the nasty ideas he knew his classmates had about him he was cut into his feelings and dignity.

"Shut up!" He yelled. "You don't know anything about me! Leave me alone, you evil asshole!"

Fuminori grabbed the slender boy and slammed him against the wall as he tried to get away.

"I'm evil?! How dare you, you filth!"

"You monster! I hate you!" Hiromitsu cried as he wildly punched at his opponent. "Leave me alone! All of you, leave me alone!"

Blocking the punches and pinning the arms of the boy with the ragged light-brown hair against the wall, Fuminori was suddenly grabbed from behind and torn from Hiromitsu.

"Hey! Hey!" Makoto exclaimed. "I'm hearing lots of angry words here, so I think it's time the two of you continued your conversation by proxy!"

Seeing Taiki taking a protective stance in front of him had Hiromitsu feeling relieved as he recognized the rare occasion of being protected.

"It's okay," His redheaded senpai calmly told him. "It's not good to try and hurt other people. But let's put that aside for now and try to sort out this situation so you can settle your differences."

Fuminori instinctively struggled against the grip of the immensely strong young woman holding him, but he quickly calmed down while Hiromitsu dried his tears.

"So what's been going on here?" Makoto asked him. "Talk to me. Not him."

"He's been harassing a friend of mine in his class because he can't stand foreigners," Fuminori said. "So I wanted t…"

"That's a malicious lie because he and his friends can't stand me!" Hiromitsu cried at Taiki. "They've been making up all these stories about me so everyone would hate me!"

"Then what are you doing asking classmates why Carolina-chan can't stay in her own country?!"

"Hey," Makoto sternly reminded Fuminori while looking into his eyes. "You talk to me, remember?"

"I don't know if that's going to do the trick, Makoto-chan," Taiki said. "Let's first introduce ourselves. I am Kou Taiki. What is your name?"

"I'm Matsumoto Hiromitsu," Hiromitsu timidly said as he recognized the name of the Three Lights member.

"I'm Nakano Fuminori."

"And my name is Kino Makoto," Makoto frowned while vaguely remembering hearing the name. "Alright. Let's maybe start with what happened here?"

"Today during lunch he bumped into that friend of mine. She's a girl whose family moved here from Portugal."

"Rodrigues Carolina-san?" Makoto realized.

Fuminori nodded.

"He bumped into her and just kept walking without even an apology. So when I saw him here I wanted to ask him why he treated my friend like that."

"Did that happen?" Taiki asked Hiromitsu.

"I bumped into Carolina-san," The slender young man confessed while averting his gaze. "But it wasn't on purpose like he makes it out to be.
I was afraid to talk to her with all her friends there. I wanted to apologize when I could talk to her alone."

"Alright," Makoto nodded while smiling at Fuminori. "That sounds reasonable enough. What do you think, Nakano-san?'

"I think tears are cheap and he's making excuses. What about all that crap he's been saying about Carolina-chan not knowing any kanji?"

"Right… I suppose my friends made similar comments about a certain someone once," Makoto sweatdropped. "It's not nice, but he might not have made that remark because Rodrigues-san is a foreigner."

"I never said anything like that," Hiromitsu angrily denied. "Even though I don't think there's anything wrong with asking that. I just wanted to know how good Carolina-san's Japanese was. You guys just keep making up lies about me because you can't stand me!"

"See?! He's not denying he hates foreigners."

"Let's not…" Makoto tried while holding up her hands toward Fuminori in an appealing gesture.

"Why do you think Nakano-san and his friends can't stand you, Matsumoto-san?" Taiki asked the boy.

At that, Hiromitsu cast his eyes down and bit his lip for fear he might make things worse if he said more.

"Just forget about this!" Fuminori exclaimed in annoyance. "I'm late for cram school. Can I go?"

Makoto realized she couldn't detain the boy until he and Hiromitsu settled their differences.

"I guess so," She sighed. "Will you trust Matsumoto-san to apologize to Rodrigues-san when he's ready without trying to continue this argument?"

"Yeah, whatever," Fuminori coldly reacted while heading back into the Torii Zaka road and waving goodbye. "Thanks for intervening."

"Ah…" Makoto sighed while rubbing her scalp. "I didn't want to let him leave feeling dissatisfied like that."

"Are you okay?" Taiki asked Hiromitsu.

Angrily kicking a rock out of his path, Fuminori fumed ahead up the street. The thought of having to let Hiromitsu off the hook like that irritated him.

"The guy even attacked me. And they treat him like he's made of porcelain."

'And all that talk about me making up lies about him to make him look bad,' The blonde table tennis club ace with the wild tuft of hair over his left eyebrow thought to himself while absentmindedly walking on the left side of the road. 'That narcissist sure talked himself out of that one.'

"Seems like someone's in a bad mood!"

Suddenly aware of the unmistakable sound of a basketball bouncing up and down, Fuminori looked around for the male voice that uttered the remark.

In a recess behind a low red brick wall to his left, with a similarly constructed short flight of steps leading to the Roppongi Museum, the 3rd year at Juuban Public Middle School saw a tall man with light-brown hair in blue jeans leisurely playing with a kind of strangely colored basketball.

"Had a bad day?" The handsome young man with the thin mustache smiled amiably.

Fuminori thought he recognized a German accent.

"You could say that," He sighed as he approached the friendly older male. "There's this guy who's been mistreating a female friend. I had a bit of a row with him on the subject a few minutes ago."

"Ouch," Valentin Meijer dryly commented while dribbling across the gray tiled recess. "Got into a fight, did you?"

"We almost did," Fuminori innocently confessed.

Something about the strange gray basketball and its regular rhythmic up-and-down bounce got him hypnotized. He couldn't help admiring the taller young man and the figure eights and other dribble techniques he was showing off.

"But two girls from school stopped us before it could get ugly."

"Good," Valentin viciously snarled under his breath in the Middle High German Bavarian dialect. "A man's sinful attempts to force his views of justice upon others make him harm friend and foe alike."

"What was that?" Fuminori frowned. "Sorry, I didn't understand."

"Never mind," Valentin grinned and continued to bounce the gray ball in his hands.

"You're very talented," His audience of one remarked. "Are you in a club?"

"Oh, thanks. Yes, I entered the club at university. We used to play a similar game in my country when I was young, so it was nice to discover a familiar pastime when I was told to come here. Helps me to relax amidst all this strangeness. Although what I come from was a lot more stressful than this existence."

With concern, Fuminori observed the sudden panic-stricken pale expression on the face of Valentin who was holding his ball in both hands while struggling with what seemed like an attack of hyperventilation.

"Are you okay?" The young man with the blonde hair asked Valentin. "Should I get you something to drink?"

"No… No, I'm fine," Valentin breathed slowly while he regarded Fuminori through narrowed eyes. "Hey, care for a game?"

"A game?" Fuminori reacted, remembering he was late already. "I'm sorry, but I really should be on my way if I want to get to cram school in time. Besides… We don't even have any baskets around here."

"No, you misunderstand," Valentin grinned at the boy. "I was asking Salza."

Fuminori blinked in confusion.

"What's the salsa?" He muttered.

"Here he comes!" Valentin exclaimed as he threw the gray clay ball at his surprised companion.

Trying to catch the ball, a startled Fuminori had first his arms covered by the creeping clay golem before the creature covered his face and the rest of his body.

Valentin unfeelingly observed how Salza reshaped his victim into a knight in shiny armor seated on a fierce white horse. The knight wore a cylinder-shaped great helm with the number 24 in bright red digits and a white surcoat over his armor with a black cross on a silver background. His right hand held up his long lance and he held a white heater shield with a similar black cross in his left hand. Completing the intimidating picture, the horse wore a white caparison with the same black cross over its armor.

"I profess and promise chastity - giving up all property - and obedience to God and the blessed virgin Mary!"

"Good," Valentin dryly commented. "Sadly we're not serving God here. The only thing I need of you is to score this field goal for me."

"As you command, brother! Gott mit uns!"

While Salza headed off towards the south at a canter, Valentin was left cringing involuntarily at the battle cry appropriated by the Swedish armies he and Martha's husband used to fight before he made his dreadful wish.

Back at the vending machines, Makoto and Taiki were about to leave Hiromitsu and head to their cram school.

"If you feel better now, we'll leave you be," The latter smiled curtly while patting the younger boy on his shoulder.

"One last thing I want you to remember, Matsumoto-san," Makoto not unkindly said. "I know of Rodrigues-san through a close friend of mine. From what I hear, she has her quirks, but she's a good person. The same is true of most foreigners, I think. It's not because we don't understand someone that we should fear or dislike them. Right?"

Hiromitsu simply nodded.

"I'm glad you agree" Makoto smiled. "Just walk up to Rodrigues-san tomorrow and apologize and I'm sure you'll become great friends.
I trust the same will happen between you and Nakano-san someday. Just give it time."

"Alright," Taiki nodded. "We need to hurry now. Have a nice evening, Matsumoto-san."

"See you later!"

'Why do they all treat Carolina-san like she's made of porcelain just because she's a foreigner?' Hiromitsu wondered as he saw his senpai walk on. 'Carolina-san is a beautiful confident woman. If only I had the confidence to walk up to her and start a conversation or even apologize.
I wouldn't have gotten in this situation if…"

"There is the filth that pollutes the streets of this pure city! Time to perform my duty to God!"

Shocked by the sound of hooves and the loud hollow voice up ahead, Hiromitsu, Makoto, and Taiki saw Salza galloping straight towards the shaking boy.

"It's a golem!" Makoto exclaimed in alarm. "Taiki-kun! Run back and…"

"You're faster than I am, Makoto-chan!" The Kinmokuan yelled as he grabbed his friend's school bag and the briefcase with its valuable content.
Having secured those, he ran toward the cover of a few bushes in front of the entrance to a building on his right.
"And right now we need the fastest of us to stay between that monster and Matsumoto-san!"

Realizing the truth of her friend's assessment, Makoto turned and ran at top speed back toward Salza's prey before it could reach him.
Her long legs moving back and forth while her breath came in hurried puffs, she saw a completely overwhelmed Hiromitsu stare at his approaching assailant like a stag caught in the headlights.

"Come here and run for your life!" The brunette exclaimed as she linked arms with the boy and pulled him to her right into the International House of Japan's parking lot.

Behind the bushes he had obscured himself with, the Sailor Change Star appeared over Taiki's left ear as he exclaimed his transformation command:
"Maker Star Power, Make Up!"

As Taiki struck a pose with his head raised, his right fist resting on his thigh, and his left hand aloft before lowering it to the side, three stars soared up into the sky before swooping toward him.

The light from the stars formed Sailor Star Maker's long navy-blue boots, her hotpants, her bikini top with the winged golden star in the middle of her chest, her neckerchief, and the long gloves over her raised arms.

Sailor Star Maker grinned confidently while her beaded golden tiara with the star in its center and her two golden star-shaped earrings appeared. Her long red ponytail twirled behind her as she raised her right hand to her forehead and lowered her left arm to the side.

Meanwhile, Makoto and Hiromitsu were running along the curved driveway to the parking lot of The International House of Japan - high deciduous trees to their left and right - while Salza was at the same moment turning right into the driveway from the road.

"What's hah… with that… European knight?" Hiromitsu gasped as he came to his senses and did his best to run at the pace of his savior.

"I have no idea… But I don't want to find out," Makoto replied in her haste. "See that wall to the right where there are no more trees? I'll lift you over and you need to run as far away from here as possible! I'll try to get into the building!"

"What?! But…" Her companion protested as she let go of him.

"There's no time to discuss this!" Makoto exclaimed upon hearing the thunderous drone of approaching hooves behind her. "If we split up... we'll force him to lose time… in trying to decide who he pursues! My friend is calling the police…!"

Looking at the older girl while moving his legs as fast as he could, Hiromitsu wondered which of their flight routes would be the most dangerous.
It seemed to him like Makoto planned to divert the attention of whatever was after them. This felt to him as if he was taking advantage of her. Which frustrated him.
But he could hardly argue with the fact that they didn't have time to think things over.

Then, to his absolute terror, a bunch of long shiny objects pulverized the wall they came within two meters distance of.

"There is nowhere to run!" A brash hollow voice exclaimed behind him. "I will deliver this city from your overwhelming filth in the name of the Virgin Mother and our Holy Father!"

Hiromitsu stared in horror and anguish at the white armor-clad golem halting its gallop behind him and Makoto.

'See?' He reflected while tears stung his eyes. 'They know. They absolutely know. All of my parent's efforts were in vain. Somehow they discovered…'

"Don't look at him!" Makoto exclaimed while roughly pushing the boy towards the gaping hole Salza made in the parking lot wall. "Now's your chance to flee!"

A series of short sharp noises urged the brunette to jump to her left as Hiromitsu obeyed her and ran into the larger parking lot behind the wall.

The lance-shaped projectiles launched by Salza made the concrete floor around Makoto look like a pin cushion while she fell on her back.
Breathing nervously, the young woman apprehensively looked up at the creature in Teutonic Order garb whose horse slowly stepped toward her.

"Those who aid the infidel will share his fate," Salza muttered. "Say your prayers and offer your soul to our Lord, God. May he pardon your sins once I…"

A low humming sound pulled the golem and Makoto's attention to the roof of the Internation House of Japan building, where a lone dark-clad figure bathed in the rays of the sun which pierced the eyes of Sailor Star Maker's beholders.

"Penetrating the darkness of prejudice!" The Kinmokuan declared. "The vagabond shooting star illuminates! Sailor Star Maker! Stage on!"

"Thanks for coming just in time!" Makoto exclaimed with a happy grin as she pushed herself up from the floor with her left arm and jumped up before running to the back of the building.

Salza moved to go in pursuit, but a bright star appeared between Sailor Star Maker's hands as she held them before her chest.

"Star…" The young woman with the long red ponytail exclaimed before raising the star above her head as she lifted her arms.

"Gentle…!"

Sailor Star Maker spun across her axis…

"Uterus…!"

…And launched the blinding attack at the golem with her left hand.

Salza's white horse deftly jumped to the right as the powerful attack burned a crater into the floor of the parking lot.

"Your enemy is me now!" Sailor Star Maker proclaimed to the creature. "Ignore me at your peril!"

"It matters not, which infidel I fight!" Salza exclaimed before jumping his horse onto the roof behind the Kinmokuan with an astounding leap. "My prey will not escape the wrath of God!"

To Sailor Star Maker's alarm, the creature moved the lance in its right hand, launching a bunch of other lances from it that forced her off the roof.

Behind the building from which Salza immediately jumped in pursuit of Hiromitsu, The Jupiter symbol activated on the sturdy green Jupiter Orb as Makoto exclaimed her transformation command: "Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Makoto raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Jupiter Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The green Jupiter symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and three huge lightning bolts crackled from the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis with her left hand reaching out until the electric surges reorganized themselves around her in three circles like the orbits that electrons follow around an atom's nucleus as her curly brown hair streamed upward.

Standing with her feet wide apart, Makoto raised her arms with the Crystal Change Rod still in her right hand before lifting her left foot at knee height.

In a flash, Super Sailor Jupiter appeared in her sturdy green laced ankle-high boots, the two long pink ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailing around her from the large pink bow on her lower back, her green skirt, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the shiny green heart at the center of the pink bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her green neckerchief, the green beaded hair-tie that held her ponytail together, and the golden tiara with the deep green crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Jupiter spun around once more in a nimble pirouette while her long curly ponytail bobbed up and down

A green wreath of leaves appeared behind her as she struck an attack pose with her right arm bent upwards and her left arm extended to the side.

Descending a red brick staircase down to a parking lot along the street parallel to Torii Zaka, Hiromitsu was relieved to see other people walking around and cars driving by.

But his hopes were dashed upon hearing the sound of hooves and panicked exclamations to his far left.
The young man was further startled when Sailor Star Maker landed beside him after having flown over the parking lot he traversed earlier.

"Don't be afraid," Maker warned calmly. "I am Sailor Star Maker. I came to protect you from the golem I saw chasing you."

"O… Okay," Hiromitsu muttered as he gaped at the scantily clad young woman.

"I'll grab you around the waist and fly along the road at low altitude. Don't worry. We'll be fine."

Despite the reassuring words, Hiromitsu's heartbeat accelerated when his new female protector embraced him and flew off with him past small groups of surprised people who fled left and right while Salza approached in the distance.

"There you are! Defiler of all God-fearing human beings!" The creature bellowed as it galloped up the narrow street in pursuit of its prey.

To his further surprise, Hiromitsu suddenly saw Super Sailor Jupiter flying to his right.

"I have a plan!" The brunette exclaimed with a wink at the boy before looking at Sailor Star Maker. "Fly into the first street to your right and then to your left!"

Sailor Star Maker nodded grimly at her friend.

"It's gaining on us!" She exclaimed. "I can't go faster or I would endanger our charge!"

"You are a disgrace and an insult to God's creation!" Salza bellowed at them while the golem launched a series of lances that got stuck in some houses along the street without causing casualties.

Doing as told, Sailor Star Maker flew into Udonzaka when Sailor Jupiter noticed the tears streaming down a sobbing Hiromitsu's cheeks.

"Hey! What's wrong?" The startled brunette asked the boy. "Don't mind that thing! It's just a ridiculous loudmouth and we're going to put a stop to its rampage in a few minutes!"

"B… But he's saying w… what everyone thinks!"

Super Sailor Jupiter stared at Hiromitsu in astonishment that the boy seemed to take Salza's over-the-top insults to heart.

"What?! No, he isn't!
Alright! There!" She pointed at the crossroads ahead. "Sailor Star Maker will land on the other side of the street and you'll hide in the parking lot behind the building to the left while she stands and catches the golem's attention! I'll turn right into the street and as soon as the golem crosses, I'll hit it with Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Solid plan!" Maker nodded at the brunette. "Let's do this!"

While Jupiter immediately flew to the right as they reached the end of Udonzaka, Maker flew ahead and landed on the zebra crossing at the other side of the crossroads between two small restaurants.

"Do as she said,'' The Kinmokuan gently advised Hiromitsu upon letting go of him. "We'll deal with this creature."

Hiromitsu started to run toward the back of the 10-story building but something inside of him made him turn when he was about three meters behind Sailor Star Maker and saw the young woman extend her arms to the sides while the fearsome Salza came galloping straight at her.

"You won't harm him, monster!" Maker exclaimed. "You'll have to go through me before I'll let that happen!"

"Then you shall share the fate of this extreme filth!" Salza bellowed.

'Even if my parents' plan to give us all a better life by moving out of our neighborhood in Kyoto failed, there's nowhere to run to now,' Hiromitsu feverishly reflected.
'If people really did find out about us we'll have to brave the despising looks and the whispered insults no matter the pain. I'll have to make a stand and try to enjoy my school life with the few friends I can make here even if others reject me.'

"Almost there," Super Sailor Jupiter sissed between gritted teeth when Maker folded her thumb and pointer finger into her left hand.

"Jupiter!"

The symbol of Jupiter appeared in the palm of Jupiter's hand, discharging a blinding bolt of lightning.

"Oak!"

Jupiter hugged herself and spun around on her right leg while bright rays of green light burst from the green crystal in her tiara.

"Evolution!"

Then she spread her arms wide, and numerous green leaves were launched in all directions as she twirled around in a pirouette before from the crystal in her tiara an overwhelming amount of green energy flashes electrified the air as they shot toward their target.

"Do what you want to me!" Hiromitsu exclaimed to Jupiter and Maker's alarm as the boy ran in front of the latter and in turn extended his arms to protect her. "But I am not a non-human!"

With amazing dexterity, Salza's horse decelerated before coming to a sudden standstill while Jupiter's attack smashed into the surface of the street dozens of meters further ahead.
The golem silently stared at the Burakumin outcast who defied him.
A five-meter-wide divide between them.

His chest heaving, Hiromitsu breathed in and out while silent tears flowed down his face.
Now he had made his stand, he had no idea how to proceed.
All he could do was watch the red number 5 on the helmet of the creature that had chased him count down to 4.

Then, to his surprise, the harnessed figure slowly slipped from his horse and landed on the street before its medieval outfit dissolved back into the horse.

"No, you don't!" Super Sailor Jupiter exclaimed as she saw the horse turn to the left at full gallop.

"You catch that horse!" Sailor Star Maker exclaimed while stepping forward and keeping Hiromitsu from approaching the person Salza had released. "I'll see to it that things are safe here!"

Seeing Jupiter run in pursuit of Salza, Hiromitsu walked carefully in Maker's footsteps towards the fallen knight lying on the street.

When they came within a meter's distance from the figure, Hiromitsu's eyes dilated in shock.
The young man with the light-brown hair silently kneeled beside Fuminori's unconscious body.

"So, are you reassured that nobody at school knows about the stigma your family had to live with back in Kyoto?" Makoto gently asked Hiromitsu when, ten minutes later, he sat next to Fuminori on the lower steps of the staircase behind the International House of Japan.

Taiki watched her friend's face. Both of them were concerned about the golem having escaped.

"And I swear to you I will tell nobody," Fuminori said while looking down at his hands in shame. "I will defend your reputation against anyone I find trying to make up more stories about you. Once more, I am so sorry for how I treated you. Had I known of your past I would have never…"

"Thank you, Nanako-san. I'm sorry for cursing at you and trying to punch you," Hiromitsu interrupted the other boy. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"But many people might treat Hiromitsu far worse if they knew," Makoto commented. "I understand completely why he wants to try and keep his family's past a secret at all costs."

"Sometimes it feels like you have to try and hide who you are in the hope of escaping horrible treatment," Taiki nodded.

Looking guilty, Fuminori glanced at Hiromitsu, who sat in sullen silence.

"Matsumoto-san… I'm homosexual."

"... And today I saw your tsundere side?" His companion muttered without looking at him.

"No. I'm telling you this because we have a common ground. You can't tell by looking at us that we're different from most people. But many people would treat us both very differently if they knew."

Hiromitsu raised his eyes and looked at the boy sitting to his left.

"I understand how I and others made you feel lately," Fuminori said. "I'm ashamed of how I followed you from school intending to confront you over the things I stupidly got into my head. And that while Carolina-chan herself kept telling me I was talking nonsense."

"Carolina-san said that?" Hiromitsu smiled before casting his eyes down to hide his blush.

"She did. Carolina-chan didn't seem to mind much that you bumped into her. Nor that you didn't apologize or any of the other things people have been saying about you concerning her."

"I knew she wouldn't," Hiromitsu smiled happily. "Carolina-san is cool like that."

A thought popping into his head, Fuminori turned to look at the boy to his right.

"Wait… Is the reason you asked all those questions about Carolina-chan and why you found it hard to apologize today…" He started to ask.

"Well… Carolina-san is cool, isn't she?" Hiromitsu blushed in earnest. "And she's a stunning beauty. Anyone would think so. She's always so cheerful and kind… I want to get closer to her, but… Maybe you can help me, Nanako-san?"

Fuminori heaved a sad sigh while a sweat-dropping Makoto grimaced in commiseration.

"Oh man… I'm so sorry, Matsumoto-san. But I'm going to have to disappoint you…"

"So you like pink carnations and purple primroses," Carolina listed while she and Chibi-Usa leisurely walked to their cram school after having had dinner together at a nearby Izakaya and picking up an envelope at the Portuguese embassy for her father.

"Hm-hm," Chibi-Usa serenely nodded. "Red roses are also nice. And white lilies."

"And you like romantic guitar music but also dreamy piano melodies."

'Yes." Chibi-Usa sweatdropped. "You've been asking me questions since dinner. Don't you have an idea by now?"

To her annoyance, she saw her senpai hang her head and whine: "This is so hard…."

"How is this hard?" Chibi-Usa huffed at the taller girl. "You're constantly coming up with cool creative ideas.
I didn't even ask you to put so much effort into it. You're the only one who wants to turn it into some elaborate thing…"

"Look who's there!" A female voice rang clear in the distance. "It's our old friend, Carolina!"

As she noticed her senpai tense up, Chibi-Usa searched for the source of the exclamation.
She found, to her intrigue, that three girls in white shirts and gray skirts were approaching them at a distance of about eight meters.

"Hey, Chibi-Usa-chan," Carolina calmly addressed the younger girl.

Chibi-Usa looked up in surprise to find the Portuguese smiling at her with the usual confidence.

"Can I ask you to do me a favor?" Carolina asked.

"Yes," Chibi-Usa cautiously replied. "But who are those girls?"

"They're from my former school. We didn't get along very well. Please just stay behind me and let us do the talking, alright?
Everything will be fine if you trust in my judgment. It will get nasty at first but they'll soon leave us and we can be on our way."

"Hello, Carolinaaa!" The girl with the long blonde hair at the head of the group called out exaggeratedly while roughly slapping her former schoolmate against the shoulder. "It's been ages. How have you been?"

"Hello, Helena," Carolina smiled calmly. "Hello, Ingrid. Hello, Francoise. I hope you've been well?"

"We've been wondering where our resident lesbian was off to this school year," Helena grinned. "It seems our company wasn't good enough anymore for your liking?"

The two older girls conversed in English, but Chibi-Usa understood them well enough.
To Helena's right was a somewhat shorter girl with a short red ponytail and piercing gray eyes.
To her other side was a slender girl with a brown fishtail braid.

"I'd be sorry if you thought so," Carolina said with a tilt of her head. "You knew I always planned to enroll in a Japanese middle school after a year. I've missed you guys. But I haven't been able to keep in touch with all of you.''

"Nooo," Helena grinned. "I bet you've been surprised at how Bernard didn't stay in touch, have you?"

"Not really," Carolina shrugged while Helena lightly tapped her against the cheek. "Me and him never were that…"

"Oh, poor Carolina," Helena smirked. "Always trying to make herself popular with the boys with her jokes and her insinuations of being a lesbian."

"I never really made that statement," Carolina gently reacted. "There were a lot of beautiful girls at school, so I made some comments on a few of them and I didn't deny it when people started to say I'm a lesbian. That's all."

"Now, now," Helena grinned viciously while her two friends each came a step closer to Carolina. "Between us girls, the four of us know you used all the tricks a little slut would employ to seduce the boys in her school."

Chibi-Usa started to get frightened. They were gathered between a red parked van and the colonnaded entrance of a 14-story apartment building. Nobody could see them at a glance.
It was clear to her that the three girls were very hostile to Carolina and each was at least a little taller than the Portuguese.
Helena was about Hotaru's size and while the blonde had far from the muscular build of the black-bobbed girl she had almost the same bulk.

"I'm sorry if I gave you guys that impression," Carolina said while motioning with her left hand for Chibi-Usa to stay behind her and not get involved. "That was never my intention. I wanted to be friends with everyone."

"She seems frightened of us, doesn't she?" Helena laughed while looking at her friends.

Chibi-Usa saw the redheaded girl fold her arms while grinning at Carolina who gazed at her feet in deference.

"Very different from the free-spirited Carolina who flirted with Bernard and the other boys. Don't you think, Ingrid?"

"She is a lot more timid without the boys here to take her side," The girl with the brown fishtail braid smiled.

"As she should be," Helena smiled. "It's time Carolina was taught a lesson. Who is the little Japanese girl hiding behind you by the way? She's not your girlfriend by any chance?"

The change was subtle, Chibi-Usa thought. But at that moment she saw a shiver run through her senpai as her three former schoolmates burst out in derisive laughter.

"What's your name?" Helena addressed Chibi-Usa in perfect though a little awkward Japanese. "I am Berthel Helena. Maybe your friend and I should go on a date, Carolina? I have so many funny stories to tell her about you. Ha…!"

"Now, Helena," Carolina grinned savagely while firmly gripping the taller girl's left wrist despite the blonde vigorously struggling to free her arm.
"How would you feel if I threatened to ask Bernard out on a date? You'd be upset for his sake, wouldn't you? You would be worried I'd mistreat your precious Bernard and fill his head with lies."

"Let go of me, you bitch," Helena hissed. "Or we'll beat you up in front of your little friend."

"You're going to beat me up, Helena?" Carolina grinned at each girl in turn with a furious glare in her eyes, making Chibi-Usa nervous.
"Let's make a bet then. If I win this fight with the three of you I'll stay away from Bernard as I always have, but you will never again come within ten meters of my friend.
If you win, I'll stay away from Bernard and you get to hang out with my friend. How does that sound?"

Helena nervously stared at the intimidating smirk of the girl with the low black curly ponytail.

"What's the matter, Helena?" Carolina smiled. "Did you lose your nerve?"

"No…" The blonde muttered. "It's a deal."

Before Chibi-Usa could react, Helena tried to punch her club senpai.
Carolina blocked and hit her opponent's nose with the blonde's own left hand, making Helena yelp in pain and stumble to the right, blocking Francoise's path forward.

As Ingrid moved to grab Carolina's arms, the Portuguese kicked her against the right knee which caused the brunette to fall forward.

Carolina punched Helena in the stomach with her left as the blonde tried to attack again and kneed Ingrid in the chest while her tallest opponent gasped for air and doubled up in pain.

This left Francoise finally free to take a swing at the Portuguese, but Carolina dodged and punched her attacker in the side before tripping her.
The wincing redhead whimpered as she fell but tried to grab hold of the blackette's skirt.
This prompted Carolina to grab her and Helena by the hair and smash their heads together.

Having been unable to intervene due to the fast and chaotic nature of the fight, an agitated Chibi-Usa was left standing behind Carolina.
The struggle was over at least, since Carolina's opponents were weeping and whining on the pavement, unable to pick themselves up and carry on.

"I'm truly sorry for having hurt you," The pinkette heard Carolina say. "But you didn't want to believe me when I said I was never interested in Bernard or the other boys at school. On top of that, you threatened to harass my friend. I hope you understand now that I can never allow you to bother her because of your hatred towards me?"

"Please," Helena whimpered. "We'll leave you both in peace. We're sorry."

Chibi-Usa saw Carolina's shoulders slouch as the blackette silently regarded her defeated enemies.

"So am I," The Portuguese quietly spoke. "I hope the three of you quickly recover and I wish you happiness with Bernard."

When Carolina turned and pulled her forward by the hand, Chibi-Usa didn't know how to react to the tears she saw in the taller girl's eyes.
She understood that Carolina had fought to protect her. But also because she couldn't accept anyone trying to make the pinkette think ill of her.

They walked close to ten meters hand in hand before she hesitatingly asked Carolina: "Are you okay…?"

The blackette didn't immediately answer. So Chibi-Usa tried again.

"It's over now. I think they'll keep their word. Please don't feel bad, Carolina-senpai."

To her surprise, the taller girl suddenly stopped and let go of her hand.

"I'm sorry, Chibi-Usa-chan," Carolina quietly said. "This is not the kind of person I am. I was wrong in hurting them because they threatened you. I might have bought them off. We could have gone to the police. It's just that…"

"It's alright," Chibi-Usa soothingly spoke while her heart jumped within. "It's over now."

The pinkette was happy to see that Carolina had stopped weeping. Her hands gently caressed the blackette's cheek and shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Carolina continued while her sad purple eyes looked into the concerned red eyes she loved so much. "I never fought before in my life. I know I sinned. I just couldn't… I love you and the thought of them harassing you because of me…"

Chibi-Usa couldn't take it anymore. Without warning she leaned forward and kissed Carolina on the lips.

Despite herself, Carolina put her arms around the slender waist of her beloved and pulled the pinkette closer, passionately returning Chibi-Usa's adoring kisses while caressing the back of the younger girl's head.

So started the first romantic relationship of their lives.

Chapter Text

"Today there will be no enemies. This I command."
"The enemy isn't going to nicely refrain from attacking just because you want them to, Noodlehead."
"I am the Future Queen of Crystal Tokyo, Rei-chan. They will have to refrain or they will cause a diplodocus incident."
"A diplomatic incident, Usagi-chan. But I fear they won't care about causing one at this point."
"That's right, Ami-chan. Besides… You aren't Queen of Crystal Tokyo yet, Usagi.
So your authority ends pretty much here. Haha"
"Ow! Don't flick my nose, Rei-chan! I think you might be the true enemy."
"You know, Rei-chan, Usagi-chan. I think for some people the enemy might be inside of them.
And there may never be a way for them to truly defeat it."

"Destiny Alive Heaven Love Innocence Always.
Even in the company of friends, Urawa Touki-san is still being persecuted by his brain. Fight your fate despite the pain!"

"The male lion immediately spots the nomad as it approaches his pride.
Sensing a confrontation, his three lionesses move behind the protection of his powerful body as he steps forward to confront his rival..."

Dividing the pickled vegetables among the three dishes on the round western-style dining table, Ami glanced at the screen of the television set on the two-meter-wide brown Japanese cedar sideboard against the wall in the dining room to her right.

Ryo watched her absentminded actions while tending to the miso soup on the stove.

"I never knew you were so interested in natural documentaries," He said.

"It's…" Ami started with an embarrassed smile. "Chatting about panthers and other felines with Hotaru-chan during tutoring, she started to get me interested in Feliformia."

Hearing the ping of the rice cooker on the counter behind him, Ryo lowered the heat on the stove and turned around.

"I see," The young man in the light-green shirt and light-beige trousers smiled. "Passion is infectious, huh?"

"The nomad is an elderly lion. He might have been pushed out of his own pride at one time. Some lions never even conquer a pride of their own.
The two lionesses tending to their cubs are wise to be wary. When a lion takes over the pride of a rival they tend to kill his cubs.
But the confrontation here might be over quick and relatively bloodless. The elderly lion is lean and doesn't look like he will pose much of a threat to…"

Ami looked to the right once more when Touki Urawa's bedroom door opened and Ryo's lanky forty-something uncle entered the dining/living room dressed in a vertically blue-striped white shirt over a pair of beige trousers.

"Good morning, Urawa-san," The bluette in the orange frilled T-shirt and the long brown skirt smiled at the man with the graying dark-brown hair. "I hope you slept well?"

"Good morning, Ojisan," Ryo greeted his uncle.

"Good day, both of you," Touki timidly returned in his light deep voice. "But I told you before: You don't need to humor me with that good morning. It's well past eleven.
It's bad enough you come here to clean and cook for me every Saturday morning."

"How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, Ojisan?" Ryo playfully commented while he poured miso soup into three bowls in the kitchen.
"Stop turning a good deed into a bad thing. We understand your job is more than your brain can handle after having been weakened by the depression you suffered,
and we're happy to regularly visit and see to it that all is well with my only uncle."

"Come, Urawa-san," Ami smiled while pulling a chair from the table in the middle of the dining room. "Relax and join us for lunch."

"I know I don't always ask you, but I offered to pay you for these things before," Touki gently protested upon taking the seat beside his nephew's girlfriend while Ryo placed a bowl of miso soup on the table for him.
"I can at least do that much now I was finally able to pay off the bill for my several-months-long stay in the psychiatric hospital and the rent for my apartment which I couldn't get rid of because I needed to keep my stuff stored."

"Ami nor I will expect any compensation but to have the happy knowledge that at least on Saturdays you'll get the amount of sleep your wounded brain needs and you can start the last working day of your week after a homely and healthy breakfast with someone who loves you."

Touki was momentarily dumbfounded and heaved a heavy sigh while Ryo seated himself to the man's right.

"Thank you both. I feel spoiled by your kindness and understanding.
I can't imagine many people in my situation have family or friends who empathize with their strange needs and fragility."

"If it makes you feel better about the situation, Urawa-san," Ami smiled amusedly. "We may do the cleaning and cooking every Saturday, but for the lunches we share with you we make sure to buy only the very best products with the money you give us."

As he and his uncle laughed at the bluette's joke, Ryo happily remembered how empathically Ami reacted to Touki's situation from the start.
Contrary to his mother, his girlfriend didn't see his uncle's problems and needs as a burden but sincerely tried to understand a situation that seemed incomprehensible to most people.

Indeed, instead of considering it an annoyance to care for his uncle with his girlfriend whenever he had the opportunity of traveling from Hiroshima to visit her over the weekend or during a holiday, the diminutive young man with the dark-brown hair enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere that existed between him, the woman he loved, and the man who had been so fond of him as a child.

With the meeting that awaited him and Ami later that day, their current occupation was an oasis of peace and happiness he savored all the more.

"By the way, Ryo-kun," Touki said before bringing a spoonful of miso soup to his lips. "How are you doing at school?"

Ami chuckled expectantly when her boyfriend looked up from his lunch to answer the question.
Since Ryo was living in Hiroshima with his family for the sake of his dedicated studies at Hiroshima Jesuit Academy for Boys, the Saturday visits to his uncle fell mostly to her. This caused her to develop a considerable understanding of the man's personality over the past months.

"I'm doing okay," Her boyfriend simply replied. "I'm busy studying for university entrance exams and hope to earn the right to propose to my girlfriend one day."

Touki tried hard to suppress a doting smile at the confession.

"It was a little sad having to quit the soccer club last year," Ryo reminisced. "But Hiroshima Red Diamonds reached as high as it ever did when we lost the prefectural finale of the All-Japan High School Soccer tournament last year. It felt good to be part of that accomplishment.
Ishizaki-sensei was close to tears at the goodbye party for the third-year and second-year club members.
This year is all about striving for another accomplishment. I'm satisfied with my results on tests so far. Especially the latest test in science and technology.
The journey to Hiroshima Institute Of Technology has begun!"

"Or the journey to Tokyo U," Ami pouted while she clasped a piece of smoked eel between her chopsticks.

"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Ryo soberly reacted. "But so many of my friends are going to H.I.T.
It'd be so stressful having to find an entirely new group to hang out with while starting my university education if I attended Tokyo U."

"Your loving girlfriend would be attending Tokyo U," Ami reminded her boyfriend while employing her most seductive smile.

"I know," Ryo returned her smile with some heartache. "But truth be told, I'm afraid we might only end up distracting each other."

"In any case," His uncle spoke up while - as Ami had anticipated - he stealthily took three 1000 Yen notes from the wallet the bluette had placed near the dishes on the table by his seat before starting the meal. "It's good to hear you're off to a great start, Ryo-kun. Congratulations on the result of your science and technology test."

"Thank you, Ojisan," Ryo reacted while without looking he slid the bank notes his uncle tried to pass him back to the other side of the table.
"Good things do happen to you if you live long enough. I now know a man who is desperate to give me money."

"Heh," Touki Urawa chuckled. "Nice Gundam quote. I'll submit to keeping my money to myself then."

"That's right!" Ami exclaimed, making her boyfriend look up at her while he chewed on a mouthful of rice. "Urawa-san told me the two of you watched a bunch of mecha anime together when you were little."

Ryo chuckled and scooped another lump of rice into his mouth while Touki smiled fondly at the pickled vegetables in the small dish before him.

"I was so happy watching real robot shows with my little Ryo-kun sitting on my knees," The 40-something store manager of Azabu-Juuban Supermarket grinned.

"Yeah. Whenever my parents needed a babysitter, Ojisan ensured he got the day off from work," Ryo smiled.
"I sometimes dropped little hints about it having been a while since mother and father saw that couple or those friends, hoping they'd take the bait so I could stay the night at Ojisan's place."

"You were a cunning little boy," Touki laughed heartily. "The kind of stuff you got away with as a kid, I was half in awe and half of a mind to scold you every time I heard of your latest trick."

"You're one to talk," Ryo laughed. "Ojisan often called me on the phone whenever it had been a while since I last stayed over and told me of live performances by artists my father or mother enjoyed so that I could bring them up in conversation."

"I see," Ami giggled in a way that made her boyfriend feel like too much personal information was leaked. "So Ryo-kun was always this kind of underhanded character?"

"Hahaha! I'm sorry, Ryo," Touki laughed. "Looks like I got you in trouble."

"Not at all," Ryo chuckled. "I've still got a bit of a naughty side which my girlfriend is all too aware of. That's all."

His girlfriend's eyes slowly wandered from her empty bowl of miso soup over every other bowl and dish on the table to the bowl of rice her boyfriend was finishing.
Almost every one of them was empty or almost empty.

The documentary on the television set was already over. The pleasant talk would be too in a matter of minutes.
Touki would leave for Azabu-Juuban Supermarket. She and Ryo would wash and clean up the kitchen.
Then they would have a drink in Roppongi before going to the meeting.

"Speaking of mechanics, Urawa-san," She quietly mentioned. "How are things with that Yamaha VMAX Honda-san's son was working on?"

"Oh? We found a fix for that o-ring displacement together when I visited and took a look at it last Sunday," Touki said without looking up.
"He's almost done with the restoration. Honda-san's husband invited me in for dinner afterward."

"See?" Ryo smiled at his uncle. "That was nice of him, huh?"

Ami noticed the look on Touki's face. He was still looking at his food and took a bite of his eel before replying.

"When I was there I felt happy I could help, so I could finally somewhat repay Honda-san for her continued kindness.
Her husband inviting me in for dinner as thanks was a little…"

"You know Honda-san told you not to worry about that," Ryo smiled.
"She feels bad for your sake because you're always so excessively exhausted that you can't stay awake by the end of your shift.
So she doesn't mind driving you home after work."

"He doesn't like me, Ryo-kun," Touki quietly protested. "He acts all jovial, but there's something in the things he says and how he looks at me…"

"You're too suspicious about people," Ryo shrugged while finishing his bowl of rice. "That's all.
Just take Honda-san's jovial nature at face value. I bet he's simply anxious to have a good rapport with his wife's employer and that's what you're picking up on."

"Perhaps," Touki simply replied.

Despite the man's acquiescence, Ami recognized the look of someone who reserved his own opinion on the matter.

Touki Urawa - on his part - was tired of trying to convince people that he had learned by experience how stronger and more confident men didn't tolerate their girlfriends or wives getting along with a guy like him. He had several mental scars and one physical scar to back up that opinion.

It wasn't as if he was ever romantically interested in any of those girls or women.
He would have at least felt lucky if the kind of women he was sexually attracted to granted him the opportunity to start a conversation with them even if they had aggressive husbands.

But it was enough of an excuse for the boyfriends of the various female friends he had made and lost in his lifetime to justify their hostile treatment of him by pretending that he was sexually attracted to their girlfriends.
He simply enjoyed the talks with those women when he initially got to know them, and they - Touki came to reflect over time - liked having him around from a mix of pity and amusement that over time often evolved into unveiled contempt.

Having used the orange pallet jack to roll a large pallet into the bakery department, Eri and Masaki were busy unloading cardboard cases of pre-packaged bakery products onto the shelves.

The usual division of labor that had served the team for almost eleven years - Masaki ripping open the boxes before gathering the waste and Eri placing the product on the shelves while sitting on a light stool - was employed while they busied themselves with the task.

Ignoring the Ai No Shojo song playing in the background on the radio, Eri shelved a series of packaged hamburger buns while quietly humming a song from the album her husband had played in the living room the evening before.

"You know what I like about working here, Masaki-kun?" The woman in the loose green uniform remarked while staring at the shiny tops of the buns in the package she was holding. "We get to look at all of these neat products.
I mean, most customers don't even know all the different products we offer for sale.
I think it's awesome when a new product is added to the assortment and I can try it out with my family the same evening."

"Did you and Daken-kun have a wild shōchū party last night?" Masaki dryly commented while he handed his colleague a plain cardboard box with prepackaged toast.

"We don't have an alcohol problem," His 45-year-old ponytailed colleague coldly commented as she took the box from him.

"You're denying it, but you are humming X songs again," Masaki chuckled as he cut open another cardboard box.
"But sure, it's fun to surprise my girlfriend with new products I guess."

"See?" Eri nodded to herself. "Why do you have to tease me? "You still think it's fun to work here after ten years, just like I do."

"Tease you? I might have said I thought Manager-san infected you with his madness. But I knew you'd get annoyed," Her colleague laughed.

"Pfft…" Eri sighed with a roll of her eyes. "I don't see why you'd even want to say such things.
Manager-san has many battles with his bosses to stop them from turning this into just another Azabu branch store.
Or would you rather we'd have to work the cash register with Noriko-chan and the others?
Or for them to be forced to clean the aisles with us?"

"Praise to him," Masaki sighed in turn. "No. I'd hate having to deal with cash and customers."

"But you still gossip about him with the others."

"That's just normal. Isn't it?" Masaki shrugged. "You're curious when someone like that comes into your group.
You start to wonder what's wrong with him and what he might have done."

"I told you before: It's not like that," Eri reacted in an annoyed tone to the statement of the tall thirty-something with the beige hair.
"Manager-san is just a little weak in the head. That's all.
He had a big depression over getting bullied by some college brats that lived next door to him and his brain never recovered."

"Sadly my ears are still as sensitive as they were back then," Masaki and Eri were shocked to hear from further down the aisle.

"Goo… Good afternoon, Manager-san," The latter guiltily sweated as she greeted the lean man in the blue-striped white shirt and the pair of beige trousers.

"Good afternoon, Manager-san," A not much less nervous Masaki smiled as Touki arrived to the right of his seated colleague. "Sorry for babbling during work…"

"I told you many times before, Tanaka-san..." His superior said in a lazy, gentle manner. "If I see employees chatting during work, I believe they feel at ease in their job.
I believe that a happy employee is a productive employee, so I will never think less of you if you talk or fool around during work.
Provided you can do both concurrently and as long as you don't badmouth your colleagues at this supermarket."

"Yes, Manager-san," Masaki and Eri said with a bow of their heads.

"We weren't badmouthing anyone, Manager-san," The latter quietly added. "Simply discussing."

Touki smiled and nodded at the woman. He trusted Eri and deduced from what he heard that she was sticking up for him after something gossipy Masaki had said.
Both were okay people according to him, but Eri had a bit of a temper and Masaki was prone to being swayed by whatever was the popular opinion of the day.

"Good. Tanaka-san, what time do you think you're done restocking the bakery department?"

The athletic man with the short beige hair cut open a cardboard box of Castella cakes and rubbed his forehead.

Relieved that Touki didn't seem bothered by catching them talking about him, Eri took the box from her colleague and placed the packaged cakes onto the shelves.

"It's a quarter to two now," Masaki reflected while the slightly built brunette sitting beside him started humming again.
"I think we'll be done with the aisle here by two. Ten more minutes to get the fridges done I expect."

"Right…" Touki quietly chuckled while picking up the box Eri was emptying when he arrived and folding it flat. "And if you're not trying to impress me?"

"Haha," Masaki grinned to Eri's amusement. "If you insist. Twenty past two?"

"Good," Touki nodded.

The lean man with the graying dark-brown hair handed the fitter man the box he just folded and Masaki opened another box for Eri, who got up to stock the fourth shelf from floor height.

"I'm going to my office to quickly study the marketing strategy for the Three Lights Tour summer campaign again. Come to me by twenty past two at the latest so that the three of us can start setting up the promotional stands and banners together."

"Aye, Commander," Masaki smiled with a bow of his head.

"And yes, I know we're late," Touki sheepishly admitted. "But if…"

"Do nothing but cry…!" Eri sang. "Day and night. Between the past and the future…!"

Masaki frowned in surprise when his superior turned pale and gasped for breath.

"Flowing into an endless night sky…"

"Ha… Honda-san…!" Touki gasped while grimacing in pain and supporting himself against the shelves.

"Oh, my Dahlia…!
Manager-san!" Eri exclaimed in shock when she saw the state her superior was in.

"Hang in there, Manager-san!" Masaki said while rushing forward and supporting Touki in his arms.

"Please… Please don't sing that song when I'm around," The older man quietly begged Eri as he slowly recovered from his panic attack. "It's got… bad memories for me."

"Sorry," A deeply impressed Eri muttered. "I guess it's because the students played it."

"Yes," An embarrassed Touki nodded.

"You alright, Commander?" Masaki asked the man.

Feeling annoyed at the public display of his psychological trauma, Touki pulled the collar of his striped shirt straight without looking Masaki in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm alright now. Please continue. I'll see you at twenty past two."

"Yes, Manager-san," Masaki said as his superior turned and returned the way he came.

Eri stared at Touki's back while he walked from her, feeling double guilty after what happened.

"Boy, that was some reaction," Her colleague sighed.

The ponytailed brunette absentmindedly turned to see him cut open another cardboard box.

At that same moment, Ami and Ryo finished climbing the stairs to Hikawa Shrine.

Megumi Sakurada - dressed in Rei's miko uniform - welcomed them like the hostess of a ryokan though she was busy cleaning the stone-flagged approach to the shrine with her broom.

"Good afternoon, Ami-chan. Good afternoon, Urawa-san," The beautiful young woman with the long orange hair smiled and bowed. "Congratulations on your team's success. It's nice to meet you again."

"Thank y… Ahem… Thank you, Sakurada-san," Ryo smiled at the young woman. "It's a pity we lost the Prefectural finale. But nobody seriously believed we would make it that far in the first place."

"Good afternoon, Megumi-chan," Ami smiled. "Thank you for taking over Rei-chan's shift so we can party."

"Oh? I love doing THAT," Megumi smiled while turning her eyes on Yuuishirou who waved at the group from his position at the shrine's administrative office to her left.
"In fact, I should thank you for inviting Yuuishirou-kun and me to join you after our tasks. Even though I barely made your acquaintance."

"Ah. Well, that's all the more reason to get to know each other better," Ryo smiled while rubbing the back of his neck.

With the expression of someone wanting to hide, the young man physically urged his girlfriend past their friend in the red and white hakama.

"This is so embarrassing," The diminutive brown-haired high-school student whispered when they were out of hearing range and turned left.
"Couldn't we find another excuse to hold this large meeting than telling Rei-chan's grandfather you wanted to hold a late celebration of my team reaching the prefectural finale?"

"Hello, Ami-chan. Ryo-kun," Minako greeted the couple when they reached the short flight of steps to the temple where the sacred fire was kept.
"Are you ready for the big argument?"

"Big argument?" Ami repeated with a tilt of her head.

Ryo looked from his girlfriend who was still dressed in her orange frilled T-shirt and long brown skirt to their blonde friend whose slender limbs were accentuated by the short sleeveless dress with the diagonal white-and-light-blue stripes and the lace-trimmed borders she was wearing.

"With Usagi-chan on the phone in one ear, warning me that Rei-chan will want to impose a military dictatorship, and Rei-chan on the phone in the other ear, warning me that Usagi-chan will be the death of us all if she keeps ignoring "the warning signs" I expect the mother of all shouting matches to make up for the comparatively mellow way they've been dealing with each other the last year," Minako sighed.
"I hope the rest of you guys can counter them because I plan to simply listen and go along with what is decided in the end."

"Don't worry, Mina-chan," Ami smiled as the trio entered the temple. "I doubt things will get as fired up as you fear.
Though the reason for this meeting is certainly far from festive."

Inside, the bluette found the side of the temple's wooden floor farthest from the low-burning sacred fire equipped with enough pillows for all of them to sit comfortably with a few tables along the wall laden with glass containers containing all kinds of cooled beverages.

"Thank you for coming," Rei nodded to Ryo, Ami, and Minako upon approaching them. "After hearing certain things from Michiru-chan I was especially anxious to have you here, Ryo-kun."

"I'm happy to attend the meeting if you think I can help, Rei-chan," The young man smiled.

For the occasion, the blackette was dressed in green capri pants with a dark-blue waistcoat over a white shirt.
Behind her, Ami saw Setsuna standing in a long light-gray dress and a pink blouse.

"Hi, guys," Hotaru called out from one of the pillows around the row of long low tables that served to stand their drinks on and on which several dishes with food were placed.

To the right of the black-bobbed stoic in the thin beige trousers and the pastel-blue shirt with a black necktie Michiru sat, dressed in a short-skirted pink dress with a burgundy bust and Haruka in a light-green summer jacket over a light-yellow shirt balancing a glass of chilled barley tea on the knee of her light-yellow pants.

To Hotaru's left sat Chibi-Usa, looking somewhat demure in her purple short-sleeve shirt and orange skirt while Diana sat on her lap.

Next to the pinkette sat Makoto, who was dressed in a short-sleeved orange shirt and yellow capri pants with Luna and Artemis sharing a pillow at a corner of the table.

On the other side of the table, opposite Haruka, Taiki sat dressed in black trousers and a short-sleeved gray V-neck shirt with fine horizontal blue stripes - a stylish yet casual leisure ensemble purchased at Sparkles Boutique.

To his right, opposite Michiru, sat Seiya who sported a grass-green necktie over a white shirt and grass-green pants.
Yaten, lastly, sat opposite Hotaru, dressed in a pale red T-shirt and white pants.

"Good afternoon, Hotaru-chan," Ami smiled while waving at everyone. "Nice to see you all again."

"If only the occasion for this gathering was as festive as the excuse we made up for it," Haruka sighed. "Nevertheless… Congratulations, Urawa-kun. You and your team did a great job raising the bar for future club members."

"Thanks, Tenoh-san," Ryo waved at the warmly smiling blonde. "It was a great match. We came pretty close to winning but alas."

"Yeah, Urawa-kun," Hotaru chuckled. "It was cool following the journey of the Hiroshima Red Diamonds throughout your campaign last year.
I hope to make the Pink Pika's as proud of me as your team must have been with you."

"Hahaha," A sweatdropping Ryo laughed as he walked over the group around the tables. "From what I hear you've already turned heads. I wouldn't…"

"See, Mamo-chan?" He and his companions heard a slightly agitated voice from outside. "Even Megumi-chan was looking at you strangely. This is supposed to be a celebration yet you're dressed so casually."

Minako and Ami turned to see their King and Queen about to enter the temple.

"Careful, Usako," Mamoru warned his girlfriend whose right arm was linked with his left. "Watch the threshold."

"Thank you, Mamo-chan," The blonde smiled while carefully leading the way through the door.

Standing behind Minako, Rei was elated to see Usagi wearing the beautiful black-and-white "leaping bunnies" dress she bought at Sparkles.
Though she worried the dress might make her weak against the strategy - or lack thereof - which she expected her friend to push for during the meeting.

Setsuna, who stood behind Ami, regarded the violet shorts and white T-shirt with blue breast pocket Mamoru seemed to have thought would be fitting to wear at a party when his girlfriend was dressed for a classy evening dinner.

"Mamoru-kun's party suit doesn't look that bad, Usagi-chan," The grinning greenette joked. "I'm sure he won't look out of place at all."

Mamoru observed the tall young woman's expression with surprise as he entered the temple behind his girlfriend.

"Thank you, Meiou-san," He smiled. "That is kind of you to say."

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed as he tripped over the floor. "Watch it!"

Upon seeing their King drag their Queen down as he fell, Minako and Ami jumped out of the path in panic.
But to their relief, Mamoru and Usagi found themselves caught by Rei and Setsuna respectively.

"Be sure to follow your own advice, Mamo-kun," Rei teasingly smirked while supporting the young man by his waist with both hands as - leaning with his hands on her shoulders - he tried to recover his footing.

"Thank you, Setsuna-chan," Usagi sighed as the older woman helped the blonde to her feet. "You saved us from embarrassment."

"Think nothing of it, Usagi-chan," The greenette smiled while trying to hide her confusion at the moment of inattention on Mamoru's part that led to the fall of the royal couple.

"Now that the guests of honor have arrived…" Seiya chuckled. "Let's get this "party" started."

"Not to be rude, Usagi-chan," Yaten dryly added. "We want to help you guys where we can. But right now our time is precious."

"Of course, Yaten-kun," Usagi smiled as she and Mamoru - unlinked - walked over to the other end of the table to sit with Luna and Artemis on the pillow to her right. "Thank you for joining us. You too, Seiya-kun. Taiki-kun."

With Ryo already sitting to Yaten's right, Ami seated herself beside her boyfriend.
Minako chose to sit to Rei's left at the other end of the table. Setsuna sat at the corner of the table in between Ami and Mamoru.

"Right," Makoto sighed, with concern for the situation visible in her expression. "Let's start with the reason why we are here. It is clear by now that we have a new enemy on our hands who is targeting people at random.
Those people are targetted by golems who seem to absorb them before proceeding to go on a rampage."

"I'm sorry to say, that me and Mako-chan have failed to catch the golem we encountered," Taiki interrupted his friend with bowed head.

"So there are two golems who are now at large in the city," Yaten sighed.

Ami, Ryo, Usagi, Mamoru, Makoto, Luna, and Artemis stared at him in bewilderment while Chibi-Usa was absentmindedly caressing Diana's fur.

"There are two of those creatures out there, free to roam the city?" Ami exclaimed.

"Apparently," Rei sighed in frustration at their lack of internal communication.

"We need to get out there and find those creatures as fast as possible," Makoto urged. "They could be making victims as we speak."

"We have no way of knowing where they are though," Michiru said, inclining her face to the brunette three seats to her left. "We would have to patrol the streets day and night before we can find them."

"And that is not the only reason why we're here," Haruka added.

"Be that as it may," Seiya sternly interrupted. "The safety of the people of Tokyo is our most urgent business right now."

"I have to agree with Michiru. We need to organize a patrol duty if we are to be successful," Mamoru reflected.

"Wait…" A sweatdropping Haruka said while staring at the man who was dressed for a beach party. "That isn't exactly…"

"Before we take action, I think everyone needs to share any information they have," Ami said, turning all heads toward her.

"Good plan," Rei nodded while sitting with her arms folded.

Her blue-haired friend sought support by looking at Usagi and Luna before continuing.

"Does anyone have an idea or suspicion on whom we are facing?" She asked. "Has anybody seen who is sending these golems out to perform their crimes for them?"

The Senshi sitting around her all tried to remember the details of the events in which each of them participated over the past weeks.

"I don't remember anyone suspicious being around when that golem attacked at Sparkles Boutique," Rei pondered. "Do you remember anything, Meiou-san?"

"Why aren't you asking me?" A slightly irritated Usagi demanded.

The two young women stubbornly stared at each other over the row of tables.

"Do you remember seeing anyone suspicious, Usagi-chan?" Rei finally relented with a sigh.

"I remember hearing a scream in the men's toilets before the golem left the restrooms and entered the restaurant while I was in the ladies' room," Minako quietly interrupted. "Yaten-kun searched the men's room after the creature escaped."

"I didn't find anything out of the ordinary though," The young man with the long white ponytail sulked.

"The guy that was absorbed by the golem we fought walked out of sight for a few minutes before the creature attacked," Makoto remembered.

"We simply found the golem Chibi-Usa-chan saved in the house of a classmate we were visiting," Hotaru added.

"So the ones who encountered these golems so far," Luna reflected. "Have been Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Minako-chan, Mako-chan, Hotaru-chan, Chibi-Usa-chan, Yaten-kun, and Taiki-kun?"

"And me," Setsuna smiled down at the black cat. "I'm still here."

"Have the rest of you encountered a golem?" Artemis asked in the general direction of Michiru and Haruka while Luna sweatdropped at Setsuna's strange remark.

"I haven't," Ami answered the white cat.

"We haven't either," Michiru said. "But I have received some unsettling visions lately."

Her friends fell silent, awarding her their undivided attention after hearing the ominous revelation.

"This may not be related," The greenette coolly spoke. "Starting last week I have been dreaming frequently about some sort of androgynous angelic being which - in my dreams - is floating in orbit around our planet."

"That sounds very unsettling," Ami reacted. "But we have methods with which we can at least try to investigate this.
I'll ask Professor Amanogawa if I can use his telescope. With luck, we might spy something out there to provide us with more information about this angel."

"Isn't an angel supposed to be a force for good?" Usagi blinked. "I think this vision of yours might be a benevolent sign, Michiru-chan. Maybe the angel is here to help us fight the golems."

"Yes, Usagi-chan. The appearance of an angel can't possibly spell trouble," Minako chuckled. "After all: We have such a great track record of getting along with people who cross our path while fighting evil."

Usagi sulked at the snark from the celebrated idol while Taiki and Haruka coughed uneasily during the silence that followed her words.

"Michiru-chan contacted me to ask whether I had similar visions," Rei finally spoke up. "Which is why - after hearing Mako-chan's terrible news - we started contacting everyone to organize this meeting.
I started to consult the flames this morning - with little success so far. But I haven't had any visions myself. Which is why I was curious whether you might not have shared Michiru-chan's visions, Ryo-kun?"

Ami - already knowing the answer to that question - saw her boyfriend shrug at her friend.

"I can't say I did," Ryo said. "Or if they did come to me I forgot."

"The problem is…" Michiru continued her story. "That the vision is coming to me in a very piecemeal fashion. Only last night did I glimpse what seemed to have been a second angel floating on the opposite side of the planet."

This made even Usagi look uneasy.

"So we have golems on the one hand," Mamoru pondered. "And not knowing whose bidding they are doing or whether the latter are connected, we have angels on the other hand."

"If we are assuming an Abrahamic religious connection, according to the Talmud…" Ami quietly spoke. "The first man, Adam, was created as a golem. An incomplete being, created from mud."

"Then… was Eve made of mud too?" Usagi asked with an expression of disgust.

"We can speculate all we want," Seiya interrupted her. "But right now - beyond how Mamoru-kun summed up the situation - we have little to go on."

"Right," Makoto nodded. "Our priority is hunting down those two escaped golems before they make any victims."

"I disagree," Rei stated. "Hunting down the golems is our most important task right now. But our priority is to decide how we will go about that."

"What do you mean, Rei-chan?" Minako asked.

"I know exactly what she means," Usaig fumed.

"Playtime is over, Usagi! We all had a lot of fun in the past year, but we can't continue playing around if we are to once more take up our duties as Sailor Senshi!"

"Nonsense! There is always time to play!"

"Ah… That's what you meant," Minako sighed at Rei's words while Luna and Artemis sweatdropped at the outburst that nearly pierced their eardrums.
"Well… I never planned to become an eternal idol."

"There is no reason to retire, Minako-chan," Usagi stated while looking at Rei as if her eyes were laser guns. "Rei-chan is just being a scaredy-cat."

"If you weren't wearing that dress right now…" A confused Haruka thought she heard the annoyed miko whisper under her breath.

"There is no reason for Minako-chan to retire, Rei-chan! Or for Mako-chan to quit her part-time job! Or for you to give up your violent Muay Thai club! Or for Ami-chan to give up on Ryo-kun…!"

"I never said…!"

"That's why, as soon as you called me up, acting all high and mighty about organizing this meeting, I decided to invite Seiya-kun and his brothers."

"We're happy to help," Seiya smiled.

"It's not like we were planning to look the other way if any golem attacked whenever we're around," Taiki added.

"Thank you, Seiya-kun. Taiki-kun," Usagi gently spoke while gazing at the brothers with a bright smile.
"See, Rei-chan? There are fourteen of us now.
If we all work together and properly organize ourselves nobody will have to give up on their well-deserved occupations and entertainments."

Rei looked at her friend in surprise at how the blonde had thought ahead to find solutions to assuage her concerns.

"I'm sorry, Kitten," Haruka said, looking intent on throwing a wrench in the matter. "I'm afraid, Michiru, Hotaru-kun, Setsuna-chan, and I won't have time to help you, because we will have to look into that angel business."

"What?" A deflated Usagi exclaimed. "Why?"

"As Outer Senshi it is our duty to guard the solar system from external threats," Michiru sternly informed the blonde. "And there is every reason to assume that the angels in my visions are just that."

"Oh! I see!" Seiya said with a nod and an intrigued look at a suspicious Haruka. "You plan to conserve your energy so the four of you are fully prepared for the angels when they attack. That's clever.
Or is it that you need to start charging your attacks that far ahead?"

Haruka gritted her teeth at the obvious sarcasm of the young man who ostentatiously sipped his glass of Coca-Cola.

"You don't get it, do you, Seiya-kun?" Rei suavely spoke while shaking her head at the Kinmokuan.
"The fact of the matter is our friends here are so amazing and powerful that they are concerned the golems wouldn't stand a chance against them"

Hotaru couldn't help laughing while Mamoru, Usagi, and Minako smiled happily at seeing Rei coming to her Queen's aid.

"You're right, Rei-chan," The latter giggled while patting her friend's shoulder. "Being an Outer Senshi is all about sportsmanship. We underestimate Haruka-kun's sense of honor"

"We get the message," Michiru peevishly protested. "There is no need for ridicule."

"So we agree to take both threats on together?" Setsuna asked with a look at her housemates.

"I suppose we could try working together from the start on this occasion," Haruka sighed while leaning back with her hands behind her neck. "At the very least it might save us from more "You'll tell us if you and Michiru come up with a plan, will you?" jokes."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Her tall and tanned friend teased while sharing an amused smile with Hotaru.

Both granted Ami their full attention when she took the initiative to continue the discussion.

"If everyone agrees that the fourteen of us will handle the current situation together," The bluette said. "I think we really might be able to keep up the extra activities in our daily lives. Which leaves us only to discuss how we will deal with the angles and the golems."

Ryo took his girlfriend's hand in his, knowing how relieved she was that she could continue giving undivided attention to her studies to enter Tokyo U and her life's goal to save thousands of lives as a medical doctor.

"I think we are all delighted and grateful to our friends for helping us fight this new enemy together going forward," Rei picked up where she left off.
"But before we go into detail about how we are going to do that, there are two things I have been pondering ever since I saved the golem I encountered with Usagi and Setsuna-chan."

"What's been on your mind, Rei-chan?" Usagi cutely asked with a tilt of her head.

"Frankly," The miko deadpanned. "I think Michiru and I could be more efficient in the ways we employ our clairvoyant powers."

Mamoru and Ami listened intently to what the blackette was saying.

"You are the one most receptive to visions among the Outer Senshi," Rei continued. "I can collect information from my fire readings. Ryo-kun is also highly receptive to visions."

"Me?" Ryo exclaimed in surprise at being called out.

"Yes. You," Rei addressed the young man with the dark-brown hairdo. "We have next to no information on the enemy right now. The three of us have ways to gain that information. I realize that it would be difficult for Ryo-kun to join us but I think we can enhance our abilities by regularly meditating together and by discussing our experiences."

"You touch on a matter I've been idly considering myself," Mamoru spoke up. "The need hasn't arisen until now, but I think we might act faster and with more precision to emergencies if we distribute information directly to Luna and Artemis so that they can organize our response.
What you are saying now makes me think it would help the flow of information among us if during these meetings you suggest to hold between yourselves you would inform Luna and Artemis of your conclusions so they are kept up to date."

"An operational intelligence taskforce," Ami summarized the statements of her two friends while looking up at the young man with the black hair.

"A Visionary Club," Taiki joked.

"That would turn us into the Sailor Senshi command center," Artemis pondered out loud. "I don't know if I'm completely on board with that idea."

"In the first place," Luna deadpanned. "The future King and Queen are the command center of the Sailor Senshi. Artemis and I cannot take that role from you.
Those days are over."

"The two of you could serve as their personal assistants?" Makoto suggested with a shrug. "If you ensure regular communication with the rest of us and inform Mamoru-kun and Usagi-chan of the things we encounter, they can make the decisions on how to employ us in our struggle against the golems and their masters."

"And the angels," Yaten added while staring at Hotaru who observed her introspective pink-haired friend with wonder while Chibi-Usa continued to caress a sleeping Diana.

"Sure. I can be a governess," Luna sighed. "I can be a private tutor. I can be a personal assistant…"

"Then that's settled," Ami smiled to the dismayed surprise of the sweatdropping black cat.

"Though I regret to say it out loud," The bluette sighed. "Ryo-kun continuing his studies in Hiroshima might have an advantage here in that it would help him to serve as an unbiased counter-opinion to the impressions you and Michiru-chan form of your visions, Rei-chan."

"I could certainly try serving you as the auxiliary part of your intelligence taskforce," Ryo seriously stated. "I admit that the idea of exploring the limits of my clairvoyant ability is intriguing. I might find ways in which to come to Tokyo a little earlier than I usually do when I visit my girlfriend so that our mediation sessions don't eat into my time with her."

"It's nice to see you being so protective of your private time together with Ami-chan, Ryo-kun," Minako smiled while leaning her chin on her two hands.

As Hotaru observed the embarrassed blush on the boy's face and the happy smile on Ami's face, she found envious feelings filling her heart.
The blackette looked at Mamoru and Usagi and then at Michiru and Haruka, wishing Shingo could share the table with her while being completely aware of her double life.
She even hoped that Chibi-Usa's girlfriend, who was mildly worrying the pinkette since she hadn't called her since the day before, could someday be informed that she was dating an alien Princess.

"At the risk of making Haruka-kun feel lonely without me, I am completely on board with this idea of exploring how the three of us can improve our clairvoyant abilities together," Michiru smiled at Rei and Ryo. "An ingenious suggestion, Rei-chan. Mamoru-chan."

"Good," Rei nodded coolly. "Then here is the last concern I have..."

"Glad to hear you're almost done," Haruka teased. "You're starting to sound like you're soliciting for the function of speaker of the house in Kitten's future parliament."

"Héhéhé," Rei reacted with a chuckle so dry it sent shivers of apprehension down Usagi's spine.

"I'll keep it simple," The miko smirked. "Let's everyone raise our hands if past enemies threatened our lives on the grounds of our private residences."

The Sailor Senshi watched as a few hands were raised among Rei's own.

"Now let's everyone raise our hands if that happened to us two times in the past."

Only one or two hands were hesitatingly raised next to Rei's own

"And who has been treated to such pleasure a third time?"

This time only two hands were raised.

"How about a fourth time?"

"It does seem that the shrine has been targetted with disproportional frequency by past enemies," Setsuna pondered. "I wonder whether it being a Crystal Point has anything to do with that."

"It's not that I feel like my living conditions are especially vulnerable," Rei seriously spoke. "I have a duty to protect my Queen and King and to give my life to protect others."

The miko saw the sour look on Usagi's face when the blonde cast her eyes downward.

"... But I feel anxious about Grandpa, Yuuichirou, and Megumi-chan. Their lives are statistically at higher risk here. I worry what might happen to them when an enemy targets the shrine during my absence."

"I get that. I worry about Ryo-kun living so far away in Hiroshima," Ami cunningly reflected to Ryo's amusement.
"If an enemy were to find out he's my boyfriend there's no telling what might happen to him without anyone nearby to protect his life.
But the rate at which Yuuichirou-kun and Grandpa have been in danger is high indeed."

"How would you feel if I moved into the shrine, Rei-chan?"

Everyone turned their eyes on Makoto.

"Move in?" Rei frowned.

"We'd both be absent during school hours. There's nothing we can do about that.
But we can try to ensure there's always one of us here to protect everyone after school hours.
The shrine is much closer to Haru No Ike than my place and it's still close enough to school, so I'd stand to gain by the move," Makoto said.
"I don't need lots of living space and I will earn my stay by cooking for you guys."

"You'd be cooking for us?" Rei profoundly pondered. "But that would mean I'd have to give up the pleasure of eating instant curry dinners in front of the television."

"Rei-chan!" Ami, Minako, and Usagi shouted at their friend in unison.

"In fact, It crossed my mind to suggest this before, just so you'd finally change your sinful eating habits," Makoto spoke with closed eyes while clenching her fist with divine purpose.

"Thank you, Mako-chan. I appreciate your offer," Her friend smiled. "We do have a largely vacant room you can move into. So if you volunteer to help me with this concern of mine, Yuuichirou and I will gladly help you move in."

"It's my pleasure to help you protect your loved ones, Rei-chan," Makoto winked at the miko.

Alright then," Usagi said while stretching her arms. "If everything has been discussed, let's finally start this party!"

The blonde set into a smile but frowned when she found everyone's eyes upon her.

"Huh?" She reacted.

"We still have to discuss how we'll organize our patrols of the city, Usagi-chan," Minako said.

"That was your idea, remember?" Seiya laughed while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Noodlehead," Rei grinned while sticking out her tongue at her friend. "This meeting is far from over."

Chapter Text

"What a nice day. Even the truckers behaved like actual people and managed to treat us with respect."
"Ah… Honda-san? Is it that late already?"
"Oops. Seems like you woke up Manager-san with your complaints, Eri-san. Héhé."
"Wasn't it you who were too noisy in closing the office door too noisily, Masak-kun? Besides, I wasn't complaining."
"Héhé. I know, Eri-san. I was only teasing you."
"I'm happy to hear you had a good day, Honda-san. But I also want to hear it when you have a complaint. Though human beings don't all have the same capacity for self-improvement, we always find a reason to try."

"Destroy. Aftermath. Hell. Life. Infinite. Alternating between despair and hope, Ami Mizuno deals with the results of Gretchen's struggle for deliverance. Deal with your past to create a better future!"

When, a little over a week after the meeting on the new enemy, Ami closed the German textbook on immunology she had been studying at her desk, She and her friends had worked out a rotation for them to patrol the city in pairs of two with either Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, or Usagi on stand-by.
Despite the disappearing act two of the four golems faced thus far had performed, it was clear that the creatures in themselves weren't so powerful that the presence of either three was strictly necessary to redeem them.

The territory of Minato-ku was partitioned among the thirteen Senshi and Mamoru so that a different duo regularly patrolled each and Rei had fewer patrol hours due to the time they would spend meditating together and doing fire readings.
Ami herself, Haruka, and Taiki also had fewer hours in which they patrolled the streets because they took turns using the observatory to see if they could spy the angels Michiru saw in her visions.

so now they had a practical plan to hunt for the golems at large while actively hunting information about their main enemy.

After stretching her arms behind her head, Ami left her seat and returned the book she was reading to the shelf on the left side of her desk.
Her eyes lingered over the book on Jewish mysticism she recently bought.

'Why golems?' Ami pondered. 'Or angels for that matter… If there are angels, does that mean there is also a devil?'

After lunch and before study, the young genius had changed into her pale violet tank top and yellow leggings.
Walking over to the closet at the foot end of her bed, she found the violet sweatband she was looking for and tilted back her head while pulling it over her dark-blue hair.
Then she took her sailor communicator from the small safe inside the closet and bound it around her wrist.

"Oh?" Saeko Mizuno reacted upon seeing her daughter's outfit when Ami entered the living room. "Are you going out?"

"My friends and I started jogging lately," Ami smiled at the woman in the short magenta skirt and white blouse who sat on their green velvet three-seat sofa, watching a historical drama. "We think it'll help us study better."

"Remember to stretch. And I hope you bought good running shoes," Saeko grinned. "You've only ever been into swimming when it came to sports. Runners are much more at risk of injury."

"I know. We went shopping together and geared up on proper outfits. Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-chan lent us their expertise."

Ami stared at the television screen for a moment and then at her mother who was rocking her right leg up and down over her knee.

Upon spotting that she was being watched, Saeko folded her arms over her stomach with a pout.

"Yes. I know I've been gaining weight," The woman joked to hide that she was conscious of the slightly more stout physique she started to adopt.
"I'll see if Yukari-chan and me can organize a jogging group with the other doctors at the hospital."

"I think you look just fine, Mother," Ami smiled as she walked over to the woman and bowed to kiss her on the cheek. "Good luck at work this evening."

"Thank you, my dear girl," Saeko happily said when her daughter opened the door to the right of the television set and left the apartment. "Have fun jogging with your friends."

After using the elevator to descend the apartment building to floor level and walking out of the lobby, Ami nimbly hopped down the short flight of stairs to the park around the building.

"Hey there!" Seiya called out to her while standing around on the grass lawn of the park. "You're right on time. I think I could set my watch to you."

"Thank you, Seiya-kun," Ami blushed as she approached the male idol who was dressed in a sleeveless white T-shirt and black shorts.
"I'm more impressed that you were already waiting for me. I can imagine you're still tired after your first concert yesterday."

"Oh? I am, to be honest," The Kinmokuan chuckled. "I was nearly falling asleep while standing around. Make-up is hiding the shadows under my eyes. All the more reason to come here and get my blood pumping."

"Haha," Ami giggled. "I swear I didn't notice. Let's get going then!"

Seiya hurriedly started jogging when his terrestrial friend suddenly departed.

"I expected it to be rather noisy here, given the proximity to Shinagawa Station," He confessed when they were on the footpath of Zakurozaka. "But it seems peaceful enough around here."

"The noise is okay. We live on the other side of the building anyway," Ami breathed. ". How was your opening concert?"

"An unmitigated success. We were exhausted afterward and fell asleep on the train back from Sapporo. We went straight to bed after we got our luggage back into our apartment."

"I was questioning whether it might not have been wise to be partnered up with someone else today," The blue-haired genius to his left worried while looking at Seiya's face. "We already had trouble when Mina-chan and Hotaru-chan tried to tackle that problem the day Mina-chan was so tired."

"Don't worry though," Seiya grinned. "I'm quite alright after sleeping on the train and getting some hours more in bed. I'm not at my best but I feel a lot better already, now I'm getting some exercise.
The concert was great though. I knew we had to open in Sapporo. The crowd was as wild for us as I expected."

"I know," Ami smiled. "We saw people chanting along to Chasing Comets on the news."

"Hahaha!" Her Kinmokuan friend laughed with a tear in his eye, thinking back to the times he and his brothers sang the song, hoping their Princess would hear it. "Yes. That was such a cathartic moment. I was close to tears and shaking in my boots. What a beautiful moment to have our fans on Earth chant the words we wrote, wishing for the deliverance of our homeworld.

But I'm glad the response to the songs of our new album was so amazing We were worried about their popularity during the tour, but the people of Hokkaido made their feelings loud and clear."

"I'm glad you had a good start to your tour," Ami said as they continued their jog along Nihonenoki-dori Street. "We're all looking forward to seeing you perform here in a few weeks."

"Thank you, Ami-chan," Her friend smiled. "We'll plan to put our best foot forward when we do. You and your friends did so much for us, we want to repay the selfless kindness you showed us. That's why we will do all we can to help you protect the people of this planet against your new enemies."

"We appreciate all you can do to help, Seiya-kun. We know it's not easy for you to find time to help. If Rei-chan could find more information about the angels Michiru saw in her vision we might better allocate our resources."

"Right…" Seiya muttered while stoically looking ahead. "Ami-chan, There's something I wanted to ask you."

His blue-haired friend curiously stared up at the blank face of the tall Kinmokuan, wondering what the young man suddenly had on his mind.

"That's okay," She said. "You can ask me anything you want."

Seiya surprised her by showing her a shy look before he spoke.

"What's an angel?" The boy sheepishly grinned.

"She totally is one, isn't she?" Haruki Akabane whispered to his friend while both occasionally glanced at the girl in the long sleeveless livid summer dress and white knitted bolero jacket sitting opposite them two tables ahead without being noticed. "With her long pale-blonde hair and her sweet smile."

"Yeah," Kousei Ikeda gushed. "Mayer Margarete-san is rightly mentioned in one breath with Hino Rei-san as the two legendary beauties of T.A. Girls' Academy. The snowflake and the flame. Since she enrolled at the start of the school year, her name passed the lips of every high-school boy in Minato-ku."

The two friends had entered Yakitori Kayo innocently observing the man at the end of the bar and the slightly younger man sitting at the bar closer to the entrance. But as soon as they turned their faces left, their trained lecherous eyes recognized the three third-year students of Minato Ku's catholic high school seated at the table heading the nearest of two rows of three tables.

Junko Sakai and Asuka Arai curiously regarded the boys when they walked past them and tried to glance at their new classmate, Margarete Mayer, before taking their seats at the table in the back corner of the restaurant.

"I feel the awkward gazes of two Juuban Public High boys aiming over my back," Junko peevishly shared as she closed her eyes and pinched her lips. "And I suspect those boys are currently talking some embarrassing nonsense."

"Let's simply ignore them, Junko-chan," Margaret smiled at the diminutive redhead in the flowery green summer dress. "When you are in the company of faithful friends, you don't need to feel bothered by the impure gazes of immoral young men."

"We don't have to deal with this kind of thing at school," Asuka absentmindedly said while savoring her tsukune yakitori skewer. "Although I worry I might have trouble finding a boyfriend when I graduate because I'll be inexperienced at dealing with them."

Gretchen observed the girl with the low double bright-purple ponytail who sat to the left of her friend Junko wearing a light-brown corduroy dress.
Back in Germany, someone like Asuka would have been called simple.

Once Gretchen started to befriend Rei Hino and the other girls in her class, Asuka slowly endeared herself to the Bavarian with her sincere character.
The girl reminded Gretchen of the time so long ago before the centuries of agony and the depravities, privations, and tortures of hell when she herself could still be considered innocent.

"You may be a handful sometimes, Asuka," Junko grinned at the girl beside her. "But you're hella cute. So I guarantee you'll soon enough find a nice guy who'll want to pamper you."

"I don't know if he'll keep wanting to pamper me if we get into conflicts like I sometimes do," Her friend sighed. "I'll be happy if he tries to understand me and won't be mean."

"That's why," Gretchen stated with a gentle look. "Your friends will thoroughly screen any boy interested in dating you. There are a lot of insidious men out there, Asuka-chan. But you can count on Rei-chan, Junko-chan, and me to weed out the fiends."

"Oh? Thank you, Gretchen-chan," Asuka piped up while Gretchen smiled at Haruki and Kousei with eyes filled with loathing. "But I wouldn't want Rei-chan to screen the boys who want to date me. They might get hurt."

Behind Gretchen, a man in his forties entered the restaurant wearing brown trousers and a red and white striped T-shirt.

Having been informed of his identity and of the sequence of events expected to unfold after his arrival, the blonde took a bite from her hasami Yakitori skewer and listened intently.

"Good afternoon, Yoshida-san," Touki smiled and waved at the stout man in the beige pants and summer jacket sitting at the other end of the bar.

"Urawa-san," Hiroshi Yoshida smiled when he looked up from his glass of beer. "How's your day been?"

Gretchen smiled subtly during the conversation her two companions were having about Rei's participation in her Muay Thai club's upcoming tournament when the man sitting at the bar near the entrance looked up from his drink and watched Touki taking a seat beside his friend.

"I've had a nice day. Thank you," The latter said with a glance at his friend's half-empty glass of beer. "Slept in. I had a nice lunch. Did some private paperwork and laundry. Watched a movie. And here I am at our regular yakitori date."

"Good," Hiroshi nodded. "You look like you were able to get some decent rest to start your next week of work. When I saw you last week you were all stressed out."

"Yeah. I wasn't much fun that time," Touki grimaced while Hiroshi drank the rest of his beer. "Sorry about that. This job eats me up. The responsibility and the working hours… It's just too much for me to bear with the state of my mind after my recent depression."

"I always admire you for your dedication though," Hiroshi said while regarding his friend. "But if you can't handle the work why don't you quit? You keep asking to be reinstated in your old job, but your bosses ignore your appeals every time you do."

"Can we order please?" Touki asked the young man standing behind the bar.

"Good afternoon. What can I get you, Okyaku-sama?" The mustachioed man in the white uniform and cap asked both men.

"I'll have another glass of Asahi and a serving of shiro yakitori," Hiroshi said.

"A glass of Asahi for me too," Touki quickly decided. "And a mix of shiro and hasami yakitori."

"Very well, Okyaku-sama. I'll serve you a nice glass of Asahi," The young man behind the counter winked.

"Ah… Who'll hire me, Yoshida-san?" Touki sighed. "To be honest, my job at the supermarket isn't even that demanding and I still can't handle it. This is the only kind of work I know I'm competent at. The Azabu Group took over most supermarkets in the area. If I quit, nobody else would hire me as a warehouse employee if I told them my latest function was that of a store manager. They'll start to suspect all kinds of stuff. Especially if I tell them about my absence from the workforce due to hospitalization."

"Here are your beers, Okyaku-sama," The waiter announced while placing two big glasses of beer before each man. "The skewers are coming up."

"Sorry, Urawa-san," Hiroshi said as he left his barstool. "I have to visit the restroom for a minute."

Touki heaved a sigh when his friend disappeared behind the door behind him.
The slender man in the loud T-shirt looked around at the wooden bar and the decorations.
Something made him look to the right and he saw a man in his thirties sitting at the opposite end of the bar staring at him with a weird grin.

Uneasy at the look of the strange man with the wavy flame-shaped dark-gray hair with white highlights, Touki looked at his drink.

"Don't look away from me, "Giggles". I want to talk with you."

Feeling uncomfortable, Touki looked up to see the man in the black trousers and the white X Japan T-shirt come over and take the seat to his right.

"I've been sitting there on my own the entire time," The guy said with an amused grin. "And I just finished my fourth beer, so I thought I'd join you and your pall here for a drink.
I heard you work at Azabu-Juuban Supermarket. I bought a bouquet of pretty dahlias there for my girlfriend recently."

"That's nice," Touki reacted with an awkward smile, hoping Hiroshi would return soon. "I hope they were to her satisfaction."

"They certainly were," The younger man chuckled while he took his wallet from the pocket in the side of his pants. "Look here. She looks happy, doesn't she?"

Touki nervously glanced at the picture the man with the flame-shaped hair got from his wallet.
A woman with long black hair dressed in the same X Japan T-shirt her boyfriend was clad in smiled and winked while holding a bouquet of fresh pink dahlias.

"Can I have another glass of Suntory Premium?" His companion asked the waiter who responded with a nod.

"She looks very happy," Touki said while his stomach turned inside of him upon starting to ponder what was going on.

Hiroshi returned from the restroom and took his seat while frowning at the sight of his friend occupied by the stranger who had come into the restaurant soon after him about an hour ago.

"Yeah. She is very happy. Dahlias are her favorite flower. Like the song. Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Urawa-san," Touki muttered, feeling increasingly tense while suspecting that Eri Honda had said something she shouldn't have to the wrong person.

Fighting his usually counterproductive brain he managed to break out of the stupor these kinds of situations usually locked him into and quickly inquired what he needed to know to confirm his suspicions. He already vaguely remembered seeing pictures of the man and his girlfriend at his employee's home when he visited two weeks ago.

"What… What's your name?" He asked.

"Oh? I'm a modern guy," His companion said with a grin. "You can call me Kaze-kun."

Which meant he didn't want to share his surname with Touko. Certainly not when his wallet invited the question of proving any claim he would make as to his surname.

"That looks like a nice beer," Kaze told the waiter as the man brought his glass. "Say, it's my birthday today, so I wondered if you could do me the pleasure of playing my favorite song?"

"Certainly, Okyaku-sama," The waiter nodded. "If the other customers don't mind and if we have it in our compact disc collection. What song would you like to hear?"

"I love the song Dahlia from X Japan. That's a beautiful song, isn't it, Urawa-san?"

Having just emptied his glass, Touki felt dizzy at the insinuating smirk of the younger man.

Trying to control his breathing he turned his eyes on the wooden bar for a moment before looking at his companion.

"I suppose your older brother must have had a good laugh when his wife told him about my reaction to her singing in the store?" Touki asked in as even a tone as he was capable of.
"Didn't it occur to Honda-san how unwise it would be to play these kinds of games with his wife's employer?
I won't take this out on her, because she hasn't done anything wrong, but I hope you'll share with your brother how pitiful it is to feel threatened in his relationship by someone as pitiful as me."

"Hahaha! Sorry, Urawa-san," Kaze laughed while holding up his hands in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man turned back to the waiter, ignoring Touki completely.

"So… Do you think you have it in the restaurant's collection?" He chuckled. "I'm eager to listen to X Japan's majestic Dahlia while drinking here with my new buddy."

"I'm sorry, Yoshida-san. I'm not feeling too well suddenly," Touki apologized to his friend while leaving his seat. "Please eat the rest of my yakitori. I'll call you on the phone later today when you get home."

"It's alright, Urawa-san," A worried Hiroshi said. "Get home well and take as much rest as you need. I'll hear you later."

While Touki paid the waiter and stumbled towards the restaurant's exit, Gretchen gripped her lower abdomen with both hands and gasped for air to the consternation of her friends.

"Are you alright, Gretchen-chan?" Asuka asked her. "You look a little pale."

"No…" Gretchen grimaced. "I'm sorry. I thought I would be okay, but it seems my cramps are playing up after all."

"I have some medicine," Junko suggested.

"Thank you, Junko-chan," Gretchen attempted a smile. "But I'm afraid I'll have to go home and lie down for a while before I feel better."

Upon leaving the restaurant, Gretchen could still see Touki walking off eastward with his eyes downcast.

"That one is none of my concern," The blonde muttered while walking over to the other side of the street and turning incorporeal behind the cover of a parked Toyota. "I hope I won't have to wait long."

The Bavarian waited about 5 minutes, seeing three men and a woman enter the restaurant at a quarter to five.

Finally, Kaze Honda was satisfied that Touki's afternoon with his friend was ruined and left Hiroshi sitting at the bar on his own.
Gretchen followed the man with the dark-gray/white hair down Hijirizaka.

When the street merged with another he crossed the road and turned into the street to his left, walking into another izakaya in the second building from the corner.

This izakaya was smaller than the other. Kaze walked over to a slightly obese man who otherwise had about the same size and build as him and sat at the bar with a glass of shōchū in his hand.

"Hey, Ani," He smiled while taking the seat next to Daken Honda. "Wanna hear a funny story."

The man next to him brushed his wavy purple hair from before his eyes and grinned malevolently.

"Let's hear it," He chuckled before taking a sip of his liquor. "How did that loon react?"

"Can I get a bottle like his?" Kaze asked the man on the other side of the bar while pointing at his brother's drink.

Then he turned to the man in the white T-shirt and the blue jeans to his right, confused for a moment as to why the restaurant's front door opened abruptly without anyone coming in.

"Well…?" Daken asked with an amused frown.

"Must have been the wind," Kaze muttered while he accepted the bottle of shōchū and the glass from the waiter. "You should have seen the guy when I showed Reiko's picture with the…"

"Haaahahaha!" His brother laughed, knowing what he was talking about.

"Hahaha. With that bouquet of Dahlias in her hands."

"I love how she winked when you took the picture. Hahaha. That crazy guy," Daken laughed. "Making such a fuss about a woman singing a song."

"An X Japan song too," Kaze grinned while toasting with his brother.

"Best band in the world," Daken smiled broadly. "Only a lazy little freak who tries to slime his way into his employee's pants could think otherwise.

"Using the knowledge gained through love in order to harm another human being is a truly despicable… sin," Gretchen almost spat while standing with her back to the two brothers. "Tatzelwurm. I wish you good luck in procuring the merchandise we need to purchase our freedom."

Oblivious to the danger they faced, Daken and Kaze drank and shared their amusement at Touki's emotional anguish and mental fragility while a small clay ball fell to the floor and split in two.

Around the same time, Touki passed by Ami and Seiya as they continued their jog up Hijirizaka.

Neither recognized the other. Each was walking their path despite the things they found in their way.

'I need to make some changes in my life,' A panicking Touki pondered as he continued on his way. 'I can't believe that guy is going so far as to send his brother to stalk me in my private life! Honda-san, Your husband is scary!'

The slender man with the graying dark-brown hair watched an athletic man with short-cropped black hair in his late twenties pass him by while jogging in a dark-blue T-shirt and black shorts with blue running shoes.

'I can't push her away when I see her at work,' Touki reflected. 'Honda-san is a dear and kind friend. But I have to be firm and tell her she's not to drive me home after work anymore or there's no telling what her husband might try next.'

'Huh? Oh! That's the izakaya Urawa-san often visits with his friend on Sundays,' Ami reflected when a few minutes later she recognized Yakitori Kayo to her right.

"Let's continue to the crossroads up ahead…. and then we'll search the block," Seiya suggested while jogging to her right.

Ami nodded and smiled.

"If your fatigue catches up with you… you can maybe take a rest… while I search…"

"I'm alright… Don't worry," Seiya winked at her.

"Geez," The bluette grinned while rolling her eyes. "Such a typical man."

Continuing homebound, Touki's musings on how to deal with the situation Daken Honda created evolved into frustration at the way he was scared from his buddy time with Hiroshi.

'I was looking forward to having a good talk. I'm sorry, Hiroshi-kun,' He sadly reflected. 'I have to find a way to stand up to that guy if he continues to stalk me at Yakitori Kayo.

One thing is for certain: I can't ever again allow a woman who isn't romantically interested in me to befriend me. I can't take the stress and anxiety of getting beat up or harassed by their boyfriends or husbands anymore.

I hate those selfish spoiled bullies! All I want is to live in peace! If I'm never going to meet a woman who loves me for who I am anyway, at least let me live in peace.'

"I'm sorry… I didn't get to meet your mother," Seiya told his terrestrial friend as they passed the merger of streets before the crossing minutes later. "Yaten and Taiki tell me she is an amazing doctor."

"She certainly is," Ami smiled. "But Ryo-kun made me promise… to become an even more…. amazing doctor."

"Is that why you agreed… to join Hotaru-kun when she asked… Yaten if he'd teach you about Kinmokuan medicine?"

"I can't let Hotaru-chan overtake me…" Ami chuckled with an embarrassed smile. "If Yaten-kun… is going to tutor her… on the basics of Kinmokuan medicine… I want to be there too."

Seiya laughed out loud when they stopped at the crossing with Sakurada-dori Avenue

"Such a typical woman," He teased.

"What is that?!" They suddenly heard behind them.

Both Sailor Senshi turned around, startled by the man bellowing those words at the top of his lungs at the merger of Hijirizaka and Jizo Street.

"Everybody run!" They saw a guy in a blue T-shirt and black shorts yell while standing and staring at something beyond their view. "Those lion-monsters are attacking anyone they can… ugh-ugh… get their hands on with their poisonous breath!"

"Quick," Seiya sharply addressed Ami. "Let's transform under the recessed portico of that karaoke bar."

Glancing to the right, JGSDF Major Yori Maki coughed once more from straining his vocal cords and saw the two Senshi move out of sight. He ran straight back into Hijirizaka as fast as he could.

It was pure chance that he had seen the creature's attack. But it had been a wise course for him and the others to agree on decking themselves out in jogging outfits once they learned about the new hobby the Sailor Senshi had taken up. Because it seemed Mizuno Ami and Kou Seiya hadn't seen the monster's attack or its victims.

It was an even greater chance - he considered - that he was able to alert them and run away with his life intact.

"Somebody call the police!" The tall man in the blue T-shirt and black shorts yelled at bystanders who hadn't yet made themselves scarce, causing most of them to scatter "Call emergency services!"

To Yori's satisfaction, he saw a handful of people take their cellphones out of their pockets upon hearing him call out while they joined him in running towards the mall on the south side of the street to seek refuge.

Nowhere else but Tokyo would someone screaming about monsters have this effect, he reflected.

Reaching the safety of the building and entering through the double doors together with the people he evacuated from Hijirizaka, the apprehensive young man turned and carefully watched the entrance to Jizo Street through the mall's glass wall-height windows.
People behind him waited with bated breath while the few who heeded his earlier appeal were talking to the emergency services operators on their cell phones.

Back in the entrance to the karaoke, the Sailor Change Star appeared over Seiya's left ear as he exclaimed his transformation command:
"Fighter Star Power, Make Up!"

As Seiya struck a pose with his head raised and his right fist before his chest, three stars soared up into the sky before swooping toward him.

The light from the stars formed Sailor Star Fighter's long navy-blue boots, her hotpants, her bikini top with the winged golden star in the middle of her chest, her neckerchief, and the long gloves over her raised arms.

Sailor Star Maker's long black ponytail trailed behind her and she grinned confidently while her beaded golden tiara with the star in its center and her two golden star-shaped earrings appeared. Performing a backward somersault, she landed elegantly while striking a pose with her right arm to the side and her left hand on her hip.

Next to her, the Mercury symbol activated on the fluid blue Mercury Orb as Ami exclaimed her transformation command: "Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Ami raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Mercury Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The blue Mercury symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and five swelling currents of water flowed from the tips of the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis while the swelling currents of water washed around her body until it was submerged in the cool liquid.

Standing with her feet close together, Ami joined her hands while firmly holding onto the Crystal Change Rod.

Large ripples expanded from the water's surface around Ami's body while it was momentarily illuminated in a shimmer of bright light.

Bubbles burst from around Ami's body and the light flashed itself out, revealing Super Sailor Mercury as she turned around, dressed in her deep blue boots, her blue skirt with the large light-blue bow on her lower back, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the deep blue heart at the center of the light-blue bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her blue neckerchief, and the golden tiara with the deep blue crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Mercury raised her arms while the two long light-blue ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailed around her.

A shiny bright harp appeared behind her as she struck a pose, standing in an A-stance with her arms lowered to the sides.

Fighter and Mercury ran headlong into Jizo Street while the latter called Hotaru on her Sailor Communicator. They were aghast to see several men lying unconscious in the street while traffic into the street had earlier been halted by the sight and a long column of abandoned cars was lined up on the west side of the street.

"I see no sign of the enemy!" Sailor Star Maker exclaimed as she looked around and Mercury got onto her knees to check the unconscious men's vital signs. "But we have to get these people to safety before they attack."

"Saturn says she'll be here in 10 minutes," Mercury told him.

Her fellow Senshi wandered around two of the men lying on the street with his back to a small tree growing on the edge of the footpath near the entrance to an izakaya.

"Watch out!" Mercury exclaimed.

Fighter jumped to her side with a look of shock on his face when a large lion head popped out of the izakaya's glass entrance door and breathed a puff of yellow gas at him.

"Hold on, brother," A two-and-half-meter tall spindly reptilian creature with a lion head that showed a red number 5 on its forehead said while pushing the similar creature out of the building. "These aren't beta males. They're ladies."

"You're right, bro," The other golem grinned at Mercury as she got to her feet. "More ladies for our harem."

"I suggest you learn to treat other men with respect no matter the alphabetic designation you like to give them…" Mercury exclaimed while she and Fighter adopted a defensive stance. "before you attempt to start a romantic relationship with any woman."

"Needless to say there will be no harem ending for either of you," Sailor Star Fighter quipped.

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström shaped itself into a silver harp which Mercury played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target.

'It's a good thing I learned from my fellow Soul Merchants that our golems still need help at this point!' Gretchen reflected while watching the attack from afar.

The young woman instantly turned corporeal and appeared at about six meters distance from Mercury and Fighter in a long salmon-red dress with a broad beige band along the hem of the skirt and a light-green bodice while her long blonde hair was done up and covered by a beige silken bonnet.

The Bavarian raised her right hand and chanted: "Frigid heart, hear my call! Send my frosted feelings forth!"

To Mercury's dismay, her attack froze in mid-air before it dissipated without harming Tatzelwurm.

"Let's make ourselves scarce, bro," One half of the creature chuckled while running past Mercury and Fighter.

"But bro! What about our harem?"

"We have a third opponent, Sailor Mercury!" Fighter exclaimed while the second creature ran past them to the other side of the street.

His friend watched in the direction the Kinmokuan pointed and saw Gretchen's form just before the young woman turned incorporeal again.

"Fly up ahead to bar their way forward and cover me against that girl, Sailor Star Fighter!" She exclaimed while turning and running after the golems. "We need to save the people caught by those creatures! They only have four more minutes to live!"

"Two times the golem means half the time to get the job done, ladies!" The lion she was in pursuit of taunted.

Sailor Star Fighter flew overhead of the two creatures as they jumped over the cars jammed up in Jizo Street because of their attacks.

Mercury watched the reptilian creatures awkwardly leap from car roof to car roof over the abandoned cars.
Remembering that there was a medium-sized car park to the right of the road in between a group of ten-story buildings, the clever bluette hatched a plan.

"Fighter!" She yelled while her friend landed on a red Honda Civic. "Let's launch our attacks together!"

"I get you!" A grinning Sailor Star Fighter winked before turning her attention to the golem that was running up to her.

"You're going to either move out of the way or get your pretty body pawed, lady!" The creature chuckled.

"Ew, you fiend," Fighter smiled.

A ring of bright stars circled her body while she held up her Sailor Star Yell in her right hand.

"Star…!" The young woman with the long black ponytail exclaimed while raising her right hand.

At once, all of the bright stars were drawn up toward her Sailor Star Yell.

"Serious…!"

Sailor Star Fighter lowered her arm and pointed her Sailor Star Yell at her opponent.

"Laser…!"

… And fired a searing hot ray of light at her opponent.

At the same time, Sailor Mercury targeted the golem running right behind its partner.

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström shaped itself into a silver harp which Mercury played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target.

As she had calculated, being caught by an attack from the front and one from behind, the two golems were forced to run for cover in the enclosed car park to their right where they would be trapped.

"They're ours now! Great plan, Mercury!" Sailor Star Fighter exclaimed.

Both women ran in pursuit of the golems, intending to free the people the two creatures had absorbed into themselves at once.

Determined to help Tatzelwurm catch its prey, Gretchen reappeared behind them.
The young woman in the light-green bodice and the salmon-red dress raised her right hand and chanted: "Frigid heart, hear my call! Send my frosted feelings forth!"

Upon seeing their path blocked by a meters-high wall of ice, Sailor Mercury turned to face the blonde Bavarian.

"I'm sorry, Sailor Mercury!" Gretchen exclaimed while frightful bystanders huddled together among the houses behind her. "But I'm collecting these souls and you aren't going to stop me today!"

A deeply concerned Mercury consciously took note of every detail in Gretchen's dress before the girl turned incorporeal once more.

A ring of bright stars circled Sailor Star Fighter while she held up her Sailor Star Yell in her right hand.

"Star…!" The young woman with the long black ponytail exclaimed while raising her right hand.

At once, all of the bright stars were drawn up toward her Sailor Star Yell.

"Serious…!"

Sailor Star Fighter lowered her arm and pointed her Sailor Star Yell at the wall of ice.

"Laser…!"

To her frustration, the attack didn't seem to damage the ice wall.

"Try it again, Sailor Star Fighter!" Mercury urged the blackette. "We have to get through immediately!"

Reasoning that since Gretchen hadn't directly attacked them she might not intend to do so, she again turned around and joined her attack with Fighter's.

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström shaped itself into a silver harp which Mercury played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target.

A ring of bright stars circled Sailor Star Fighter while she held up her Sailor Star Yell in her right hand.

"Star…!" The young woman with the long black ponytail exclaimed while raising her right hand.

At once, all of the bright stars were drawn up toward her Sailor Star Yell.

"Serious…!"

Sailor Star Fighter lowered her arm and pointed her Sailor Star Yell at the wall of ice.

"Laser…!"

The attacks impacted the ice wall together, creating a small crater.

Mercury pricked her ears up at the sound of approaching emergency vehicle sirens.

"Once more!" Sailor Star Fighter exclaimed. "This time we're getting through!"

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström shaped itself into a silver harp which Mercury played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target.

A ring of bright stars circled Sailor Star Fighter while she held up her Sailor Star Yell in her right hand.

"Star…!" The young woman with the long black ponytail exclaimed while raising her right hand.

At once, all of the bright stars were drawn up toward her Sailor Star Yell.

"Serious…!"

Sailor Star Fighter lowered her arm and pointed her Sailor Star Yell at the wall of ice.

"Laser…!"

As their attacks impacted the meters-high obstacle, the crater they caused widened considerably.

"Let me finish the job for you so you can spare your strength," The Senshi heard the deep gentle female voice from a timely person standing in between them.

Mercury's heart pumped eagerly when she saw a translucent reflective Silence Wall orb easily boring a wide hole through the wall of ice.

"Thanks, Sailor Saturn," Fighter turned to wink at the friendly smiling black-bobbed stoic who finally arrived on the scene.

Mercury hurried through the hole in the wall, her eyes scanning the environment for the golems she was chasing.
Cars were parked diagonally compared to the wall in a row to her right, with extra parking space to the right and the left at the end of ther row up ahead.

"I'm here with you, Mercury!" She heard Saturn exclaim behind her as the blackette followed her into the parking lot. "Fighter is standing guard outside but she's hailing the emergency team to join us."

Then, as she walked past the end of the row of cars, Mercury saw them.

Turning the corner to the right into the extra parking space of about eight meters by eight in between three buildings where four more cars were parked Mercury spotted the bodies of Daken and Kaze Honda face-up and motionless on the concrete floor.

"No… No… It can't be," She muttered as she got onto her knees and checked Daken's breathing.

"We're too late?!" Hotaru wondered out loud as she saw the scene and ran the last meter before falling to her knees and performing the same action to Kaze Honda.

The sound of hooves behind them didn't distract the two young women from their task and Mercury started to alternate between the application of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while Saturn placed her hands on Kaze's chest and let her healing power flow through the man's body.

"Mission accomplished, brother!" Tatzelwurm cheered while he and his other half rode towards the parking lot's exit on the horse form of Salza. "If you have a job to do it is your duty to give it your all! Incompetents or kids who are used to getting everything on a silver platter aren't enough to stand in our way!"

"But I'm still standing in your way just the same!"

A ring of bright stars circled Sailor Star Fighter while she held up her Sailor Star Yell in her right hand.

"Star…!" The young woman with the long black ponytail exclaimed while raising her right hand.

At once, all of the bright stars were drawn up toward her Sailor Star Yell.

"Serious…!"

Sailor Star Fighter lowered her arm and pointed her Sailor Star Yell at her opponent.

"Laser…!"

… And fired a searing hot ray of light at her opponent that baked the frighteningly rearing Salza and the equally dumbfounded two parts of Tatzelwurm who yelled "Salvation!" as the three of them were reduced to an exquisitely enameled porcelain representation of folkloristic creatures.

Gritting her teeth, Fighter ran toward the figurine. Hoping that it may still help the golems' victims
But before she could reach it, the Kinmokuan despairingly saw Gretchen take shape beside the reduced form of her defeated opponents and pick the statuette up in both hands.

"I'll take this with me, Sailor Star Fighter," The blonde dispassionately said as she straightened herself.

The Bavarian turned incorporeal once more, with Fighter grasping into thin air as she halted at the place the young woman had stood.

/I'm honestly a little frustrated sometimes that I can't create an anime all on my own, with moving images and a soundtrack.
So when I think of a song while writing a scene I want to share that experience.
I advise you to doubleclick

Kyoko Koizumu - Yasashii Ame 

and open it in a new window while reading the following scenes/

When Touki Urawa entered his apartment about ten minutes later he was mentally exhausted and catching his breath due to the haste with which he had hurried to reach the safety of his home.

How ironic - the distressed man reflected - that he would find calm in a place of his domicile to escape the emotional trauma inflicted on him in his previous home.

How infuriating that he was forced to mentally repeat the experience of the students who used to live next door to him playing Dahlia on top volume every night at midnight and jeering at the way they were further destroying his already damaged brain at the end of the song. After which treatment, they continued to harass Touki with a series of loud rhythmic knocks on the wall at regular intervals throughout every night.

Touki seated himself on the sofa before his television set.

"I hate those assholes," The man groaned and whined while clasping his hands and leaning forward with a fierce look on his face. "I wish some group of yakuza soldiers would corner them in an alley and just rip them apart. Those cowards. Those assholes. I wish they'd run under a truck or something so they can never treat anyone like that again."

As a diversion, Touki with trembling hands took his remote and turned on the television, zapping through channels from an R&B song to a soap opera to the local news.

".. the two men who lost their lives in a Jizo Street parking lot."

His eyes now fixed on the television screen, an already despairing Touki feared for the life of his friend, Hiroshi.

"Not that too," The man incredulously gasped.

He nervously regarded the images made by an overenthusiastic cameraman who had ventured into the parking lot with the police and paramedics once Sailor Star Fighter assured them the coast was clear.

But when the store manager recognized the X Japan T-shirt Kaze Honda had been wearing in the izakaya and the glimpse of Daken Honda's face from the half-obscured corpses visible in the footage, only one person was on Touki's mind.

"Oh no… Poor Honda-san. Poor Honda-san. She doesn't deserve this. What happened?"

Ami was crouching against a wall in the crowded mall in Hijirizaka. As the rain started to pour down on the emergency workers outside, Seiya and Hotaru watched the bluette's trembling hands with concern.

"There was nothing we could do, Ami-chan," Hotaru whispered to her pale-faced sadly grimacing friend. "The enemy captured their souls so it was pointless even to try and save their lives with my powers."

"I know that," Ami muttered while staring at her hands.

"I'm sorry guys. At least we were able to bring salvation to those three golems," A troubled Seiya whispered. "And we have an idea of who our enemy is."

The Kinmokuan looked at the police officers outside who were trying to get traffic going again with the sudden shower washing over the ambulances that were starting to leave with Tatzelwurm's male victims and their traumatized girlfriends, wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends.

Yori Maki carefully observed the trio from his position among the crowd who first sought shelter from the golems inside the mall.
Those same people were now staying inside the mall because of the rain, providing him the perfect urban camouflage.

"We can fight with our lives on the line to save people only in as far as it would bear results," Hotaru attempted to comfort her friend in rather too stoic a manner. "We can even bring people back from the dead, but we aren't omnipotent.
Sometimes we just can't change fate and there's no shame in accepting that."

"But…"

Seiya and Hotaru inclined themselves towards their crouching friend to better hear what she was whispering.

"I know all that," Ami said. "This isn't the first time we couldn't save someone…
But I realize now that if I want to improve and become a great doctor, I'll also need to improve as a Sailor Senshi."

The blue-haired genius sternly looked up at her concerned friends.

"If going forward, losing as a Sailor Senshi means I won't get a chance to save someone as a doctor then the only conclusion is that I'll have to strive to get more powerful so there will be less chance that I lose the battle to save that person as a Sailor Senshi."

Chapter Text

"The sound of music is the sound of romance. It is the sound of love and heartbreak. And one man was able to reproduce that sound so vividly that he touched people's hearts over 3000 times."
"That may be true, Minako-chan," But that kind of romance can feel uncomfortable and frightening sometimes. Even if you knew about it in advance."
"I... I agree, Setsuna-san. Falling in love makes you nervous and insecure about your feelings and actions."
"Oh wow! The two of you seem to be reproducing the sensations of falling in love very accurately yourselves, Mamoru."
"Sigh... Please let Mamoru and me concern ourselves with that matter, Minako-chan. You concern yourself with your chart ranking."

"Minako-chan fights to reach number one in the Oricon charts and also to save the national treasure! The hits keep on coming!"

Chibi-Usa gazed in awe at the ornate altar before her. She gazed in awe at the exquisitely detailed triptych depicting Maria Magdalena healed by Jesus Christ, Maria Magdalena grieving while present at Jesus Christ's crucifixion, and Maria Magdalena witnessing Jesus Christ's resurrection. She gazed in awe at the immense gilded baldachin that drew her eyes to the top of the sanctuary and ultimately to heaven.

Next to the pinkette in the white shirt with small floral decorations and long black skirt sat her handsome girlfriend Carolina Rodriguez, praying with a look of serenity on her face at which Chibi-Usa also gazed in awe.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Carolina inquired before she opened her eyes.

Her girlfriend followed her gaze around the interior of the grandiose Church of Saint Maria Magdalene. She couldn't do otherwise but agree that the architects who designed the towering house of worship dedicated to the patron saint of penitent sinners more than adequately managed to make any mortal who entered it aware of his or her humility in the presence of God.

"It's amazing how they built this huge and gorgeous church building on an artificial peninsula in just over one year. I wish I had the talent to paint this," The pinkette gushed.

"I know," Carolina chuckled. "For the praise of God, I truly want to one day represent this beauty with the talent he granted me the pleasure of developing."

"Yeah… " Chibi-Usa tentatively started with a somewhat confused look. "I didn't expect you to be a religious person."

"Seriously?" Carolina reacted while tilting her head.

Only to lower her eyes a second later and declare with mock severity: "Frankly, I'm insulted at the apparently irreverent image you have of me."

"And is this why I heard nothing of you the weekend after our first kiss?"

Carolina turned an adoring look on her kouhai and brushed her hand through the pinkette's right odango while staring into her intense red eyes.

"To be honest, I never truly believed you would return my feelings, Coelho Ardente," The blackette in the green sleeveless shirt and knee-length gray shorts confessed.
"I have to start my apology by mentioning that I always tried to explain away my sexuality as an appreciation for the beauty with which God graced human females without feeling any desire beyond visual appreciation.
I'm afraid I could not keep up that lie when I laid my eyes on you and was able to deepen our friendship.

So the day after I hurt those girls from my previous school because of my love for you, I had a fierce struggle with myself."

"That sounds intense," Chibi-Usa said with concern for her girlfriend.

"Let's just say that I found myself unable to defeat my attachment to you," Carolina smiled.
"Which probably makes me a sinner who - worse still - desires to subject you to sinful behavior."

"What…?" Chibi-Usa swallowed in momentary confusion about the last words.
"I have to say I don't know how to feel about turning you apostate because we love each other."

"I know," Carolina said. "And I can't believe God means for that to happen to us simply because our love cannot be consummated.
I believe God means for all of us to bring forth life and that all life is sacred, but I cannot believe he rejects forms of mutual love solely on the basis that they don't result in procreation. To me, that does not sound like the God I know.

Indeed, this may only be me making up excuses for my sin, but I truly believe God wouldn't want to turn two people away from each other when they want to make each other happy and help each other find his love and pray together for the Kingdom Of God on Earth."

"I don't know about all that, to be honest," A nervous Chibi-Usa mildly protested when the consideration entered her mind that she is more concerned about helping to establish the Kingdom of Crystal Tokyo on Earth than she is the Kingdom of Heaven.
"I'm not a particularly religious person."

"Then being able to baptize you will only prove a greater tribute of my love for God and my humble desire to do penance if my love is sinful," A passionately speaking Carolina said while leaning closer to her girlfriend.

"A… Are you going to baptize me…?" Chibi-Usa asked in apprehension while glancing over at the baptismal font.

"Not if I'm a sinner, obviously," Her girlfriend shrugged. "Although I'd love to baptize you. We'd get one of the priests here to do it.
I used to have my place of worship at Saint Ignatius Church in Kojimachi, but with my current desire to prove my love for God and prove to Him that my love for you is in His service, I think this church is more appropriate for now."

Ignoring the flirting girls sitting in the pews he passed by, Heinrich Faust involuntarily winced when the brown sports jacket the tall broad-shouldered man in the beige trousers was wearing chafed the fresh wounds on his back.

It felt good to him though that the discipline he used for the self-flagellation the Palatine regularly submitted himself to in his rooms in the church tower inflicted such pious wounds.

'But perhaps these wounds too are the mere product of vanity in hoping God will recognize my desire to do penance,' The man with the lush half-curling hair considered as he opened a door in the back of the chancel. 'Because God would never recognize the penitence of a creature who organized the creation of this unholy building that aims to mimic a church.'

Closing the door behind him, a sense of unease immediately took hold of Heinrich Faust.

Turning left in a dimly lit hall, he took a key from the chain around his neck and opened the heavy wooden door before him.
The door led to a wide stone staircase from the depths of which dim sounds of industry rose.

Faust did not need to descend so deep as that, since he reached his subterranean chambers after stepping down three levels of stairs.

The man in the brown sports jacket and beige trousers flicked on the light in a wide hall of about 7 meters to 7 meters.
Heinrich Faust walked towards the stone table to the right of the door, from which he picked up a piece of chalk.

He walked towards the center of the hall and drew a summoning circle.
Then he stepped back and declared in a loud clear voice: "To hell with the laws of men and God! I desire to know all! The most stern wisdom and the most insensible love!"

"And did I not enable you to know those extremes and everything in between?" A cruel booming voice inquired as a column of gray mist rose from the summoning circle to the two-and-a-half-meter-high ceiling.

"I wonder," Heinrich resentfully replied. "Perhaps if you did so, the five of us wouldn't have ended up so mercilessly trapped by your depraved trickery."

"Hahahahahah! I'm afraid there must be knowledge that is not for me to possess either, Herr Faust. Perhaps the knowledge that might have kept you without sin was lost to me when I pondered how best to gain your resourceful soul," The booming voice of Mephistopheles laughed before it continued in a more serious tone. "But then… that first part may not be true for much longer.

On that note, what good news do you have for me of our progress?"

"The golems are making great strides in their task," Faust sighed. "The remnants of the Dark Crystal have been distributed according to your directions and are being polished into the desired forms as we speak."

"Good. Good. Soon the Sailor Guardians will be removed as obstructions and we will be able to alter the very fabric of existence. This time, Herr Faust…" Heinrich heard the creature that owned him and his beloved say with a quality beyond mortal desire in its voice. "We will succeed."

The robust Palatine wished he was clever enough to trick Mephistopheles into revealing what he desired so much to accomplish.
He was aware that the defeat of Sailor Moon was supposed to lead to it, but his owner never went into detail as to what he intended to follow that victory up with.

"I know you have been begging Him to grant mercy to the others. You have been praying most ardently, Herr Faust."

With uneasy surprise, Faust stared into the periwinkle eyes of Mephistopheles's human form. The likeness of a handsome manly nobleman of a bygone era that he adopted during their acquaintance in the early 1600s. The broad-shouldered man with a neat graying hairdo and beard in the blue-and-black-checkered shirt and gray trousers stood in the column of sleet and mist, staring at Heinrich with his insidious eyes.

"He won't listen, Faust. You know he won't listen. Why would he listen, after all, when you still desire her body?"

Heinrich violently averted his own eyes from the shape of the creature that had accompanied him in travels of discovery and debauchery all over the world.
As a teacher and a companion. Almost as a friend. Even though Faust hated to admit to it.

"The only thing I desire for Gretchen is her salvation!" The tall clean-shaven black-haired man exclaimed. "You don't know me that well, Mephistopheles! You don't know me that well!"

"Hahahaha," The fiend quietly laughed. "I know you well enough, Herr Faust. You may wish for her deliverance, but your lust is too great. Every night you flail your body to punish it for its desire.
You know her deliverance will only come about through me. Just like your own deliverance will only come about by helping me accomplish the destruction of the Sailor Senshi. Our beautiful friend Gretchen has been highly successful in striving for that destruction.
She sold me her first souls. And what deliciously depraved souls they are to take your places at the time when you manage to repay me for my kindness in granting your wishes.
The rest of you had better take an example of her."

"You monster," Heinrich started to weep while hissing the words.

With a cunning smile, Mephistopheles saw his possession lean against the stone table near the door.

"You monster… The things you made me do… so you could win your bets with us. The things you did to her to make her fear you so much that she would take another human being's life for the sake of escaping further torture."

"It does not matter!" Mephistopheles crowed. "It doesn't matter. You are both my property now and are perfectly aware of your only way out."

The creature's handsome gray-haired human shape put his hands in his pockets and stared at Faust while his possession recovered his self-control.

"All that matters is your mission. I urge you to pray Frau Schwerdtlein succeeds in hers this weekend."

"This is absurd," Minako muttered in shock while staring at the announcement board.

"This absurd," Makoto - in a similar state - gasped while blinking.

"I don't know what I can say to help the two of you accept this," Ami said, standing next to a proud Usagi. "But I'm afraid you're going to have to accept it. Usagi has been making steady progress in her grades since the start of the previous school year."

"It's inconceivable just to see you suddenly score within the 700's," Minako sulked while turning to her blonde friend.

"But what's even worse is how you jumped several rankings over us!" She and Makoto exclaimed in unison.

"This is severe betrayal, Usagi-chan," Minako scolded her friend.

"Yeah. Ami-chan is the clever one, Rei-chan is the absent one, and we are the three underachievers," Makoto nodded.
"How the heck did you manage this kind of score anyway?"

"You didn't help her cheat, did you, Ami-chan?" Minako inquired while stroking her chin.

"Me helping Usagi-chan Cheat?" The blue-haired genius protested. "Now that's absurd."

With Ami starting to walk towards their classroom, the other three followed and continued the conversation in the hallways.

"This is all Luna's doing," Usagi whined. "One day she simply announced that with the absence of enemies for over four months she should take the opportunity to start tutoring me. I asked why and she told me the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo should be a well-educated ruler.
Since then, she's been tutoring me without pause or mercy."

"If Luna can achieve these results with you," Minako pondered. "There's no telling what she could achieve with me.
Maybe I should ask her to tutor me. As an idol a great tutor is paramount for my school-career-leisure balance."

"So are these private study sessions the reason why we've been seeing Luna covered in bruises and you covered in cuts this past year?" Makoto chuckled while Usagi cringed.

"It's like a real-life catfight," Minako laughed. "Don't underestimate Luna. Usagi-chan may have the upper hand in weight and strength, but Luna is a cunning fighter and wears her opponent down into submission."

Upon entering their classroom, Usagi headed to her seat and pulled it back.

"Luna is far too strict a tutor," She grumbled as her friends laughed and chattered. "You better look for another private teacher, Minako-chan."

Once everyone had taken their seats, Makoto carefully observed Ami's back two rows ahead of her and leaned closer to Usagi.

"Say, Usagi-chan," The powerful brunette whispered in her friend's ear. "Has Ami-chan been talking to you about the Honda brothers?"

Usagi's expression turned troubled at the mention of the surname.

"Whenever I ask her about what happened she turns moody and says the only thing she can do for their sake now is get more powerful as a Sailor Senshi, so she doesn't lose anyone to the enemy again."

"Same story, huh?" Makoto sighed.

Usagi stared at her friend's back and lowered her eyes in defeat.

"I feel like she's disappointed. And not just in herself, but also in me for not being able to bring the Honda brothers to life again.
It's the same for me as it is for Hotaru-chan. Their souls are guarded by extremely powerful magic. I simply can't bring them back to life, because I can't reach their souls to revive their bodies."

"Nobody is blaming you, Usagi-chan," Minako whispered behind her back. "Or Hotaru-chan or Ami-chan.
We are all heartbroken about what happened, but the enemy has the upper hand for the moment since they have the element of surprise.
We should remain hopeful that we can still set things right once we defeat them."

"I know," Her friend smiled sadly. "I think the loss hit Ami harder when she learned the two men the enemy killed were acquaintances of Ryo's uncle."

"Ami-chan did express a loss of confidence in herself as a Sailor Senshi," Minako whispered. "I think I understand how she feels.
The loss of my mother to illness was a big factor in my motivation for wanting to fight the Dark Kingdom when I became Sailor V.
I wanted to save other people from having to experience that kind of loss. I suppose that's why Ami-chan wants to become more powerful as a Sailor Senshi too."

"Hush…" An eagerly smiling Makoto silenced her friends as everyone got up. "Time to lift our spirits, girls. Cartier-Sensei has arrived."

With a slightly haughty expression, Christopher Wagner entered the classroom that was being attended by a full one-third of the Soul Merchants' enemies.

"Class, be seated," The handsome wiry thirty-something with the neatly trimmed caramel-blonde mustache and marquisetto beard most of the girls in class had fallen in love with nodded curtly.

His gentle light-blue eyes wandered to a slightly built boy with messy dark-brown hair who sat in the left corner at the back of the class.
The stout young man next to the boy nudged his companion.

"What? Oh! I'll take attendance, Sensei!" Haruto Ôta reacted in confusion.

Christopher nodded curtly as Haruto started to read the names on the sheet of paper on his desk.

"Mizuno Ami-san?"

"Present."

They were past the point of no return. They had willingly and purposefully taken the lives of two men. They were now murderers as well as sinners.

Christopher sighed at the reflection. He pitied Gretchen for the lot that had befallen her due to Faust's and her transgressions. The lot he shared with them through his own transgressions.
The lot he wanted to escape with as much desperation as the rest of them.
A desperation born from absolute terror for a repeat of the excruciating pain they had been subjected to and vile acts they had been forced to commit for hundreds of years.

"It is good to see that everyone is present," Wagner said when Haruto Ôta finished his task. "I am sure you have all seen your scores and rankings in the mid-term exams. Congratulations have been earned, because almost everyone here improved their score relative to last year's spring mid-term and final exams."

The mustachioed man in the light-blue short-sleeved shirt and brown trousers looked at Ami, who had her eyes cast down in self-reproach.

The death of the Honda brothers and her emotional turmoil over what she saw as her failure to protect them only had a minute effect on her efforts for the spring mid-term exams.
Even so, the effect was visible in the points she lost in her score even if she kept her usual rank.

Christopher Wagner observed and pitied the girl Mephistopheles had tasked him to eliminate as a threat.
His scholar's soul admired Ami, but his fear and self-loathing urged him to seek the "redemption" his tormentor had promised.

"Almost everyone succeeded in raising their performance according to the goal we outlined at the start of the school year. Mizuno-san. Ôta-san."

Ami and Haruto raised their eyes to their handsome teacher with apprehension.

"The two of you alone underperformed during this test period.
To put you both back on track I have decided on a motivational assignment I want you to work on together," Christopher said. "You will stay after school every Wednesday to work on the assignment and deliver the finished result in autumn."

Ami despairingly realized this meant she wouldn't be able to tutor Hotaru anymore.
She hated to have to disappoint her friend. But she also worried that - while she wouldn't have to give up any after-school hours to the assignment, provided she and Hotaru couldn't schedule another moment to continue the tutoring - Haruto Ôta was less an underachiever and more simply unmotivated and not bright enough to be of any use during the assignment.

"Cartier-Sensei!" Usagi protested while standing up. "Please reconsider! Ami-chan is the top student in our school. She will make good for her lower score on the spring finals. And while Haruto-kun might benefit from working on this assignment with her, she would be losing study time to get into her university of choice."

Ami looked at her friend with gratitude for wanting to spare her the waste of time in her final year while she wanted to devote more time to getting stronger as a Sailor Senshi.

"Tsukino-san," Wagner sighed. "I do not take this assignment lightly. When I see a top student underperform, I know there is a deeper lying problem."

Ami lowered her eyes and bit her lip when her teacher looked her in the eyes.

"In your final year, you boys and girls don't have time to spare," He continued. "I am quite aware of this as your teacher.
But motivation is paramount to doing well on your university entrance exams.
If that motivation is wavering in Mizuno-san and Ôta-san, assigning them to a task together where I can closely monitor their performance provides a powerful didactical tool.

I hope you agree with me that the goal here is not to let Mizuno-san perform as the top student of our school on her university entrance exams but to let her perform to the best of her abilities.
And as the student who made the most progress in class, I think you will agree that there is no telling how someone like Ôta-san might perform with the right motivation?"

"Hahaha!" A blushing Usagi giggled while rubbing the back of her neck. "Thank you for the compliment, Cartier-Sensei. I'm sorry for protesting your decision."

'Is this girl such a powerful adversary?' A perplexed Wagner pondered. 'She was going to stand up for her friend and now she's dropping her like a brick over one silly compliment.'

"In any case, Ôta-san. Mizuno-san. I will give you the details of your assignment tomorrow after school."

Ami nodded while worrying about her schedule.
Haruto simply wondered why everyone was acting as if he didn't matter.

The rain that had poured down all Saturday morning turned into a gentle drizzle by the time Minako was on her way to her recording studio session.
Nevertheless, the lanky blonde in the green summer vest over a printed black T-shirt and white short skirt still needed to carry an umbrella.

"Geez… The rainy season is starting early this year," The celebrated idol whined to her cat, who was along for the ride in the green bag his mistress carried over her shoulder. "I feel all sweaty from the humidity."

"Hmph…" Artemis reacted with a roll of his eyes. "You humans think you have problems in this weather. How do you think my fur feels in this hot humid weather?"

"You didn't have to come along, you know?"

"As your career manager, I have to be present while you record your new single," The white cat sternly declared. "That's just how it is."

A sly smile appeared on Minako's face.

"The truth is you simply enjoy the glamor of it all. Isn't it, Artemis?" The blonde teased. "The stylish clothes. The cool people. The hustle and bustle. The cute kitty cats…"

"No… That's just you," Artemis coldly commented. "And don't tell Luna I look at the other cats or I'll get in trouble."

"Why do you have a girl's name anyway?" Minako tried after remembering something Ami told her. But no answer came.

Minako watched the people they passed by who were similarly holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the steady drizzle. One young couple made her dream up some lyrics she might write for a future song.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Artemis asked.

The blonde idol looked down at her green bag to see the cat's eyes on her.

"About Tsutsumi-sensei being present at the recording?" Her cat clarified his earlier statement.

"I met him before," Minako said while looking away.

"Briefly," Artemis nodded.

"I feel a little awkward about the performance of the recent single, that's all," His mistress finally admitted.

"Why? It's not your fault."

Artemis watched how Minako stared ahead without reacting.
It was on a melancholy rainy day like this, he reflected, that the illness took her mother, so many years ago.

April 1985

Having fetched her stuffed rabbit from her bedroom, Minako scuttled back to the side of her dear mother in their spacious western-style living room.

Akina Aino was still talking to the interviewer from the authoritative fashion magazine her husband founded seven years ago.
Her long blonde hair was done up in a stylish bun, her slim graceful figure was clad in a long expensive light-green dress with a thin knitted beige bolero jacket over her shoulders.

"Oh, I guarantee you, Aino Akina-San," The interviewer chuckled. "Your outing into acting while playing the charming spy, Shizuka Fuda, will long be remembered."

"Thank you, Ishikawa-san. You are too kind about my acting ability," Akina timidly smiled.

"Mommy was a spy?" 5-year-old Minako asked while sitting on her mother's lap.

"No. You misunderstand me," The interviewer smiled. "Your mother was in a movie where she pretended to be a spy."

"Can I see your movie, Mother?"

"I think you might be old enough now," Akina said while caressing her daughter's cheek. "It's not a particularly scary movie."

"It seems like Minako-chan inherited all of her mother's beauty," Jin Ishikawa doted. "How would you feel about becoming a famous fashion model when you grow up, Minako-chan? Just like your mother. You'll get to wear lots of pretty clothes and people will take pictures of you and film you…"

"Can a fashion model sing and dance?" Minako quietly asked.

Jin grinned at the reaction.

"If her fans think she's good enough," He said. "But that sounds more like an idol than a fashion model."

"Then I would like to become an idle."

"If you make enough money singing and dancing you might," Jin joked.

Then, with a sigh: "Although - and please don't tell your father - I think it is a waste that your mother doesn't appear in Kamae or on the catwalk anymore. Aino-san made your mother a superstar when he was a photographer. But after he founded Kamae, your mother slowly disappeared from the spotlight."

"The spotlight was never really my place, Ishikawa-san," Minako heard Akina Aino quietly say without comprehending the subject of the discussion.
"If not for dear Yukochan's powers of persuasion I would have continued to live my life in the dim autumn lights where I feel most comfortable and ended up with the boring life of an office lady.
I feel most happy living at home where I take care of Minako-chan."

A sad grimace appeared on Jin Ishikawa's face.
Kamae's most influential writer was well aware of how Yuko Aino's affection for his wife had dwindled since the birth of their daughter.
Everyone at the office talked about Akina sitting at home all day where she pines for the attention of her husband who is always busy with work.

"Any flower, no matter how great its beauty will eventually fade and die if it is denied the sun's light," He poetically stated.

To the man's surprise, Minako suddenly put her hands to her eyes and started to weep.

"Please don't let the flower die," The little girl entreated while sobbing out loud. "If you give it enough light it might not die after all. Please save the flower."

Jin chuckled as the earnestly affected Minako was hugged by her mother.

"Ishikawa-san didn't mean any real flower is going to die, Minako-chan," Akina gently spoke. "He was using a figure of speech. All the flowers will live long and happy because they will always stand in enough sunlight to keep them healthy, even if that light is not as plentiful as it once was."

"Your mother is right, Minako-chan," Jin said. "And even if that flower is happy living in the dimmest of lights, I will keep trying to get her into the sun again."

Akina lowered her eyes to admire her slowly soothed daughter and coughed. It was the first of many times she would cough, all through the spring of 1985. By the time summer started she would cough no more.

She left behind a husband who largely neglected her during her illness and a deeply distraught daughter who missed her mother and would grow up into a teenager who desperately craved the love of a man devoted to her.

Setsuna was utterly engrossed by the stitching of the tartan skirt worn by a mannequin in the display of a boutique that was not Sparkles.
The awkwardness of the work on display bothered the tanned woman in the black skirt and the salmon-pink cardigan over a white shirt more than she would be prepared to admit.
Something inside her felt it an affront on the side of the store owner to present such a sub-par product to customers.

With a sigh, the greenette unfurled the matter from around her mind.

The truth was that she had been walking around the city with some boredom, seeking something to do for about an hour.
She almost called up Assistant Professor Higashi to ask him if he had some time to spare.
But an hour was all she had, and he tended to talk his way into spending more time with Setsuna than she was prepared to grant him.

"Meiou-san, how are you?"

"Aaah!"

Recovering from her fright, Setsuna turned to face Mamoru, who backed up to avoid her black umbrella.

"Mamoru-kun," The greenette sulked. "You shouldn't sneak up on a lone woman like that. It's very unsettling."

"I'm sorry," Mamoru said with an amused grin. "I assumed you saw my reflection in the window."

"Mamoru-kun," Setsuna suddenly turned serious on the young man in the beige summer jacket over a purple blouse and red trousers."Isn't it about time we get a little more friendly with each other?
I realize we are both on the verge of becoming working adults, but aren't we close enough to dispense with the polite talk by now?"

"Alright," Mamoru demurely nodded. "Setsuna-san?"

"That's much better," Setsuna reacted, flashing the young man a bright smile.

A smile that seemed to catch the light of the sun that was breaking through the clouds, or that's how it looked to Mamoru.
There was suddenly an otherworldly beauty to Setsuna's expression. A tint that wasn't there before. A quality that made her seem more real and prominent among the other sights and sounds around him.
Mamoru scarcely could have said why that was.

"What were you thinking about before I startled you?" He asked.

"I have an appointment in about half an hour to pick up Minako-chan from the studio where she's recording her new single to go shopping together as a way to keep her company while she rewards herself.
I was considering what I could do to keep myself busy in the interim."

"Minako-chan has been doing that a lot recently," Mamoru chuckled. "I just finished my patrol with Rei-chan, who commented on Minako-chan having started a small boutique at home."

"Minako-chan can afford it of course," Setsuna shrugged while closing her umbrella. "And I enjoy keeping her company while she fits.
With her elfin-slender body, she's a perfect friend for me to dress up in any ensemble I can think of. I suppose we're utterly enabling each other."

"Sounds like it," Mamoru nodded. "And I agree, as long as she doesn't go into debt there's little harm in her having fun shopping around."

Setsuna regarded the black-haired man with some timidity.

"Mamoru-kun, do you have any occupation in the next hour or so?"

"Like I said: I just finished my patrol. After that, I went home for a shower and I got dressed.
I was heading to Usako's house to have dinner there, but I have a couple of hours to spare if you want someone to chat with."

"Good," Setsuna smiled. "Care to chat while drinking together in the studio's artists bar? Minako got me a pass and I can bring someone along."

"How chic," Mamoru chuckled. "I suppose I can't let such a chance down."

"You certainly cannot," Setsuna grinned at her friend's amusement while scratching an itch in her earlobe.

While the image of the motion ingrained itself in Mamoru's memory, the pair started to walk.

"For the longest time I wanted to ask you something, Mamoru-kun," Setsuna casually spoke. "Does Usagi-chan buy your clothes?"

"Usako buys me some things for my birthday or our anniversary," Her companion confessed while they strolled along the shops by the side of the road.
"But I mainly buy my clothes myself."

"I see," Setsuna nodded to herself. "And how would you rate the way you dress yourself? On a scale from one to ten."

Mamoru's confidence in his ability to dress himself never had occasion to waver. Neither his friends nor Usagi's friends had ever commented on his clothes.
But that only had him feeling that his sense of fashion was in line with theirs.
Only Usagi had given him the occasional frown. But it was normal for a girlfriend to nag a little and be uptight about what her boyfriend wears, wasn't it?

"I'd say I'm a comfortable seven," Mamoru chuckled in surprise at the question.

The young man saw the tilted stare his green-haired friend regarded him with and for the first time in his entire life, Mamoru felt a foundational part of his manhood shake.

"Su… Surely you think I'm a six?" The man with no self-awareness stuttered.

"Mamoru-kun," Setsuna respectfully said. "Would you mind if I borrowed you for an afternoon and took you to town for a complete restyling - not only of your wardrobe but of your entire sense of fashion?"

"Hahaha!" Mamoru innocently laughed out loud. "This is all in jest, isn't it? Usagi put you up to this. She must be hiding somewhere."

Setsuna's eyes grew wide in apprehension when her friend looked around the corner of the building they just passed by and tried to spy his girlfriend hiding behind other pedestrians.

"It pains me to say so," She sighed. "But I don't jest when it comes to fashion. Except for that time you arrived at a casual indoor party dressed in beachwear."

"Wha…?! You were mocking me?" A hurt Mamoru exclaimed. "I was so happy you were on my side."

"I am on your side, Mamoru-kun. But I can support you in this folly no longer."

"But…"

"Tick-tock. Tick-tock… Using the nineties as an excuse is about to lose its validity forever."

"Fine. I'll be in your care," A broken man said while hanging his head.

"What a relief," Setsuna smiled. "I can finally save you from yourself."

"That's a bit harsh," Mamoru laughed, prompting his friend to join him.

"Sorry," She said. "I don't joke around about fashion, but I do enjoy teasing my friends if they dress like a Picasso painting.
I suppose you can't help it though. You never knew your parents, so you never had any role models to learn from."

A thought flew into Mamoru's mind and he was suddenly engrossed by a question he never really considered before.

"Do you know who your parents are?"

Setsuna stopped laughing and looked at him.

"I have no idea," She said. "My earliest memory is of finding myself in the Moon Kingdom and Sailor Saturn bringing me to Queen Serenity. I knew who I was and what I liked and disliked. But I had no idea where I came from or how I arrived in the Moon Kingdom."

"That must have been scary," Mamoru said. "I'm sorry you found yourself in such a frightening situation."

"Wha…?"

To her surprise, Setsuna blushed at the words of concern.

"Yes. It was unsettling and I was grateful to Saturn and Queen Serenity for caring for me so much. Queen Serenity did what she could, but even she couldn't look into my past. Or my future for that matter. She could only see what I already knew for myself: That - as Sailor Pluto - I am the guardian of spacetime."

Setsuna was a little shocked at her reaction to Mamoru's words. The outers never really asked her much about her life as the guardian of spacetime because they thought it was a lonely existence and were sure Setsuna would be more interested in talking about her current life.

In truth, being the guardian of spacetime was super cool, because she got to see the entire history of the Moon and its people, as well as Earth's history and human development in real-time.
But after a few hundred thousand years, the novelty did wear off a little.

That's when Sailor Pluto started to take an interest in what would be considered the more frivolous aspects of life: Fashion.
An interest which she freely indulged back during the days of the Moon Kingdom and in the present day.

Nevertheless, the Setsuna Meiou who became so jaded about history and evolution, now stood babbling and blushing on a warm humid spring afternoon because someone whom part of her still considered the most boring young man she ever met expressed pity for the fate of the lost and confused Sailor Pluto of the past.
She would have laughed at herself if she could see it.

"So in gratitude for everyone I got to know in the Moon Kingdom, I decided to protect my new friends and guard the door of space and time."

Observing how impressed Mamoru was by everything she said, Setsuna took the chance to recover herself and tease the young man in the process.

"But more than anything," She smiled. "I want to protect my friends from terrible fashion choices."

Artemis drowsily looked up from his basket by the side of the mixing console to see Minako emerge like a flower spirit from the live room underneath the "ON AIR" display.

Kyohei Tsutsumi watched the audio engineer doing his work. Both of them were listening to the last track they just recorded when Minako's manager, Fuji Hamasaki, left their side to greet her.

"Well done, Aino-san," The handsome blonde man in the green shirt and dark-gray trousers gushed while patting his protégé's back. "I could see you had a hard time at first. Ultimately though you delivered a few stunning performances."

"You think we have another big hit on our hands, Hamasaki-san?" Minako eagerly asked while closing the door behind her.

The young woman glanced at Kyohei Tstutumi, not catching how the producer of over 3001 hits grinned imperceptibly at her inquiry.

"You let me do a lot of retakes," She addressed the sound engineer. "I suppose I was a little nervous with Tsutsumi-sensei here to observe."

"No need to be nervous around me, Aino-san," Kyohei gently spoke.

Minako grinned as a little girl as the lean soft-eyed man looked at her through his spectacles.

"You proved to be a talented vocalist who has become a professional in her domain. As professionals, we both contribute our parts to create the hits the public expects of us. Which you did with great success once more."

"Thank you for your praise, Sensei," Minako bowed to the man in the dark-blue suit, white shirt, and light-blue necktie with a big smile.

"Tsutsumi-sensei is correct," Fuji Hamasaki smiled. "You worked hard to reach your current level of ability. Ai No Shojo has become a major brand name on par with Natsuki Ozawa and soon with Miho Nakayama."

"Maybe even on par with Kyoko Koizumi someday?" Minako smirked.

"Now, now," Kyohei quietly chuckled. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Those days are over."

While Minako giggled at her own expense, Artemis jumped from his spot underneath the "ON AIR" sign, walked over to his mistress, cried mew, and purred around her legs.
Understanding the hint, the blonde checked her watch and realized that Setsuna must be waiting for her in the artist's bar for about a quarter of an hour already.

"My apologies everyone," The celebrated idol hastily bowed. "But I have an appointment with a friend that I should honor. Please excuse me for leaving early."

"That's quite alright, Aino-san," Fuji Hamasaki chuckled. "Business is important, but friends are important too. Especially for young girls."

With a few strides, the man with the neat blonde hair opened the door and opened it.

"Let me escort you outside so these two gentlemen can work their magic on your vocals… Oh!"

Artemis plucked his ears up when he noticed that his mistress' manager seemed to bump into something invisible before exiting the control room.

Minako hadn't noticed, however, so she followed Fuji into the hallway.

"Are you going shopping again with Meiou-san?" The man smiled. "Well, it's important to invest part of the money you earn when you earn big, but it's also important to spend part of it to your heart's content."

Minako nodded as they proceeded past the doors to other studios toward the stairwell at the end of the hallway.
She felt safe under the guidance of the rather flashy man who treated her like she was his daughter.
The idol had a much closer relationship with her manager than with her real father.

"Meiou-san and I are going to visit Sparkles and a few other boutiques, yes," She guiltily chuckled. "The summer is coming up, you know? So I need some new beachwear and summer dresses. I only hope… "

"Aino-san, excuse me."

Surprised by the tension in Kyohei Tsutsumi's voice behind her, Minako turned to face the lean man. Her manager and Artemis followed suit.

"I'm sure you have been frustrated by the sales of your most recent single…" The old man quietly spoke. "It is not something we discussed just now, because these things should be understood. But I was worried whether you might after all have misunderstood, exactly because of the silence on the subject…"

"My recent single…" Minako hesitatingly said. "I feel like it wasn't able to fulfill its full potential…"

"No, Aino-san," Kyohei smiled kindly. "The fault lies not with you but with me. There is a vast amount of experience in music production that lies within…"

Overcome by the confession by one of the greatest names in Japanese pop music, Minako watched the man point to his forehead.

"But in opposition to this experience is the fact that it becomes harder for an old man to feel an affinity with the sound of the time.
Although these things largely remain the same, some trends are unique to each era. And in this era where so many of these artist-types are always reinventing what has already been done before I am afraid I delivered you a defective product that lacks the soul of the time.
It does not matter. If you fail to write a hit you discard it and try again. I am confident in the music I wrote for your new single and you have delivered a beautiful vocal performance as always. Let us look to the future."

"But my current single isn't defective at all," Minako began to weep. "Don't underestimate its potential, Sensei! I am sure that if it misses the soul of the time, given enough time it will become more popular."

Kyohei Tsutsumi fell silent as he saw the slender blonde in the green summer vest over a printed black T-shirt and white short skirt raise her hands entreatingly and speak in a high thin voice while tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

"Please don't discard a song you worked so hard on, Sensei. Even if it is not beloved by as many people as we would like I know it is a song that makes people happy."

To Minako's surprise, Kyohei started to laugh.

The lanky blonde wiped her eyes with the wrist of her right arm while Fuji Hamasaki offered her a handkerchief.

"I do not often meet with a person who joins the soul of an artist and that of an innocent-style idol within herself. But when I do, I know I have found someone special."

Minako's watery blue eyes looked up into Kyohei's old wrinkled eyes.

"You are right, Aino-san. Every song touches someone's heart. This old man was taught that a song only has worth if it becomes a hit.
I am used to seeing songs as products that must perform. But history has proven that some songs need time to blossom and reach their full potential. Maybe this will happen."

With a smile and a head pat, the legendary producer turned toward the studio, leaving Minako and company to turn to the other end of the hallway.

Marthe Schwerdtlein decided otherwise.

"Abandoning your creations to their misfortune is a most heinous sin," The Bavarian's incorporeal form muttered as she slid a small clay ball from a knitted pouch on her left hip. "Let us do our utmost to obtain the soul of this irresponsible sinner, Schlager."

"Thump!"

Minako turned around as if in slow motion upon hearing the sound. She watched the clay ball bounce up and down in time with Kyohei's footsteps while the man walked towards the control room.

"Thump!"

The blonde hurried her right foot forward.

"Thump!"

Fuji Hamasaki observed in wonder how his frantic protégé ran behind KyoheI.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

And then, Kyohei Tsutsumi closed the door to the control room behind him, with Schlager landing right behind his left foot.

Minako arrived in front of the door two seconds later.
The talented idol's brain raced for two more seconds while she stood with her hand on the doorknob.

"I'm sorry, Hamasaki-San!" She exclaimed, turning and running past her manager and Artemis. "I need to go…"

With a bang, the door to the control room exploded behind her and Minako Aino realized she had run out of time.

A thrilling guitar riff built tension while Fuji Hamasaki watched a shadowy figure slowly emerge from the darkness surrounded by smoke.

Schlager came forth, two heads taller than Kyohei was. Her long wavy black hair had a cute butterfly-clip over her right ear. Silver sunglasses contrasted and covered her eyes. A shiny white blazer with stand-up peak lapels over a black shirt. A bright blue skirt coming down to her knees, and a matching Yamaha guitar in her hands.

The large red 24 on her forehead had Fuji Hamasaki blinking in astonishment.

"Tsu… Tsutsumi-sensei…?" The man muttered.

"Hamasaki-san!" Minako exclaimed. "Run!"

"Glad to see you all gathered here, my dearly beloved fans!" Schlager loudly cheered while the soundwaves from her voice knocked Fuji out.

Minako frantically hurried toward the man and attempted to save him from hitting the floor, but the taller blonde smashed into her and they both fell on the shiny floor of the second-story hallway.

"I'm so grateful to all of you for coming to see me!" The golem continued.

Artemis saw his mistress crawling from under her manager's unconscious form and ran towards her to warn her against standing up, but he didn't reach her in time.

"We are going to have a wonderful time together tonight!" Schlager sang. "I promise to bring you hit after hit!"

"Whaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih!" Came from Minako in an icy scream as the blonde's slender body was swept up and she was knocked out against the wall next to the door of another studio, her long locks floating in the air before landing on her unconscious form.

"Ah…" Schlager sighed without noticing how Artemis seemingly disappeared before her eyes. "I guess I'll just have to find a more devoted audience on the street."

Before the golem made another move, her guitar was shot from between her hands by a single red rose.

"Ah…!" Schlager exclaimed when her instrument landed on the floor.
As she looked in the direction the arrow came from the golem saw a man dressed in a black tuxedo standing near the door to the stairwell and a green-haired woman in a black sailor uniform standing behind him.

"I'm afraid you will have to graduate early," Tuxedo Mask declared. "You see, in this industry - as in any other - it shouldn't be allowed to use violence against girls who are only seventeen years old."

Schlager turned and thought about running for cover back in the studio but she saw her way barred by a young woman in a red Sailor uniform who was carrying Minako in her arms and had Artemis on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you," Sailor Mars warned. "I may have my hands full, but these red high heels will send you crying in a cotton handkerchief if you dare come my way."

"This is only for you," Sailor Pluto said as she raised her Garnet Orb, creating a whirlwind around herself.

"Dead scream."

As she lowered the Garnet Rod and pointed it at Schlager, a violet ball of energy formed around the Garnet Orb at the top of the rod.
Super Sailor Pluto turned around her axis once and launched the violet energy ball.

But not before Hilverding ran from the door to the restroom to her left and jumped into her, causing the energy ball to explode into the wall to Schlager's right and Sailor Pluto to bump up against Tuxedo Mask.

"I want to be recognized, but I must protect my privacy!" Schlager exclaimed while its clay shape launched itself from Kyohei Tsutsumi. "I'm an idol after all."

"Let's leave these inbreds behind and escape through here!" Hilverding called out to the golem in the form of a little girl in a white-and-blue costume.

"Let's get to our feet, Tuxedo Mask!" A blushing Sailor Pluto exclaimed while she lay in the young man's arms. "Or we'll let another golem get away!"

"They won't get away so easily," Sailor Mars reacted while Schlager ran toward Hilverding.

Carefully lowering Minako onto the floor, the Senshi of Fire and Passion couldn't immediately attack the little girl and the dark-brown-haired boy, so both ran into the restroom before she could spring into action.

Sailor Pluto was faster and ran through the door to the ladies' room, with Tuxedo Mask in pursuit.
But they came too late and stood by in defeat while hearing the splashes that told them their prey had escaped through the toilets.

"Ah!" Minako winced as she slowly came too.

"Minako-chan!" Artemis called on her in alarm. "Are you okay?"

"Be careful," Rei smiled at her friend while gently supporting the girl's head, arms, and upper body with her right arm as they sat on the floor. "You had a bad fall. It seems to me like your left arm might be broken."

"Ow!" Minako winced again. "I can feel it. I'll have to cancel a few shows if that's true."

"Let's not think about that for now," Rei hushed the blonde. "The important thing is that all four of you are safe."

"Tsutsumi-sensei? Hamasaki-san? The sound engineer?"

"They survived without a scratch," Mamoru - who had hauled the latter from the control room and placed him beside the former two in the hallway - smiled. "They'll be out of it for a little longer, but they're fine."

"We saved a Japanese national treasure. But another golem escaped," Setsuna sighed. "So we are down to two golems at large again."

"And we are down one soldier for the time being," Rei nodded. "But we aren't going to do any good beating ourselves up over it like a certain someone has been doing."

"That's right," Mamoru said. Something in the way Setsuna smelled and the way she felt when she was lying in his arms earlier made him afraid to look at her.
"We are still on the back foot, but we did not lose the battle today. We will continue with the current plan and defeat the enemy next time they strike."

It sounded like an inspiring speech. It was something a good leader would say. And he as their Prince had to inspire them to fight on.

'That's right,' Mamoru reflected. 'There's nothing to worry about. The love Usako and I share will transcend all temporary matters.'

Chapter Text

"Isn't it great to have an inspiring boss?"
"I agree, Makoto-chan. I wrote in my career survey that I'd love to work for an inspiring employer who doesn't keep secrets."

"That's… Oddly specific, Shingo-kun. Why would your boss keep secrets?"

"I wouldn't know why a person would lie about themselves, Hotaru-chan. Maybe you can tell me?"

"Erm…"

"Ebihara-Sensei doesn't have any secrets in any case. He's an open book to me.
A completely open, neatly kept ledger."

"For the sake of charity and fellow feeling, Mako-chan bravely fights the golden hoarders!"

The month of June had been rather chaotic for Hotaru.
Having toured all over the Tokyo Metropolitan area with her friends from the tennis club she also took on a series of study sessions with several tutors to build a basis for hopefully successfully passing the city's most prestigious medical university's entrance exam in three years.

The first occupation already proved highly fruitful, culminating in Juuban Municipal High School's Pink Pikas winning the prefectural finals thanks to the black-bobbed stoic's increasing mastery of the game of tennis and her high performances during the tournament.

A wild celebration followed at school and an evening out with Chibi-Usa, Shingo, Setsuna, Michiru, and an unusually chatty Haruka.

But the hubbub of the previous weekend stood in stark contrast with the demure way the celebrated high-school athlete sat at her desk on a Tuesday evening to have her spelling tasks judged by her daytime homeroom teacher and current English tutor, Kaito Nagahashu in a classroom occupied by nobody but themselves.

Awaiting the corrections of her work, Hotaru listened to the ticking of the clock and allowed her eyes to wander from the handsome woman with the long dark-purple braid sitting at the desk opposite hers to the reproductions of paintings depicting the Tower Of Babel, a chubby man dressed in black against an emerald-green background, and others Kaito hung on the walls of her homeroom at the start of the school year.

"You did very well, Tomoe-san," Kaito said in a pleased vibrant voice. "We are making definite progress. With only 38 flaws you are proving that your grasp of the English spelling is improving."

Noticing that her pupil's attention had been occupied by something to her rear before she addressed Hotaru, Kaito directed her gaze at the clock hanging over the blackboard.

"But I see that it is almost time to stop our lesson. We'll review the flaws you made at the beginning of the next lesson then?"

"Alright," Hotaru simply nodded.

"What were you so fascinated by while I checked your spelling mistakes?" Kaito asked her student with a curious smile.

"Oh? I was just looking at that picture of the stern man in the black clothes behind you."

Hotaru saw her homeroom teacher turn in her chair and gaze at the picture she described. She suddenly felt like she was falling into a trap.

"I see," Kaito smiled while looking at the picture. "Our old friar Martin Luther-san."

"Martin Luther?" Hotaru frowned. "But I thought…?"

"Not to be confused with the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr." Kaito interrupted. "Martin Luther was the man who ignited the protestant reformation in Europe.
He protested against the corruption then reigning within the catholic church and formulated an extensive overview of what he felt was wrong with the church and how those wrongs should be corrected, disputing the infallibility of the Pope and creating a new order in the process."

Kaito purposefully turned to face Hotaru and tried to see beyond the blank visage she observed.

"The protestant reformation?" Hotaru asked. "But didn't it lead to a series of devastating wars?"

"The wars of religion," Kaito calmly nodded. "Yes. Reformed Christians and Catholics often found it antagonizing to have to live in close proximity and under each other's laws. Martin Luther-san always intended for the reformation to occur peacefully, however.
Sadly one person - even one with the conviction to confront the supreme religious authority and the mechanics of his world - doesn't have the power to make other people refrain from seeking violent confrontation."

She wanted to say more but decided to leave it at that for now.

"You sound like you admire him?" Hotaru asked.

Kaito didn't notice any realization of her intent in her pupil. The woman sighed almost imperceptibly.
She hadn't expected success so soon anyway.

"Martin Luther-san had his flaws of course," The handsome woman in the white-and-green peplum dress admitted. "But I admire him for taking on the absolute power ruling his life and the lives of the people around him.
He proved that one person can make a difference, even if that man's personal power is limited."

Kaito and Hotaru stared at each other like a pair of chess players waiting for each other's move.

The ticking of the clock was the only sound amidst the silent classroom. Until Hotaru responded sincerely:

"I agree. It is commendable when individuals try to right a wrong."

Kaito smiled at the bland reply she expected.

"But from experience…" Hotaru continued as Haruka and Michiru's quest during the struggle against the Deathbusters sprang up in her mind. "I think any person should stay critical about themselves and the possible impact of their efforts while striving to ameliorate a situation."

Kaito critically studied her pupil for a second while suspecting a more deliberate answer than she got.

"You are right, of course," She smiled. "And then there is the fact that an ordinary person cannot possibly predict the various ways through which other people's reactions to their efforts might impact their goals. The mechanics of the world…"

A knock on the door interrupted her discourse. Both females frowned at what might be the identity of the intruder.

Kaito got up and walked over to the door of her classroom.

"I apologize for disturbing," Shingo Tsukino bowed to Hotaru's delight when her homeroom teacher opened the door to him.
"I am Tsukino Shingo from class 1 - 2. I came to pick up my friend after her extra lesson."

"I see," Kaito smiled. "Please, come in. It's a pleasure to meet Tomoe-san's friends."

"Shingo-kun! What a nice surprise," Hotaru smiled as her boyfriend came over to her. "I thought we agreed to meet in Haru No Ike though?"

"I didn't feel like walking the way alone," Her dark-blonde boyfriend in the beige shirt and blue jeans shrugged and walked over to her while Kaito closed the door.

Hotaru smiled up at Shingo while he stood at her desk and looked at the papers he spotted there.

"How did you do on the spelling test?" Her friend asked while he tried to read the numbers on the top sheet of paper.

"38 mistakes in a text of a hundred words," The girl in the deep-blue T-shirt and white trousers said.

Shingo's face lit up with pride in his girlfriend's performance.

"Wow! Congratulations. That's pretty good… for you."

"Haha. Thanks, meanie," Hotaru laughed.

"How nice to see Tsukino-san so interested in how you are doing at your extra lessons," Kaito smiled. "I'm glad you have such a worthy boyfriend, Tomoe-san."

"Huh?" Hotaru reacted.

"Erm… we're just friends though," Shingo turned and smiled.

"Yeah. We're way off from each other's ideal type," His girlfriend simply stated. "I'm into tall athletic types and Shingo-kun likes studious girls with pretty blue bobs."

"Last time I tell you something," Shingo smiled sourly at his girlfriend.

"But aren't you a studious girl with a pretty black bob, Tomoe-san? And you're sporty too, so you probably have a body boys would obsess over," Kaito teased while folding her hands in front of her belly. "You don't have to hold back. Any secret you think you must keep is safe with me."

"Ah… I won't be swayed by just any girl with a sexy body," Shingo said with a bit of a blush. "When I fall in love it's because I feel like we understand and trust each other."

"That's right," Hotaru blushed in turn. "There are no secrets here."

Kaito bit her lip and smiled: "Alright then. I see I thought wrong about you two. But you might reconsider. Both of you seem price catches from what I see."

"Oh? Thank you, Sensei," Hotaru laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "That's nice of you to say."

Shingo saw his girlfriend leave her seat and understood her intention.

"I'm sorry we have to leave in such a hurry, Nagahashu-Sensei," He laughed while inching towards the door. "But we have a date to keep with a friend."

"Not a love rival I hope," Kaito said in a mock-serious tone while frowning at Hotaru.

"No. We're just friends," Hotaru laughed while waving her right hand from side to side. "So we'll go over the spelling test next week then. Thank you very much for the bento, Nagahashu-Sensei…"

"You paid for it," Kaito simply smiled. "It doesn't matter to me whether I buy one or two bentos. "But yes. I'll explain where you should improve next week. Or maybe we'll have time in class tomorrow. We'll see. Have fun with your friend."

"Thank you," Hotaru waved while she slipped out through the door.

"Have a nice evening," Shingo greeted in parting before he too left the classroom.

Kaito Nagahashu stared at the closed door for a moment longer after the couple left.

"It's good that you have a supportive boyfriend," She smiled before she turned and walked to the desk she had been sitting at.

The handsome woman with the large dark-purple braid took Hotaru's spelling test and calmly gathered the papers into the violet binder that lay underneath.

"You are going to need his support."

"That was close," Hotaru chuckled as she and Shingo walked through the school hallways. "She could have found us out if we hadn't talked our way out of the situation."

"She was probably only fantasizing about us being a couple," Her boyfriend sighed. "It was pretty easy to convince her we're just friends."

"You see?" Hotaru said, turning serious. "If we tell Usagi-chan and her friends about us, we wouldn't have to deal with this stress."

"I know," Shingo smiled. "I've been thinking about that too. Let's tell my sister about us after spring finals. It'd be too much of a hassle if we do it before the summer."

"You're sure?" Hotaru asked with a frown. "We'd leave ourselves open to months of doting and chances of her meddling with every slight disagreement we might have, as Chibi-Usa-chan says."

"I know," Shingo sighed. "But we understand each other so well now…"

Hotaru felt the handsome boy with the wavy dark-blonde hairdo take her right hand and squeeze it in the empty hallway.

"... I feel like we would be on the same page whenever either of us at any time wants to allow her nonsense or tell her to tone it down."

"Yes," Hotaru said as they turned the corner and she checked the hallway ahead for anyone who might see them.

"So I think the summer would be the right time to tell her," Her boyfriend continued before his slightly taller girlfriend embraced him and pushed him against the wall.

"I'm so happy that our cram school teacher got a cold today," Hotaru whispered while her closeness turned Shingo all red and made him catch his breath. "Thank you for coming to collect me today, Shin Shin."

The consequence of their physical proximity was a series of sweet kisses and caresses while the couple occasionally glanced into the hallway to Shingo's right.

"H… Hey," Shingo finally gasped and chuckled. "If you keep this up, I'm going to have a hard time concentrating on the conversation later at Haru No Ike, you know?"

Hotaru chuckled at his words and pressed herself against him. Feeling exactly how hard Shingo was, she slowly backed off and kissed him one last time.

Admittedly, she was having a hard time herself, stopping at kisses and caresses. The black-bobbed stoic had plans for Shingo's birthday on the 12th of August that year involving a certain pair of lingerie articles which she recently acquired with Setsuna's help.

"I'm sorry, Shin Shin," She smiled as she let go and started to walk again. "I couldn't help myself."

Shingo continued his walk next to her and smiled from ear to ear.

"Geez," He chuckled. "You're starting to make a habit out of assaulting me out of the blue."

"And… You know," Hotaru giggled. "I want to ensure you stay focused on me when we're having dinner with your elementary school crush."

Which earned the tennis club ace a pinch in her well-trained exterior oblique.

Meanwhile, in Haru No Ike, Makoto stalked among the fake cherry trees that adorned the hanami-themed restaurant towards her studious friend.
The brunette in the black-and-white waitress uniform noticed Ami was strangely focused on the spoon that came with her caffè latte and decided to treat her friend to a surprise.

"Hello, Miss," Ami suddenly heard behind her in English. "What are you thinking about?

Turning around, the bluette in the brown pinafore dress over a white shirt saw her friend appearing from behind the fake cherry blossom tree to her rear.

"Hello, Mako-chan," She smiled as the brunette stood beside her. "What do you think I'm pondering? The usual, of course."

Makoto smiled at her friend's sigh and calmly sat opposite her.

Rather than arguing against her friend needing to become a more powerful fighter as she and the others already tried in vain a few times, the brunette thought she'd see if there was any way she could help Ami's efforts.
It wouldn't hurt in any case, if Sailor Mercury became a stronger Senshi.

"And what did you come up with?" She asked while leaning her head on her left hand.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Ami soberly asked, to the comical embarrassment of her friend.

"It's a slow evening," Makoto sweat-dropped. "I can have a quick chat with you. Besides… I'm not asking you why you brought a cat into the restaurant."

"And we appreciate that very much," Luna deadpanned while Ami patted the cat on her lap.

"Luna is keeping me company because Usagi-chan is over at Mamoru-kun's for the evening."

"On a school night?" Makoto asked while scratching her head.

"You're waitressing on a school night," Luna calmly put things in perspective. "Not that I don't agree with your objection."

"Hahaha. Anyway… What did you come up with so far, Ami-chan?"

"Well… Originally I thought your power as a Sailor Senshi was related to your athletic ability. But then I realized Rei-chan has been training hard these past two years, and she doesn't seem to have become more powerful. And Usagi-chan doesn't do any sport at all."

"She's still a teenager," Luna yawned. "But she'll start exercising soon enough when the twenty-something kilos start adding up."

"Whatever made you think athletic ability influenced your power as a Senshi though?" Makoto frowned.

Ami took a sip from her caffè latte and answered.

"Well, you, Minako-chan, and Haruka-chan are pretty sporty, and the three of you are pretty powerful."

"Huh. Minako-chan hasn't done any exercise in ages," Makoto said. "Whenever she's not earning her idol-Yens she's spending them.
You didn't notice she's rarely even among the first ten girls anymore when we're picking teams in physical education?"

"I only pay attention when we have swimming class," Ami shrugged.

"You know what gives me power?" Makoto proudly spoke while pointing at herself with her right thumb. "My passion."

"But Rei-chan…" Ami started to protest.

"I'm not talking about flying off into a rage because Usagi-chan isn't behaving with proper decorum during a tea ceremony or fussing about the safety of our Princess and joining a Muay Thai club out of the blue. I'm talking about having something you're passionate about in your private life… "

An uncomfortable notion slipped through Luna's brain. But like an ethereal vapor, it was too intangible to grab hold of.

"I'm passionate about cooking. That's what gives me power."

Ami made a strange lopsided frown at her friend's words, but she decided to listen anyway.

"Ebihara-Sensei is the same," Makoto continued with vigor. "He left the chance to take over a friend's booming business.
Instead, he took a risk and went overseas to upgrade his education. That is passion.
He practically begged to be taken on by the owner of Stockholm Svärdvisk and worked absurd hours, but he learned and perfected techniques that make his sashimi unrivaled IN THE WORLD."

"That is high praise," Luna said while licking her lips. "I wouldn't mind seeing him prove that boast."

"Take it from me, Luna… "

"I'd rather not."

"... I had the privilege of tasting a slice of Ebihara-Sensei's yellowtail sashimi and it was the sweetest, smoothest fish I ever had melting on my tongue.
I only ever read about flavors like that. I didn't dare suspect that they existed in real life.
The experience of Ebihara-Sensei's sashimi fueled a devotion in me to become a chef who can reproduce such flavor and texture at will."

"Hello everyone," Hotaru greeted her older friends when she and Shingo found them. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh? Good evening, Hotaru-chan. Good evening, Shingo-kun. We were having a chat about Ebihara-Sensei," Makoto goodhumouredly greeted the duo.

"Not really," Ami frowned.

"Ebihara-san, huh?" Shingo said. "Didn't he ask you and Haruka-kun whether you'd be up to having a weekend job waitressing for him?"

"He's always asking us to work for him," Hotaru laughed. "Setsuna-chan too."

"Ebihara-san seems to have a bit of an obsession with tall women," Ami pondered with her pointer finger on her right cheek. "Could that be the true reason he wanted to work in Stockholm, rather than…"

"While Ebihara-Sensei learned hundreds of valuable techniques in Stockholm," Makoto continued her epic narrative. "He found himself deficient in many techniques that didn't involve cooking with fish. That is why he decided to find an occupation in Paris and perfect himself in French cuisine."

Hotaru watched her friend take a moment and sigh.

"No really, I don't know how I can properly convey the amazing accomplishment of this man mastering French cuisine around the age of 30.
Ebihara-Sensei didn't become chef de cuisine in L'Archi-Duc during his second year in Paris for nothing.
The ballotine he made for Bushida-Sensei's birthday speaks for itself."

"I'm sure it does," A nonplussed Shingo commented before asking Ami in a whisper what a ballotine is.

"Anyway," Makoto said while getting up and standing akimbo. "What can I bring you?"

"I suppose I have no choice but to order yellowtail sashimi now," Ami smiled. "We'll have the Hydrangea Course and a pitcher of barley tea, Mako-Chan."

"Make that two orders of the Hydrangea course and barley tea, Mako-Chan," Hotaru told her older friend.

"Same here. But a pitcher of jasmine iced tea instead of barley tea for me," Her boyfriend said.

"Thank you for your order, dear customer," Makoto politely bowed. "I will return to serve you in due time. Please enjoy your stay at Haru No Ike."

Makoto's friends saw the tall brunette walk in the direction of the bar.

Amy's eyes wandered to the man with the caramel-blonde mustache and marquisette beard and the woman with bright vermillion curly hair who took a seat together at a table in a corner of the restaurant.

"That's my homeroom teacher with Mako-chan's colleague," The bluette mentioned with some surprise.

Shingo and Hotaru followed her gaze.

"Oh yes. She's the French waitress," The latter recognized the woman in the blue jeans and blue blouse. "It's her day off. Strange to see her have dinner at her place of employment."

"I suppose they became friends at some event for foreign employees," Shingo wondered. "Maybe they're romantically involved."

"That would break a lot of young girls' hearts," Ami pondered while drinking the last of her caffè latte.

"I still don't understand why you insist on being here on your day off," Christopher Wagner told Marthe Schwerdtlein. "I hope you're not planning on adding to your family?"

"I just want to keep an eye out in case Geizkragen gets in trouble and needs help to escape," Marthe replied to the man in the black linen trousers and long gray vest over a pale light-blue shirt.

"We shouldn't assume the golems will get into trouble."

"We shouldn't assume?" Marthe interrupted in a hushed panicky voice. "But there are three of them here, including Sailor Saturn. Please intervene if you see Sailor Saturn getting involved, Christophe. You know Geizkragen won't stand a chance against her Silence Wall bubbles."

Christopher blushed imperceptibly when Marthe imploringly took hold of his folded hands as they rested on the table.

"You… We discussed this, Marthe," The man with the kind blue eyes stuttered. "You shouldn't get too attached to the golems. You know where they come from."

"They're the only good that ever came from those two," Marthe pouted.

Her gray eyes suddenly turned worried and she burst out in hushed tones: "You didn't tell him about my family, did you?"

"No. You know I never would," Christopher Wagner soothingly spoke. "I haven't told anyone... But Marthe… I wish I could make you see that Faust is a victim of Mephistopheles, just like the rest of us."

"I know you pity him, Christophe, and I like that about you. But I can't help feeling that if he didn't sign his pact with Mephistopheles, the rest of us wouldn't have been targeted by that monster and our lives…"

Christopher gently caressed the hands of the woman he had fallen for as he saw her eyes water up.

"Here, dry your tears, Marthe," The handsome theology professor said while handing the woman with the bright vermillion hair a handkerchief.

"I know I am to blame myself," Marthe sniffed while she applied the handkerchief to her eyes. "It's my own fault sweet Gretchen will hardly talk to me."

"I've been trying to soften Gretchen's heart to you," Wagner said.

"Thank you, dear Christophe," Marthe smiled gratefully. "If I didn't have you..."

Wagner smiled. He wished he could convince Valentin to stop supporting Gretchen in her bitterness towards Heinrich and Marthe.
But as deep as the young man's trust in Wagner ran and as much as he was able to open up to him about the traumas they all shared as well as his horrific experiences serving the army of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, Valentine's resentment of Faust was a match for Marthe's.
It might be the one thing he could use to bring them closer together.
Although he didn't want to build up the fire of animosity against Faust any higher than it already was.

"So what were you really talking about?" Shingo asked Ami.

"Huh?" The bluette apprehensively reacted while her eyes sought help from Hotaru.

"When Mako-chan said you've been discussing Ebihara-san you said you weren't really," The black-bobbed stoic assisted her boyfriend.

"Oh my," Luna muttered under the table.

"Well… Ahem," Ami coughed. "We were discussing how to become more… energetic."

"Oh! I see," Hotaru grimaced. "Yes. That discussion…"

The Pink Pikas Tennis Club ace worryingly glanced at her boyfriend who - to her concern - seemed intrigued by the subject.

"I… I told Mako-chan I pondered that perhaps your level of athleticism determined how energetic a person might be," Ami hesitatingly said. "But that idea seemed flawed to me."

"Huh? Why would it be flawed?" Shingo frowned.

"First of all, Minako-chan hasn't been doing any sports for over a year, but she still seems as… energetic as ever."

"She doesn't seem that energetic to me," Shingo reacted. "Although I guess she improved compared to last year."

"And Usagi-chan is still the most energetic of us all…"

"Only when she doesn't need to be," Shingo grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Here is your barley tea, Okyakusama," Makoto said as she placed Ami and Hotaru's pitchers and glasses from her serving tray on the table.

"Mako-Chan said that people become energetic through dedication. But I think that's a flawed theory too, because Rei-chan's dedication to Usagi-chan would have caused her to surpass Usagi-chan by now."

Hotaru and Shingo frowned as they saw Makoto and Ami laugh.

"Rei-chan's dedicated to Usagi-chan?" Hotaru asked. "I thought she didn't like Usagi-chan much?"

To her surprise that only made her friends laugh louder.

"Hahaha, Hotaru-chan," Makoto laughed. "Take it from me, the louder Rei-chan complains about Usagi-chan and the nastier she criticizes her, the more she loves her.
That girl just can't be honest about wanting to hang with her best friend forever."

Hotaru's lips formed a perfect O

"So that's how it is?" The black-bobbed stoic reacted. "Then I have to drastically alter my opinion of Rei-chan. Is it the same for you, Shingo-kun?"

"Of course I love Usagi," Shingo shrugged.

"But I mean everything I say about her," He said while pointing his tongue at his girlfriend.

"I'll set you straight about your sister yet, boy" Hotaru threatened while narrowing her eyes at the handsome young man with the dark-blonde hair.

"Good evening, Okyakusama," The group heard Hifumi Ebihara say when he walked over to their table. "Welcome to Haru No Ike."

"Good evening, Ebihara-san," Ami smiled up at the man.

"Good evening," Hotaru and Shingo greeted Makoto's employer.

The latter proudly stood behind the short stout man with the neat black hair.

"I trust you will enjoy your dinner," Hifumi smiled. "The great Bushida Botan-san is currently preparing it, so your taste buds are in for a treat."

"We look forward to it," Ami said. "We hoped to be treated to your sashimi arts actually. But I know we already enjoyed your creations."

"You certainly did," Hifumi chuckled with great amusement. "I don't wonder you were hoping to taste my work again.
But Bushida-sensei is quite as good a chef as me. His craft is not to be underrated."

"Very true," Makoto nodded sagely. "Being the best, Ebihara-sensei made sure to employ the best."

"Aren't you now complimenting yourself, Mako-chan?" Hotaru laughed.

"She sure is," Hifumi grinned at the brunette behind him.

"And still lingering at our table instead of working," Ami muttered.

"Well, like I said: I want to become worthy of working with Ebihara-Sensei," Her friend smiled confidently.
"Which means I'll have to get trained in a French kitchen too, I suppose."

"Don't worry about that, little one," Hifumi smiled while rubbing the scalp of his tall protégé. "Thanks to us helping out Moreau Marthe-san, there will always be a place for you in restaurant L'archi-Duc. As long as you keep working hard for me, of course."

"Thanks, Sensei," Makoto said while hugging her boss. "You're such a humanitarian."

"A humanitarian?" Ami repeated with a smile. "Does that mean Ebihara-san will donate meals to Royalty For A Day?"

"Royalty For A Day is a televised charity where a select group of poor families can enjoy dinner in a classy restaurant on the house," Hotaru explained to Shingo.

"Hahahaha! That's the silliest idea I've ever heard." Hifumi laughed to the surprise of the group. "Why would I cook for people who will never be able to pay for my creations through their own efforts?"

"That's a bit mean," Shingo said.

"But it's true," The owner of the place where he was drinking his jasmine tea chuckled. "What a ridiculous concept. It'd be like throwing pearls to swine. They wouldn't have any use for them. No, my friends. Let those who want to stand in the spotlight waste time with such initiatives. I have better things to do."

Shingo and his friends watched Hifumi walk off while dismissively waving his hand and chuckling with great amusement.

"Sorry guys," Makoto shrugged. "Ebihara-Sensei is kind as they come, but he does have some strong opinions."

"I can't disagree with his claim that donating luxury meals to people who refuse to work…"

"If they are refusing to work," Hotaru contested Shingo's statement. "Lots of unemployed people simply lack the ability to find long-term employment. It's not because they don't want to work."

"... Is like wasting money. But to downright refuse to brighten the life of someone in dire straits is quite mean."

Botan Bushida looked up from the sashimi he had just prepared when he felt a chill pass him by.
He saw his employer walk into the kitchen with a chipper smile.

"Oh? Are you done chatting with the customers and ready to join us in the kitchen again?" The short man with the short blue goatee sneered.

"I guess there are no cute older women in the restaurant then," Osuke Tsuji joked.

Hifumi looked at the short lean man with the sharp nose and spiky red hair and chuckled.

"Kino-san's friends had some misguided idealist project they wanted me to participate in," He laughed.
"I'll be right back with the two of you. Just need to get something from the office."

"You mean that "Royalty For A Day" thing?" Botan asked. "You're not going along with that nonsense, are you?"

"No. Of course not, Botan-kun. Don't worry."

Entering his office, Hifumi sat at his desk without looking and opened a drawer to his right.

"Golem. Golem," He heard behind him.

In his silent fright, Hifumi looked over his shoulder and saw a faceless gray humanoid figure standing behind his desk chair.
The eerie grin forming in the creature's head was the last thing the world-renowned chef saw before he lost consciousness.

Botan was almost done preparing Shingo's sashimi and rang the bell for Makoto to come to the kitchen and bring the order to the customers.
He wasn't aware of the large creature slowly approaching him from the office.

"Bushida-san, Tsuji-san," He heard Hifumi's voice say. "Why do you always tease me about flirting with the tall customers? I am not what you think I am. I am golden."

"Oh, so you are…" Botan Bushida began before he looked up into the eyes of the tall completely golden golem with his employer's face and a red 24 on its forehead. "Are…"

Osuke Tsuji also looked up in fright when he heard his colleague's knife fall onto the floor.

"Ebi… hara-san," Botan stammered. "What's with this ridiculous getup?"

"Isn't it grand?" Geizkragen grinned while showing off the golden imperial robe he wore over Hifumi's golden cook's uniform. "Look how tall I am now, Bushida-san! Don't you want to be golden too?"

"Be careful, Bushida-san!" Osuke Tsuji exclaimed. "I don't think that's really…!"

The man with the sharp nose was too late. Geizkragen touched his quickly cringing colleague's arm and turned him solid gold.

"Yes!" Geizkragen laughed as he turned the table Botan had been working at into gold too. "This is how I'll create my palace of gold, with my subjects of gold!"

Witnessing what was happening through the double kitchen door's round windows, Makoto immediately turned and ran to her friends.

Ami saw the agitated expression Makoto tried to hide when she arrived at her table.

"Hey, Ami-chan. Ebihara-sensei asked if you could come to the kitchen for a moment. He said you'd have a chance to test how energetic you are."

Hotaru and Ami immediately understood what was going on.
Only Shingo was oblivious to the change in their mood.

"Alright. Let's see what Ebihara-san wants," Ami said as she left her seat.
"Don't touch what's mine, Hotaru-chan, in case they bring our food before I get back."

On that light-hearted note, Ami and Makoto walked among the wooden pillars supporting the roof of the long hall Haruto No Ike was made up of.

"So…" Hotaru grinned. "Wonder if she was talking about you when she said I shouldn't touch what's he…"

A pained yelp resounded through the restaurant as Shingo's thumb and pointer finger exacted revenge for excessive teasing.

"There's a huge golden golem who swallowed Ebihara-Sensei," Makoto said as she walked. "Anything he touches turns to gold and those golden objects are starting to turn their surroundings to gold."

"Sounds like he's a lot more dangerous than what we encountered so far," Ami said while the two young women hid behind two pillars in an unoccupied corner of the restaurant. "Good thing Hotaru-chan is here to evacuate the restaurant. "

"Let's try to take him by surprise as we enter the kitchen," Makoto suggested.

With a nod, Ami started her transformation.

The Mercury symbol activated on the fluid blue Mercury Orb as Ami exclaimed her transformation command: "Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Ami raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Mercury Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The blue Mercury symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and five swelling currents of water flowed from the tips of the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis while the swelling currents of water washed around her body until it was submerged in the cool liquid.

Standing with her feet close together, Ami joined her hands while firmly holding onto the Crystal Change Rod.

Large ripples expanded from the water's surface around Ami's body while it was momentarily illuminated in a shimmer of bright light.

Bubbles burst from around Ami's body and the light flashed itself out, revealing Super Sailor Mercury as she turned around, dressed in her deep blue boots, her blue skirt with the large light-blue bow on her lower back, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the deep blue heart at the center of the light-blue bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her blue neckerchief, and the golden tiara with the deep blue crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Mercury raised her arms while the two long light-blue ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailed around her.

A shiny bright harp appeared behind her as she struck a pose, standing in an A-stance with her arms lowered to the sides.

The Jupiter symbol activated on the sturdy green Jupiter Orb as Makoto exclaimed her transformation command: "Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Makoto raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Jupiter Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The green Jupiter symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and three huge lightning bolts crackled from the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis with her left hand reaching out until the electric surges reorganized themselves around her in three circles like the orbits that electrons follow around an atom's nucleus as her curly brown hair streamed upward.

Standing with her feet wide apart, Makoto raised her arms with the Crystal Change Rod still in her right hand before lifting her left foot at knee height.

In a flash, Super Sailor Jupiter appeared in her sturdy green laced ankle-high boots, the two long pink ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailing around her from the large pink bow on her lower back, her green skirt, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the shiny green heart at the center of the pink bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her green neckerchief, the green beaded hair-tie that held her ponytail together, and the golden tiara with the deep green crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Jupiter spun around once more in a nimble pirouette while her long curly ponytail bobbed up and down

A green wreath of leaves appeared behind her as she struck an attack pose with her right arm bent upwards and her left arm extended to the side.

"Say, Shingo-kun?" Hotaru cautiously spoke.

"What?" Her boyfriend smirked. "Are you going to tell me how cute Ami-chan is and you're surprised it didn't work out between us?"

"Well, I do think Ami-chan is quite the cutie," Hotaru chuckled. "But I have a bit of an awkward question for you."

Shingo turned serious and placed the glass he was drinking from back on the table.

"What's the matter?" He asked while looking into his girlfriend's eyes.

"I have to go to the toilet, but I have a bit of a woman's problem, and it's… "

"What's wrong?" Shingo repeated, struck by the unusually troubled tone in Hotaru's voice.

"Can you please come with me and wait in the cubicle next to mine?"

"Whaaaat?!" Shingo cringed. "Do you want me to get arrested?"

"We'll make sure nobody sees you enter or leave," Hotaru whined while entreatingly joining her hands. "Please. It hurts. I would feel better if you were with me."

"Jeez…" Shingo sighed. "Alright then, but let's be careful about it."

"Really?" A wide-eyed Hotaru asked.

"Let's just do this before I change my mind."

"Jupiter!"

The symbol of Jupiter appeared in the palm of Jupiter's hand, discharging a blinding bolt of lightning.

"Oak!"

Jupiter hugged herself and spun around on her right leg while bright rays of green light burst from the green crystal in her tiara.

"Evolution!"

Then she spread her arms wide, and numerous green leaves were launched in all directions as she twirled around in a pirouette before from the crystal in her tiara an overwhelming amount of green energy flashes electrified the air as they shot toward their target.

To Jupiter's shock, however, Geizkragen protected itself from the attack by hiding behind the goldified forms of Osuke and Botan, causing her to drastically diminish the power of her attack before it impacted with her seniors.

"You coward!" The brunette exclaimed while pointing her finger at Geizkragen. "Using innocent civilians as a living shield is a disgraceful tactic."

"So much for the element of surprise," Super Sailor Mercury observed with regret as she followed her friend into the kitchen.

The two Senshi stood with their backs to the double doors that led back to the restaurant.
The doors had been blown out of their sockets by Jupiter's attack, however.

Geizkragen stood in the middle of a miniature fortress he had built out of the kitchen's cabinets and workstations which he had all turned to gold.

"I'll do better than use them as living shields," Geizkragen grinned." I'll use them as soldiers. "Attack the intruders!"

Mercury and Jupiter looked on in fright as the latter's male colleagues moved on their own accord following the command and turned towards the cabinets behind them.
The two Senshi saw themselves forced to duck for cover when Osuke and Botan pulled knife after knife from the shelves inside the cabinets and threw them at Jupiter and Mercury.

"That was close," Jupiter sighed upon getting up while she wiped the sweat of fear from her brow.

"closer than you think," Mercury alerted the tall brunette. "Look!"

Each of the knives that had planted themselves in the wall behind the two young women was starting to turn those portions of the wall golden.

"Hahaha haha! My palace is growing bigger and bigger!" Geizkragen exulted. "Soon the two of you will join it as my harem."

"What are you talking about?!" Jupiter asked the golem with her employer's face. "You told me repeatedly you're not interested in marrying me!"

Mercury stood sweat-dropping at the outburst but thoroughly summed up their situation.

"We're in serious trouble, Jupiter. We can't launch our attacks at the golem because he's hiding behind your seniors and we're wide open to attack by them.
What's more, he's right about his palace growing bigger."

Standing in the glare of Geizkragen's kitchen fortress, the two Senshi huddled close together, hoping to evade the next knife-throwing attack by the creature's golden minion.

That was the moment Mercury, to her horror, noticed that the kitchen floor was turning gold.
The Senshi of wisdom and water raised her arms and brought her hands forward.

"Bubbleee!" She exclaimed.

A tiny light appeared between her hands as the bluette focussed her power.

Spinning around once, Mercury crossed her arms before her face with the tiny light gathering power in front of the cross.

"Spray!"

Sailor Mercury spread her arms wide, and - from the tiny light - a multitude of water bubbles burst forth all around her.

"At least we're safe from the floor," The Senshi of wisdom and water said as she and Jupiter stood on a carpet of bubbles.

Shingo was tired of sitting on the toilet with his hands over his ears.
He was used to Hotaru playing pranks on him and thought his girlfriend was kind of cute - if a little annoying sometimes - when she teased him.
She was taking things a little too far this time though. What if someone were to knock on…

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Turning pale, Shingo lifted his feet so his big men's size shoes wouldn't be visible from underneath the cubicle.
But that would only make whoever just knocked more suspicious if they were to look under the cubicle, he reflected.

"Tsukino Shingo-san?" He heard a low woman's voice call out to him. "Your girlfriend told me you are here.
Don't worry. There's nobody else around. I evacuated the restaurant."

Worried and confused because of what was being said, Shingo decided to open the door of the cubicle.

He saw a tall and athletic young woman with a black bob and a cold stare dressed in a violet-and-white sailor uniform.

"You… You are Sailor Saturn?" The young man with the dark-blonde hair stammered.

"Your girlfriend is Tomoe Hotaru-san, isn't she?" Super Sailor Saturn asked.

Shingo nodded. Then he turned anxious.

"Where is Hotaru-chan? Is she alright?!" The young man exclaimed while placing his hand on Saturn's left shoulder.

"Don't worry," The handsome young woman replied without emotion. "Tomoe-san is outside with the other customers. "She told me where you were so I decided to evacuate you last despite her entreaties. You're a pretty nice boyfriend for going along with her whims."

Something about Saturn's grin annoyed Shingo. Though he thought she looked cute with a smile.

But Saturn's smile quickly turned upside down when she noticed the wall behind Shingo turning gold.

"Come here!" She exclaimed while pulling Shingo out of the cubicle. "We need to get out of here."

Shingo followed the Senshi of death and rebirth towards the door to the restaurant.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"There's a monster in the kitchen that's turning everything to gold. Sailor Jupiter and Mercury are fighting it.
By the looks of things they haven't found a way to beat the golem yet."

Shingo saw Saturn hold the door open to him after she passed through.

"And where is Hotaru-chan?" He asked while looking her in the eyes.

"Tomoe-san is outside with the other evacuees," Sailor Saturn somewhat impatiently told him as Shingo exited the restroom area and entered the restaurant with her.
"Come on now. I have to get you outside so I can help my friends."

There was something in the black-bobbed young woman's voice and the way she looked at Shingo that made him feel anxious inside.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling you're lying to me," The young man said. "I get the feeling Hotaru-chan is still in the restaurant somewhere."

"No! Why would I lie to you?" Saturn said with considerably more emotion in her voice than was her usual. "Just come along with me and… Hey!"

To her dismay, Shingo suddenly ran away from her at a surprising speed straight in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hotaru-chan! Hotaru-chan! Where are you!" Shingo cried out as he ran in a zigzag between the fake cherry trees and tables of the restaurant while looking left and right. "Hotaru-chan! It's me: Shingo!"

The dangerous golden glow became more intense around him in his search as it spread over the decor of Haru No Ike.

Suddenly, Shingo found himself caught in a translucent orb floating just above the floor.

"Jeez. How troublesome you are," He heard Saturn's voice right behind him.

Turning around he saw that the Senshi of death and rebirth was standing inside the Silence Wall orb with him.

"Tomoe-san is exactly where I told you she was, but you go and get yourself in danger when her foremost concern was to keep you safe," Saturn complained. "She told me to tell you: Don't be afraid, Shin Shin. Sailor Saturn already led me outside."

Shingo stared at the tall Senshi in shock. Hotaru had only ever used her nickname for him in private. She had never before shared it with a third party. Not even Chibi-Usa.

"You're…" He muttered in confusion.

"What?!" A super pale Super Sailor Saturn asked.

"N… Nothing," Shingo said as his thoughts became clouded. "Alright… I believe you."

Together they noticed that the part of the restaurant they were in had completely turned to gold.

Shingo looked ahead again and saw Sailor Mercury launching Mercury Aqua Rhapsody to counterattack the multitude of golden knives that was being thrown at her and Sailor Jupiter.

"You're here now," He told Sailor Saturn. "I'm safe inside this bubble, aren't I? Won't you help them?"

Saturn didn't answer right away but watched the battle with her companion.

"I want Sailor Mercury to become more powerful," She at last said. "And I learned that if you're psycho-neurologically and physically capable, what will make you stronger is to learn about what it is you want to do so that you become more confident and to give it your all without worrying."

Shingo picked up on the physical ability remark and hesitatingly parted his lips.

"I learned from the Sailor Moon mangas that you used to have a disability caused by the alien living inside of you," The young man said. "My girlfriend suffered from a disability too when she was young but her body miraculously healed. She doesn't talk much about it though."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read in the mangas," Saturn coldly stated.

"I think you are one of the coolest Senshi," Shingo said. "But you were even more cool for trying to live with a disability and having to suffer the constant bullying."

They saw how Sailor Jupiter attempted another Jupiter Oak Evolution attack.

"That… Doesn't have anything to do with our current situation," Shingo babbled. "But I felt like saying it."

"It's very kind of you to say. I'm happy your girlfriend is healthy now," Saturn matter-of-factly replied while fighting the urge to fiercely hug her boyfriend.

"I have an idea!" Super Sailor Mercury told Jupiter. "I'll attack it with Mercury Aqua Rhapsody while you use Sparkling Wide Pressure."

"But that's a weaker attack than Jupiter Oak Evolution," Super Sailor Jupiter protested while bracing herself for the new wave of golden knives Geizkragen ordered golden Botan and Osuke to throw at them.

"Jupiter," Mercury sternly stated while looking into her friend's eyes. "Sometimes it's not about how powerful you are but about how you use what power you have."

Jupiter regarded her friend's expression.
She saw a light in Mercury's eyes that she never saw there before. A light that made her grin from ear to ear.

"Alright," The young woman with the curly brown ponytail nodded. "Let's take this guy down together."

"I'm getting tired of these obstructions to my expanding rule!" Geizkragen bellowed to his subordinates. "Let's end this now!"

"Your expanding rule? This is bad comedy! I'll end this gaudy farce and restore my employer's dominion once more, you fiend!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed with glee.

The green Crystal in Jupiter's tiara extended its small lightning rod, generating an electrical surge.

Jupiter then extended her arms and clapped her hands, harnessing the power of the electrical surge between her hands as she parted them.

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Sparkling!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed as she took a stance like a pitcher preparing to throw a baseball.

"Wide!"

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström created by the symbol in Mercury's hand shaped itself into a silver harp which she played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target and flooded Geizkragen.

Jupiter launched the orb of electricity her crystal created straight at her opponent with her right hand.

"Pressure!"

The orb expanded at a phenomenal rate as it enveloped Geizkragen and melted the golem from her employer, leaving only a small ceramic figurine dressed in an Imperial robe lying at Hifumi's feet.

"Take a look at this," Hifumi Ebihara said sometime later when Shingo, Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, Ami, and Ryo were gathered around a table in Haru No Ike.

Makoto watched over her employer's shoulder as he handed Ami a sheet of paper.

"This is an account of monthly deposits," The blue-haired genius said. "To a non-profit organization called Fixing Life."

"Fixing life actively seeks out underprivileged individuals and families," Hifumi warmly smiled. "Several of the people who founded the organization have such a background. They offer a personal improvement program with counselors guiding individuals through a process of self-discovery, an education in husbandry and personal finances, and lastly, a professional education to help them get a job or find a better job."

"That's an amazing initiative," Hotaru smiled. "It's incredibly noble to help people understand their limitations and abilities and to teach them how to improve their lot."

"I agree," Hifumi Ebihara proudly spoke. "That is why for some time now every month, a substantial amount of Haru No Ike's bare profits go to the organization."

"We even train people who show an aptitude for work in the restaurant business," Makoto grinned. "I did my own part in that respect, guiding a guy from Katsushika-ku."

"I can't but agree with you, Ebihara-San," Ryo said. "This is a much more worthy initiative than having a select few underprivileged families dine in a high-end restaurant for one day to the diversion of others who watch the event on national television so they can afterward complain that poor people are parasites."

"I agree," Shingo nodded. "My apologies for doubting you, Ebihara-San."

"Don't worry about that. Just keep visiting my restaurant so I can give more money to charity," Hifumi laughed to general amusement.

Chapter Text

"Everyone stay calm! We have one hour before the concert starts!"
"We are calm, Yaten-kun! Relax. Although I am a little nervous myself, performing live in front of our friends again."
"Hahaha! I don't get it. Why are you guys so nervous? We performed in front of them before. There's nothing special about it. I'd never feel nervous performing in front of anyone special to me."
"How cool you are, Seiya-kun. Yet, I wonder if you would remain so cool when we are back on Kinmoku and we are about to perform for Yuine-chan?"
"Ah…"
"Yes. Ah… Indeed."

"Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten reminisce with their fans in Tokyo's oldest public park! The stars burn bright tonight no matter the danger that lurks!"

Valentin was sitting on his expensive leather sofa with exactly 35 bottles of Asahi beer and four 75cl bottles of plum wine on the oak wood table before him.
The Bavarian was content he was so drunk.
Otherwise, things might have gotten more violent with what he was being told. Or more to the point: by whom he was being told.

"Do you understand what I just said?" Faust frowned at the younger man.

Valentin looked up into the blue eyes of the man he considered responsible for the damnation of his and his sister's souls.

'The foul blue eyes of ragged swarthy Heinrich Faust.
I still can't comprehend what my sister saw in this man, not even after hundreds of years.
Give him a couple of horns like the devil he is and Faust would perfectly resemble a yak.
Yes. That's exactly what he looks like. A big swarthy yak.'

"I don't know what you're grinning at, Valentin," Heinrich said in an annoyed tone while crossing his eyes. "Did you understand what I said?"

"Héhéhé. Yak. I mean yes. You want me to waste another golem."

"You're not wasting…"

"He won't survive this. They'll all be there. There'll be no escape."

"Then you'll just have to apply some pressure and turn on the heat.
Mephistopheles says this is a chance to hit them with lasting impact," Faust explained while crossing his arms.

Valentin rolled his eyes and opened another bottle of Asahi beer.
After drinking heavily from the bottle, the athletic man in the gray trousers and light-blue shirt heaved a sigh.

"I never fought for such an incompetent commander," He growled.

"I'm only giving you the orders I received from Mephistopheles," Heinrich protested.

'Like the evil Lackey you are,' Valentin thought, forgetting for a moment the memories of pillaging Magdeburg under orders, which was the entire reason for his drinking bout that day.

"We have the advantage right now. They don't know who we are. We should be picking them off one by one instead of trying to weaken them with this psychological warfare.
If we tick them off they'll come at us with a fury.
They have the numerical advantage, remember? If they get more powerful in the process of this campaign - as we know they did in the past - we won't be able to beat them if they come at us all at once."

"Mephistopheles said he'd join the fight if that happens," Faust said. "Besides… What are you afraid of? You're already damned."

"I'm only afraid of what he might do to us if we fail. Doesn't that scare you, Herr Faust?"

Valentin drunkenly stared into Heinrich's eyes.

"The only thing that truly scares me is the thought that your sister will always look at me with those cold eyes," Was the unflinching answer.

"Good," Valentin sissed in anger despite his earlier merriment. "Now leave Dickkopf on the table and get out. "

Faust lowered his gaze.
For centuries, he had kept quiet in the face of Valentin's hostility, feeling deeply guilty over the fate of brother and sister.
But ever since Mephistopheles brought them to 1990's Tokyo the scholar and wizard started to feel unfairly treated by Valentin's constant nasty behavior and Gretchen's harsh coldness.

Placing the golem he created on the corner of the table among the dozens of empty bottles, Heinrich Faust calmly walked towards the door.
With his hand on the door handle, the man in the dark-brown trousers and beige vest over a red shirt paused.

"I'm sorry if it angers you, Valentin. But that's how I feel."

Faust cringed in pain when an empty bottle of plum wine hit him against the side of the head.

"Your buddy tricked my sister into feeding my mother poison as medicine!
And that redheaded bitch let him do it because the two of you couldn't keep your underwear on long enough to realize what a fiend you were fraternizing with!
I don't give a shit about your feelings, Heinrich Faust! I just want you to go! I want you to go away so that Gretchen and I can forget you are responsible for all our misery!"

Heinrich instinctively caressed the sore spot on his head. As a condemned soul he couldn't be wounded, but he sure as hell felt physical and emotional pain.

"Don't forget that I saw exactly where, when, and why you made your wish, Valentin," The resentfully repentant University professor whispered. "I have my shame and pain, but so do you. You are no better than me."

A weeping Valentin leaned forward and threw bottle after bottle at his antagonist.

"Get out of my apartment, you vile reprobate!" He yelled. "I shouldn't have to be put together with you all the time for what I did! None of us should!"

Using his magic to send the bottles neatly back to the table, Faust opened the door and walked out before Valentin did worse.

"I can't apologize enough for my part in our downfall," He called out from the hallway. "But I can't undo it. Just play your part. It's our only way out."

To Valentin's relief, the door finally closed behind Heinrich after that appeal.

Perhaps he said too much. Faust was right, Valentin knew they had to work together if they finally wanted deliverance from damnation.
Christopher Wagner had said as much.

But Valentin didn't trust Mephistopheles to hold up his part of the bargain.
And he didn't trust Faust to not be so stupid as to let the monster dupe them all once more.

Sometimes Valentin wondered if there might not be a way, after all, for them to go behind the devil's back and seek help from the Sailor Senshi.
But those times always ended with him thinking that perhaps a man who raped four women and slaughtered their families while Magdeburg went up in flames "because everyone was doing it" didn't really deserve to get saved.

In contrast to this scene of discord and contrary to what might be expected, the next day found a certain group at Hikawa Shrine in perfect harmony.

After having had a study session together after school, Asuka and Rei sat reading mangas and books respectively in the latter's bedroom while Usagi, who arrived later, was talking on her new cellphone and Diana napped on a pillow for her use beside Rei's bed.

"Hi Yaten-kun. How are you guys doing?" Usagi cheerfully asked the male idol as he and his brothers prepared for their open-air concert in Shiba Park. "I hope you are not too stressed out?"

"What do you mean, stressed out? We're never stressed out. We're professionals: We rehearse until we feel confident enough to deliver an entertaining show."

Sitting at a table backstage, Yaten didn't see the amused chuckle shared by Seiya and Taiki as the two stood behind him.

"Right…" Usagi laughed. "I'm glad to hear you're not nervous then. "Won't you get hungry on stage though?"

"We just had a couple of hamburgers," Yaten said. "Since we can't eat dinner until after the concert, the three of us usually have a light snack before the final soundcheck."

"Yes. It's not like we'll be able to fill our bellies with delicious yakisoba and takoyaki from the stalls during the concert," Usagi heard Taiki call out over the phone.

"Héhéhé!" Usagi laughed. "I'll be sure to visit the stalls when we come to see you guys perform. I don't know which stalls I'll visit though."

"All of them, obviously," Seiya joked to Yaten and Taiki's amusement.

"You'll visit two stalls and be content," Rei said while looking up from her book. "Have some respect for your companions."

Usagi's eyes checked on the innocently reading Asuka, knowing her friend meant to say bodyguards instead of companions.

"You don't have to escort me on an outing, Rei-chan," The seventeen-year-old in the short red skirt and light-purple blouse quietly muttered. "I'm not a child."

"I disagree," Yaten dryly commented. "The enemy seems to be targeting people who are close to you girls in your private lives. It's highly suspicious. You shouldn't be alone for prolonged amounts of time."

"Hmm… Maybe you're right, Yaten-kun. But they're not likely to bother us in public I think. Besides… Everyone at the concert will be overcome with emotion over your beautiful lyrics and music."

"Thank you for the compliment," Usagi heard Taiki saying. "We sure hope so."

"Anyway: our break is over, Usagi-chan," Seiya said. "Time for sound checks. We'll do our best so that you and your friends will see a great show when you get here."

"Alright. Good luck everyone. That's all I wanted to say. I'm sure the three of you will shine in the night like the stars that you are."

Rei looked up from her book with a grin as she heard the beep from Usagi's phone disconnecting.

"So Yaten-kun was nervous?" The blackette in the blue trousers and pink shirt with blue accents asked.

"As always," Usagi giggled."It's like he thinks we don't know. He's always trying to hide it."

"Poor guy," Asuka spoke up. "I bet he does that to look cool in front of his brothers."

"No he doesn't," Rei confided to her classmate behind the back of her hand. "Yaten-kun is a little proud. That's all. He's cute like that."

"Hahahaha. You mean like Margaret-chan?" Her friend with the mild mental disability laughed a little too loud. "She always tries to play it cool."

"And like someone else we know," Rei joked while grinning at Usagi.

"We could say the same about you, Rei-chan," The irritated blonde suavely shot back. "You're always shopping in expensive boutiques with Minako-chan and Setsuna-chan when the truth is that you can't afford the prices."

"Is that right?" Rei said while narrowing her eyes at her friend. "You don't think Usagi's hairstyle is something she simply does on the fly every morning, do you, Asuka-chan?"

"It's not?" The brunette asked while the situation reminded her of the arguments her parents sometimes had. "I thought…"

"Don't you dare, Rei-chan," Usagi threatened. "That's my trademark secret."

"Hohohoho!" Rei mockingly laughed. "Maybe I shouldn't disclose how much money Usagi spends on the hairdresser every week to get her pigtails looking just right and how much time she spends every morning…"

"Now you've done it, you traitor!" Usagi yelled while leaping onto her friend.

Asuka watched in dull surprise how Rei grabbed Usagi's wrists when the blonde started to pinch her cheeks and wrestled her friend to the floor.

"Let me go! Rei-chan, that was completely uncalled for! How would you feel if I spilled your makeup secrets?!"

"I have no makeup secrets, Usagi," A flushed Rei chuckled while straddling and pinning down her friend. "I have naturally beautiful skin."

"See how proud she is, Asuka-chan?!" Usagi exclaimed while squirming in Rei's grip.

"Why don't you just apologize, Rei-chan?" Diana yawned. "You shouldn't provoke Usagi-chan like that. It's far too stimulating for you."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," A suddenly pale Rei protested while getting off her friend.

"That's better," Usagi muttered while dusting herself off. "Now how about that apology?"

"I apologize for spilling your makeup secrets," Rei grudgingly said while sitting beside the blonde. "I got caught up in the moment and thought it was funny."

"Apology accepted," Usagi huffed while glancing at her black-haired friend.

'They're like little children!' Asuka thought to herself as she observed the scene 'So cute.'

"Now kiss and make up!" The girl in the yellow blouse and long orange skirt enthusiastically spoke.

"Ah no…" Rei grinned awkwardly while dismissively waving her hand. "Let's just leave it at that. "Unless Usagi wants…"

"Oy-oy," Diana sighed and rolled her eyes before giving herself a good stretch.

"You're acting kind of weird, Rei-chan," Usagi finally coldly dashed her friend's hopes. "Let's just forget about it and head to Shiba Park. It's time."

"Are you sure you won't come with us, Asuka-chan?" Rei asked her classmate while she and Usagi got up. "It'll be a fun concert close to home."

"No, sorry Rei-chan," Asuka shook her head with some embarrassment. "I'm afraid that nasty buzzing in my ear I get when I'm nervous would get worse if I went to a concert. I'd rather pass. I can watch the Three Lights on television when they perform in Okinawa at the end of the year."

"How sad!" Usagi whimpered. "Still… It's nice that you will be able to watch Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten on television."

"It won't be the same, but it'll be a special show so I'm looking forward to it."

"And why do you insist on coming to the concert with us even though cats hate loud noises?" Rei asked Diana while picking up the satchel the white catten had climbed into.

"Ugh…" Diana cringed. "If I didn't need to come along as part of my mission I would stay home and chill on your bed, I assure you that much."

"And I assure you that wouldn't have happened in a million years," Rei deadpanned.

Asuka and Usagi watched how their friend opened the door to her bedroom and lead the way into the hallway.

When the trio walked onto the shrine's courtyard they were met by the sight of Makoto and Minako talking to Yuuichirou and his girlfriend, Megumi Sakurada.

"There they are!" Makoto said while waving at Rei, Usagi, and Asuka."We were wondering what took you guys so long. "The concert starts in less than an hour."

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the sun wasn't planning on setting yet.
Hikawa Shrine was bathed in a warm bright glow and everyone was dressed accordingly.

While Megumi and Yuuichirou were dressed in their miko uniforms, Minako wore a beautiful black-and-white blouse and a matching skirt from Sparkles. Makoto on her part was dressed in a blue suspender skirt with a yellow T-shirt.

"I was just asking Mako-chan how she was getting used to life at Hikawa Shrine," Minako said.

"We get along fine, don't we, everyone?" Makoto smiled while looking at Rei and Yuuichirou.

"Sure," The latter said. "We have lots of fun over dinner. Dinner time is the best"

"Especially when we get our dinner from a chef in training," Rei grinned.

"I try to steal with my eyes," Megumi laughed. "But I doubt I could ever serve what Mako-chan prepares for us."

"You guys praise me too much. You especially, Megumi-chan," Makoto chuckled. "I have to practice my skills anyway, so I love to do it while paying you in kind for my stay."

"You are very earnest in the pursuit of your career, Mako-chan," Yuuichirou smiled. "I've noticed the books you read. They're not just recipe books or technical books. You read many books on the history of cooking too and a lot of magazines about what's trending in the restaurant business."

"You too, Yuuichirou-kun?" Makoto laughed while waving her hand. "That's just normal interest if you are devoted to a profession. I'm just lucky to have been discovered by Ebihara-sensei."

"You guys sure read lots of technical books full of heavy matter," Usagi sighed. "Rei-chan is the same. I just saw a book on her bed titled: "Pike and Shot: From Late Medieval to Early Modern Infantry Warfare."

"Never mind that. With this new threat emerging it's only right for me to read up on tactics. Tactics!" Rei said while touching the blonde's nose with her finger. "Maybe I should lend out the books I read to the rest of you."

"No thanks," Minako deadpanned. "Let's take a good look at my new car instead!"

"What?"

"You bought a car?"

"Huhuh. Yes, I did," The blonde in the black-and-white outfit nodded proudly. "A beautiful silver Toyota Corolla. Come and have a look."

"Yes let's do that," Makoto grinned. "I'd love to see your first ride."

"We'll join you some other time, girls," Megumi said. "Yuuichirou-kun and I have work to do."

"Yes. I'm afraid so," Yuuichirou smiled. "Congratulations, Minako-chan. And have fun at the concert, everyone."

Following Minako's lead, Rei, Usagi, Makoto, and Asuka quickly descended the shrine's stairs to street level.

From the top of the stairs, Usagi could see the shiny silver roof of the 1997 Toyota Corolla her friend purchased with the money she earned from her modeling and singing career.
Its shiny silver paint job impressed her even more as she approached the car.

"Wow!" Asuka exclaimed, jumping up and down as they stood before the vehicle. "You're rich, Minako-chan!"

"Héhé. This set me back quite a bit though. But I'm happy I got a nice ride that allows me to let my hair loose."

"That'll be a sight in a hardtop," Rei quipped.

"Wanna see?" Minako grinned while leaning against the blackette. "Let's go to the concert in style."

"It's a Toyota. Not a Rolls Royce."

"Is someone a little jealous?" Minako teased her friend.

"Not of all the requests you'll be getting to drive your friends around," Rei smiled. "But it's a beautiful car. It suits you."

"Yes. Let's have a drive around town," Usagi giggled. "I have my sunglasses ready."

Rei rolled her eyes at the hype the car generated among her companions, but she admittedly enjoyed the prospect of driving around in the late afternoon sun.

"Can you drop me off at home, Mina-chan?"

"Sure thing, Asuka-chan," Minako suavely winked at the excited brunette. "Just hop in."

After having sat down for a short yoga session backstage, the Three Lights dusted off their shiny red-and-white costumes and picked up their respective instruments. Time had flown during the soundcheck. It was almost time to start the concert.

"Alright!" Seiya exclaimed. "I'm feeling great. I'm confident and full of energy. This is going to be an amazing show. Do you guys feel it too?"

"Will you listen to this guy?" Taiki grinned at Yaten while the silver-haired Kinmokuan strapped his bass guitar around his slender shoulders. "Who was the one moaning during soundcheck that nothing was going right?"

"Seiya-kun."

"And who was the one fidgeting over the shade of red of our suits?"

"Seiya-kun."

"Yeah-yeah. I know," Seiya chuckled. "But I especially want tonight's show to be perfect. I want to perform at my best as a thank you to our friends, who stood by us and tried to help us when times were toughest."

"Yes," Taiki smiled. "Our friends who tried to help us even if we weren't ready to accept that help."

"Hey, you guys are making me cry over here," Yaten complained. "Stop that mushy stuff, Seiya-kun. Just strap on your guitar."

"Hahaha!" Seiya laughed while doing as he was told. "Come now, Yaten-kun. Surely you feel the same?"

"I'm mainly looking forward to performing in front of our friends and family at home," Yaten said with a fond look in his eyes. "I think our first-ever show on Kinmoku is going to be magical. But I agree there is a strange atmosphere in the air tonight too."

The Three Lights listened to the hubbub coming from the thousands of people gathered on the other side of the curtain to hear them sing.

"Perhaps not especially a benevolent atmosphere," Taiki said with a foreboding look.

"Yes," Seiya nodded. "There's something or someone out there among the crowd.
I don't know how I can tell, but there is a strange atmosphere. Exactly as you said Yaten-kun."

Taiki watched the nervous looks of his brothers. He shared their concern.
There seemed a definite possibility of the evening not becoming the carefree event their friends had hoped for.
But he had no intention of going along with that possibility.

With nimble fingers, the red-haired Kinmokuan played a playful eighth-note melody on his keyboard.
The people in Shiba Park started to cheer and his brothers' ominous thoughts were instantly dispelled.

Taiki waited until the volume of the cheers faded and saw Yaten and Seiya grin and nod.

"If there is danger out there, our friends will handle it!" The young man smiled his ivory-white teeth bare. "Tonight it is our job to entertain them while they do, instead of helping them fight evil!"

"Right!" Seiya agreed. "For Usagi-Chan, Mamoru-kun, Haruka-kun, and Rei-chan!"

"For Hotaru-kun, Ami-Chan, and Minako-chan!" Yaten followed his example.

"For Mako-chan, Chibi-Usa-chan, Setsuna-chan, and Michiru-chan!" Taiki exclaimed.

As Seiya raised his hand, the curtain obscuring him and the rest of the band from view was pulled up to the beam about a dozen meters above him.

"Search for your love…!
Search for your love…!"

The crowd went wild as the Three Lights confidently opened with possibly their greatest hit.

"You'd always shine so bright, just like a little star!
I felt my heart ignite every time you smile!"

"That's interesting," Michiru said while moving her hips to the rhythm. "They must think highly of the songs on their new album."

"What's that?!" Haruka asked.

"I said: They must have a high opinion of their new songs to think they can afford to open with their biggest hit!"

Haruka nearly had to ask again what her lover was saying.
It was almost impossible to hear the greenette over the thousands of people singing along to the refrain of To A Shooting Star.

"Search for your love! I call up to the heavens!
Search for your love! To take away your sadness!"

Tokyo Tower - its lights shining in the early dusk - stood tall and proud behind their concert stage, while the Three Lights gave their all to entertain the people gathered among the cherry trees in Shiba Park.

While many people were standing up, most were sitting on the grass in groups.
Others were walking around, searching for friends or visiting the stalls where food and drinks were dispensed.

Haruka, Michiru, and Mamoru stood watching the concert with a few other people. The rest of the group was sitting and having a drink and a chat with the person next to them.

"Your scent remains! Oh, it still lingers!" Usagi sang while Rei tried to stare without being noticed at the cute way the blonde bobbed her head from side to side as she sang.

"To think Princess Kakyuu will hear this song performed on Kinmoku someday!" Makoto told Minako.

"I bet she'll be overjoyed! " The blonde smiled.

"Actually, "Chasing Comets" has been overtaking "To A Shooting Star" in popularity since the tour started!" Mamoru told Michiru. "But the songs from their new album are doing great too! I hear "Goodbye, Our Friends" is highly popular!"

"Say, why did you join us here, Setsuna-chan?!" The man in the blue jeans and red short-sleeved shirt heard Hotaru ask her housemate. "Music bores you and you said you'd enjoy having the house to yourself!"

Sitting among the blackette and her high-school friends, Setsuna looked away when she found Mamoru looking at her.

"I just thought it would be a waste not to share the fun of this concert with the rest of you!" The greenette in the stylish light-gray short skirt and shirt with a black jacket partially lied. "I don't care about music, but I enjoy hanging out with friends!"

"That's as good a reason for coming along as any, Setsuna-chan!" Yuna cheerfully patted the older girl on the shoulder. "Don't let Hotaru-kun's interrogation get to you! You'd think she's a police inspector who works for the Metropolitan Police Department on a police investigation to hear her talk!"

While Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, Carolina, Shingo, Emi, and the others laughed at the lame joke, Mamoru's mind started to torture him by wondering whether Setsuna decided to join the group so she could be close to him and consequently thought he was being ridiculously vain for believing such a thing.

"Do you remember when we crushed on them, girls?!" Makoto asked Minako and Ami.

"Erm… No. Can't say I do!" Ami said.

Her two friends gave her a knowing look while the last verses of "To A Shooting Star" were sung by their Kinmokuan friends.

"Tell me, where are you right now? (Moonlight Princess)
My beloved Princess.
Just answer me (Answer for me)"

"Hey, Minako-chan?! Usagi asked her friend. "Can you come along for a minute?! I'd like to get some takoyaki!"

"Takoyaki huh?!" Minako echoed. "Okay, I'll go! You want some, Mako-chan?!"

"No! I'm good! Can't be bothered with inferior products after having tasted Ebihara-sensei's takoyaki!"

"Careful, Mako-chan!" Chibi-Usa laughed. "You're turning into a snob!"

"Oh! Can you bring me a portion of takoyaki so I can feed Chibi-Usa-chan?!" Carolina said while getting up. "Here's money!"

"Don't think you're off the hook because of that slight interruption!" A cringing Ami heard a gleefully Rei say to her right.

"That's right!" Makoto grinned. "What was that talk about not remembering us crushing on the Three Lights?!"

"Did a certain someone not own a gold fan club membership card?!" Rei playfully pondered with her pointer finger on her lips.

"Is it possible that you feel too good to reminisce about our disappointments in love with your friends now that you have a boyfriend?!" Makoto teased while leaning closer with crossed arms. "Well… Even if he couldn't make it to the concert."

"Héhéhé," Ami simpered. "I was never seriously crushing on them though! You gotta believe me! Rei-chan?! Mako-chan?!"

"Rather than deploring Ryo couldn't be here tonight, Ami-chan will end up feeling relieved," Diana moaned. "What with the roasting you girls are putting her through."

The music was still loud for her, even with the wax earplugs she was wearing.
But the earplugs also allowed the white feline teenager to listen in on any conversation Rei was part of.

"I want to thank all of our loyal fans in Tokyo for showing up here at this beautiful location!" Seiya said through the microphone.

A great cacophony of cheering noises greeted his words.

"I know lots of our fans who would have liked to be here couldn't come for various reasons! I am happy we will still reach your hearts through our concert in Okinawa, which will be televised and…!"

Everyone in the crowd held their breath as Seiya nodded to Taiki, who continued the speech.

"... Which will be recorded on DVD so you can all watch the concert whenever you want and share fond memories with your friends!"

Another series of loud cheers made clear how happy the fans of the Three Lights were with this revelation.

"The Okinawa concert will be a special performance to commemorate us having disbanded the group 2 years ago by then!"

"As you know, we had been looking for a dear friend of ours when we started the group and were not in good shape emotionally at the start of our career!" Yate continued. "But we were happily reunited at the end of our career through the help of our special fans!"

"That is why…!" Seiya continued. "We dedicated this next song to our fans who throughout our career showed us a never-ending devotion! Our loving, wise, passionate, strong, beautiful fans! This is for you!"

Upon returning to their group, Usagi and Minako nearly bumped Carolina's takoyaki against the younger girl's clapping hands, since the Portuguese was cheering with the rest of the crowd at the opening melody of "Goodbye, Our Friends."

"You opened your hearts from the start,
When we first met!
Hearing our cries and our sighs,
Though we stayed cool!"

Minako and Chibi-Usa sang along like so many others in the crowd while Rei got up and joined Haruka and Michiru to get a better look at her Kinmokuan friends.

"Watch out, Rei-chan!" Makoto exclaimed while her friend moved to the left. "You're about to…!"

"Ow! I'm sorry!" Rei said as she bumped into a woman with long red hair.

"I apologize for my clumsiness. Are you hurt?!"

"Sister Angela!" Rei exclaimed upon recognizing her teacher.

"Oh?! It's you, Hino-san?!"

"Goodbye, our friends! Goodbye, our friends!
Your warm embraces will be missed!
We'll always carry you in our hearts!" Yaten sang with great joy.
"And one of us wanted to be…"

"Sister Angela!" Unazuki Furuhata yelled while trying to hide behind Makoto.

"You're not in high school anymore, Furuhata-san! You won't get called to the Principal's office because I saw you at a concert on a school evening!"

"Not this time at least," Unazuki peevishly muttered while revealing herself.

"Well well! Did you find a couple of your students, Sister Angela?!" A stout light-gray man in his late fifties asked while turning to Rei.

"Good evening, Pastor Hidaka!" Carolina greeted the minister of the Church of Saint Maria Magdalene.

"Oh! And here is a sheep from my own flock!" The pastor laughed.

"Mako-chan! Mako-chan!" Usagi sang. "Do you wanna come and get some Yakisoba with me?!"

"Yakisoba?! Sure! Why not?!" The brunette in the blue suspender skirt and yellow T-shirt shrugged.

"I'll come with you!" An uncomfortable-looking Unazuki called out and ran after her two friends.

"I didn't know priests and nuns visited pop music concerts on their time off!" Minako laughed at the man in the dark-blue trousers and gray shirt and the woman in the long red skirt and black blouse.

"Hahaha!" Pastor Ren Hidaka laughed. "Why would we not?! Don't you think the message of Jesus Christ is conveyed in the love and fellow-feeling of the songs the Three Lights sing?!"

"When the Three Lights came up in conversation with Pastor Hidaka, I mentioned the musical I directed!" Sister Angela explained. "Pastor Hidaka expressed his regret about being unable to purchase a ticket for the concert! So I shared the extra ticket I bought!"

"That is so like you!" Rei smiled at her teacher. "Isn't Sister Angela-sensei kind and selfless, Pastor Hidaka?!"

"She is very kind, Hino-san! I frequently have occasion to tell her so!" The man with the high forehead smiled.

"Oh, now you're both just complimenting me! Please go on!" Sister Angela giggled.

"Sister Angela also doesn't take no for an answer!"

"Oh! I know!" Rei nodded amusedly while her teacher rolled her eyes at the turn the conversation was taking.

"You can't believe how she nagged me to come to the concert with her!' Pastor Hidaka grinned as he moved his face closer to Rei's. "I felt I just had to give in or I wouldn't hear the end of it!"

"Oh? Well, she is very proud of the musical she directed starring the Three Lights when they had their breakthrough two years ago!" Rei smirked while talking conspiratorially with the elderly man.

Hotaru followed the conversation with interest while her friends Hikaru and Emi sang along to "Goodbye, Our Friends."
The black-bobbed tennis ace thought she was starting to understand how Rei's style of tough love worked.
Though she herself had been in somewhat of a foul mood since she got to the concert, even if she hadn't a clue as to the reason.

"That may be, but do you think it's an excellent performance or not, Pastor Hidaka?!" Sister Angela appealed to her friend with a frown.

"It's a great performance, Sister!" The Pastor smiled warmly. "I am forever indebted to you for your suggestion to come here!"

Carolina laughed out loud at how the priest stroked the ego of Seiya's number-one Catholic fan.

"This yakisoba is so good!" Unazuki gushed as she arrived back in the group with Usagi and Makoto.

"Meh. It's okay!" The latter shrugged while enjoying the noodles.

"Yakisoba is good! But I feel like having another portion of Takoyaki after dancing to "Don't Stop The Party!"

"I think you'll throw up if you dance after all you've eaten!" Chibi-Usa deadpanned.

"Be careful Usako!" Mamoru told his girlfriend. "Don't push yourself! If you feel sick, I'll take you to the restrooms!"

"Having more takoyaki would be such a waste, Usagi-chan!" Unazuki exclaimed while linking arms with the blonde. "You should try the okonomiyaki! They taste the same anyway, but you get a choice of toppings at the okonomiyaki stand!"

"Say, Rodrigues-san!" Pastor Hidaka asked Carolina. "Is your father happy with the Chinese woodcut print I sold him?!"

Chibi-Usa pricked her ears up when she heard the expensive hobby of her girlfriend's father mentioned.

"He is very happy, Pastor!" Carolina smiled. "Thank you very much! The print is still of very good quality!"

"What does the print depict?!" Chibi-Usa asked.

"It's an old illustration of three noblemen!" Pastor Hidaka said. "I found it among old family papers and thought Rodrigues-san's father would like it!"

"It's a Yuan Dynasty canvas print!" Carolina elaborated. "Father said it was a very lifelike design and well preserved! He was highly interested, with the woodcut design being such a high-quality portrait!"

"A Yuan dynasty canvas print?! Chibi-Usa whistled. "Your father must have paid a fortune for it!"

"I didn't give it away!" Pastor Hidaka laughed while the Three Lights started their next song. "But my asking price wasn't exorbitant!"

"Father can well afford it, Chibi-Usa-chan!" Carolina said while patting her girlfriend on the back. "Don't worry!"

"Have you visited the museum yet?!" Pastor Hidaka asked Chibi-Usa.

"No! I'm very curious!"

"I'll invite you over after finals! It's quite large! We'll need a good afternoon to see it all!"

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan!" An excited Usagi interrupted her friend's conversation with Sister Angela.

"What is it?!" Rei smirked. "You want me to come along on a visit to the okonomiyaki stall?!"

"You read my mind, Rei-chan!" Usagi grinned while putting her arm around the blackette's shoulder.

"Then we'll talk later, Hino-san!" Sister Angela said. "But I'll contact the newspaper club for the interview! Thank you for asking!"

"I look forward to reading the interview!" Rei smiled.

Sister Angela saw her student link arms with Usagi and smiled fondly.

"You are a true asset to T.A. Girls, Hino-san! Thank you for being such an amazing role model to our other girls!"

"Oh my!" Rei blushed. "I feel honored hearing this from you, Sensei!"

Usagi felt a warm glow inside at the words of praise for her friend.
But the sight of a proud Rei brought out her mischievous side.

While they started on their path towards the okonomiyaki stall the blonde grinned at her friend.

"Look at you, being all proud because you got praised by your favorite teacher, Rei-chan!"

"Of course, I feel happy getting praised by Sister Angela! You should know by now she's an admirable teacher with high standards!"

"So, what were the two of you talking about?!"

"I was asking her whether she would grant the newspaper club an interview about her career as a teacher!"

Usagi blinked her eyes at her friend.

"Why didn't they ask her for permission themselves?!" The blonde asked in confusion.

Rei grimaced embarrassedly.

"Well…!" She muttered. "It seems the members of our newspaper club are a bit shy!"

"What?! All of them?!"

"Every single one!" Rei sighed. "They go through five minutes of awkwardly mumbled words at the start of any interview or conversation! But once they get going they are good at coming up with questions that draw in their interviewee's attention."

"Good evening! I'll have a Kansai-style okonomiyaki with all the usual toppings!" Usagi told the blonde waitress with the short ponytail at the okonomiyaki stall.

"Clearly that's a talent I don't possess," Rei muttered.

The miko smiled fondly while seeing her friend excitedly hopping from foot to foot.

Meanwhile, her Kinmokuan friends from the Three Lights were setting the park alight with their fast-paced hip-hop song "Your Laughter Raises My Heartbeat" after the sun had finally set over Shiba Park.

"Giggle giggle, how you tickle with your voice so smooth!" Usagi tried to sing along.
"It's a riddle incredible to my irtritablell maint!"

"Hahaha!" Rei laughed. "Keep going, Usagi! "You'll get the hang of it.

"Oh?! Instead of laughing at my failure, could you do better, Rei-chan?!

"Fleeting through the bushes crushes, hiding in the wilderness!
Chuckle chuckle I hear as I walk around and search.
With your presence my sole compass in your tangled kingdom, Miss!"

Rei's confident delivery as she swung her hips to the beat and clapped her hands made Usagi feel excited and irritated at her friend's smugness in equal measure.

"That's great, Rei-chan! Hahaha!" She laughed. "You really do have a talent for music! Mina-Chan and Shingo both say so! It's surprising how you didn't take that talent any further!"

"Oh! Thank you!" The blonde reacted in surprise when she was handed her lavishly topped savory pancake on a folded cardboard plate.

"Thank you for your patronage, dear customer!" The girl at the stall bowed shortly when Usagi paid her. "Please enjoy your meal!"

"Me becoming an artist?!" Rei chuckled. "I'm over that! I'm with Kakyuu-chan: My voice will only be used to give pleasure to those I love! I won't use it to seek fame or fortune! Those I will achieve with my other talents! I have plenty of them after all!"

The duo walked among the several different groups of people sitting and standing around among the cherry trees, watching the concert of Three Lights, on their way back to their own group.

"Or maybe you want to dedicate your voice to your beloved?! Is there someone special in your life, Rei-chan?!" Usagi tried to ask suavely while feasting on her okonomiyaki. "Maybe Seiya-kun sent you heart thumping again?!"

Rei's mouth twitched into a grin. Then she sighed.

"You do realize you…!" She started before deciding it was best to leave the past in the past. "You do realize the lyrics of Your Laughter Raises My Heartbeat are about Seiya-kun's girlfriend, Iwaso Yuine-san?!"

For a moment, as Rei turned and looked her in the eyes, something in Usagi's mind wanted to tell Miko to fight for her love even if the one she loved was engaged to be married.

"You already finished that entire okonomiyaki?!" Rei asked with a lopsided grin.

"It was yummy!" Usagi shrugged. "But Unazuki was wrong! Just because an okonomiyaki has Otafuku sauce and mayonnaise on it doesn't make it the same as takoyaki!"

"No!" Rei laughed in genuine joy while slapping her hand to her forehead.

"So now I feel like having some takoyaki again!"

"Hahaha! hahaha! No! No!"

Usagi smiled as Rei advanced on her and put her hands on the shorter teen's shoulders.

"You should know when to stop, Usagi!" Rei calmly said. "Enough is enough! We are here to see the concert of our friends and you've been focused on food since we came here!"

"Phuh! What nonsense, Rei-chan! I've been listening to the music our friends are playing!"

"Yes, yes, yes! But let's just resist the call of the stomach, get some drinks, and get back to our friends!" Rei smiled while waving her pointer finger.

Feeling irritated by her friend's usual bossy behavior, Usagi joined her hands behind her back and leaned forward with a big grin.

"You're right, of course, Rei-chan!" The blonde smiled. "Let's get some drinks and join the group again!"

"That's better! Who's a good girl?! Usagi is a good girl, isn't she?!" Rei laughed while patting an annoyed Usagi on the head.

The miko turned towards a beverages stall and hailed one of the girls selling the refreshments.

"Can you get us four Coca-Colas?!" She exclaimed.

The girl with the long black ponytail was wearing a red T-shirt over a pair of white pants. She smiled and nodded before turning to the row of refrigerators behind her.

"Don't forget about us! Our love is strong!
Even under mortal danger, torn asunder by a cruel nature…!" Rei nodded her head from side to side while singing along with the Three Lights.

"True Love Conquers is amazing too, don't you think, Usagi?! The new album is pretty great!"

"Here are your drinks, Okyakusama!" The girl behind the counter said with a little bow while handing Rei her order.

"Here you go!" The miko said while ending the transaction by paying for the drinks.

"Huh?!" She addressed Usagi while turning around with the cans of cola in her arms. "Don't you think True Love…!"

It was then that Rei discovered Usagi had escaped both her attention and her surveillance.

"You wily mutt," The miko muttered in annoyance.

Chapter Text

"What would you do if Usagi-chan was ever caught by the enemy when she's at her most vulnerable, Rei-chan?"
"How should I know, Diana? I'm not Usagi's keeper!"
"That's right, Diana. Rei-chan is not my keeper."
"That may be. But there might come a time when Usagi-chan is in actual mortal danger. More than she ever was. Will you know when to go to her, Rei-chan? Will you come in time? Would you even find her?"

"Appearance of the mysterious adversary and be careful what you eat! Rei-chan, hurry up and save your Queen!"

The Three Lights were giving thousands of people the time of their lives in Tokyo's Shiba Park.
Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten performed established hit singles and songs from their first as well as their new album to general approval.

Couples were gently shaking to and fro as they held each other.
Friends were singing and dancing together or having a chat while tapping their foot to the rhythm of the beat.
Parents were balancing their children on their shoulders so the little ones could get a good look at their heroes.
Generally, the people in the crowd were having a good time. The secondary aim of the concert had successfully been attained.

However, one person had been in a foul mood since the concert began.

Hotaru didn't know why, but upon arriving at Shiba Park with her friends in the late afternoon she felt her usually positive outlook brought down.
Luckily the black-bobbed stoic's friends didn't take her to task for feeling moody on occasion, even though Hotaru could get a little frightening whenever she was down in the dumps.

Currently, at the spot Chibi-Usa and her friends occupied, Yuna was dancing before Hotaru's eyes.
The lanky blonde in the striped light-blue shirt and brown skirt was starting to challenge her classmate's surliness with her antics.

"Yuna-chan! If you don't stop dancing in front of me I'm actually going to put you down."

This only made her friend come closer and lean forward so that she was nose to nose with the black-bobbed stoic in the green T-shirt and white trousers as she danced and imitated Yaten and Taiki's duet.

"Even when you test my nerves!
Even when I get annoyed!
You are my brother!"

Most of the time a surly Hotaru intimidated Yuna as much as she did most of their friends - Emi and Shingo exempted.
But experience had taught the blonde that she had a good chance of cheering her friend up when Hotaru got in a bad mood.

This was true at the moment.
Nearly bursting out in laughter, Hotaru grabbed her friend by the lips.

"Uh-oh!" Hikaru exclaimed in a squeaky comical voice. "It's bully time! It's bully time! Emi-chan, we need your help!"

"You're going to have to deal with bully Hotaru on your own today!" the brunette in the short red dress and dark-blue cardigan called out. "I'm having a conversation with Mako-chan and Shingo-kun is getting drinks with his friends!"

"Wits awwight, buwwy-Hotawu-kuw!" Yuna mouthed before her friend released her with a chuckle. "Even if you're a bully, we still love you!"

"I'm sorry, Yuna-chan!" Hotaru laughed. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up!"

"So you feel better now?!" Yuna asked with a concerned frown.

"Not one bit!" Hotaru said with a roll of her eyes. "But thank you for trying!"

"So none of them knows how to cook?!" Emi laughed at what Makoto had just told her.

"That's right!" Makoto reacted with a roll of her eyes.
"Rei-chan is always busy so she has no time to learn!
Grandpa thinks he can cook because Rei-chan and him have no sense of taste!
Yuuichirou-kun and Megumi-chan - on their part - always had people cooking for him!"

Emi shook her head at the revelation.

"You have your work cut out for you!" The girl whose short brown ponytail was bound by a red ribbon told her friend in the blue suspender skirt and yellow T-shirt. "How did they manage before you started to live with them?!"

"On ready-to-eat meals mostly! And Rei-chan or Grandpa sometimes managed to whip up something edible!
Say," Makoto leaned closer with a mischievous look towards Hotaru who had started a conversation with Yuna about her playing her koto during the cultural festival in Oktober. "I've often wondered, what with her father employing a cook, but is Hotaru-chan any good at cooking?!"

"Hotaru-kun is an okay cook actually!" Emi said. "She does alright in home education. But her results are middling when she has to prepare something with a high skill level."

Meanwhile, Ami, Setsuna, and Mamoru talked about digital communication while watching the concert with Haruka and Michiru.

"We are at the cusp of a true technological revolution!" Mamoru said. "It won't be long before cell phones are used for much more than calling our friends and family or sending them a text message to say we'll be late to an appointment!"

"I know!" Ami nodded. "The future holds both exciting and terrible possibilities with the technologies humanity is creating!
I see the kind of technologies I implemented in my portable laptop a few years back being developed for mass consumption by leading international companies!
There are many ways in which these companies will be able to improve the lives of ordinary people through the use of the Internet and mobile communication.
But I shudder to think how these technologies could be used to cause harm!"

"I at least am very excited by it all!" Mamoru smiled. "I've heard it said that within a few years, we will be able to access the internet via our telephones!
Can you imagine what that will do to our daily lives?! Information at the touch of your finger anywhere in the world!"

"That certainly would bring about new possibilities!" Setsuna chuckled. "I would be able to attend concerts without getting bored!"

Ami and Mamoru laughed along with the joke and Setsuna smiled at the latter as they did.

"Not that I'm not enjoying myself in your company!" The greenette said. "You are always informative and enthusiastic about your studies!"

In truth, Setsuna Meiou had started to see what other people responded to in music.
The songs Three Lights sang certainly helped to accentuate the romantic feelings she was now definitely developing for Mamoru.

The two of them stood very close together, and where once the idea of falling in love with Prince Endymion seemed strange and alien to her now it was starting to feel very natural.

Mamoru was a handsome man even though his fashion sense was that of a clown.
Today though, he was dressed in the blue jeans and red short-sleeved shirt she advised him to wear and which made him look so cool.

Their morals may clash sometimes, but they generally saw eye to eye on most matters.
Setsuna also thought Mamoru's passion for his major was very cute and she knew he would make a name for himself in the profession of his choice.

At the moment, however, Setsuna was mostly mesmerized by the feeling of being close to a man she felt comfortable with and who was starting to make her feel special through every little instance of attention he paid her.
A man whose perfume mixed with the scent of his sweat made her feel slightly giddy.

Just like Mamoru felt as if he was getting drunk from the proximity of his beautiful friend who seemed to seek his company more than would be natural to do for a man and a woman if they were just friends.

The light in Setsuna's glowing red eyes seemed to Mamoru to have a special power over his emotions.
He tried to pull away from them but he needed them turned towards him.

Setsuna's voice also seemed to have a power it previously did not hold.
Her laughter was like the sound of a bird twittering in his heart. It was like the sound of a gentle waterfall.

It was a sound that brought with it a sense of impending doom.
A sensation that Mamoru realized had overtaken him in the past half minute while he was standing next to Setsuna without Usagi.

"Rei-chan?!" Mamoru heard Minako exclaim behind him. "Where is Usagi-chan?!"

Mamoru and his friends saw Rei arrive in their midst with an intensely dark look on her face and her arms full of cola cans.

"Usagi ran away from me to get more takoyaki while I was getting drinks!" Rei informed them while handing most of the cans over to Makoto and Emi.
"I searched for her at the takoyaki stall and in its vicinity, but I didn't find her! I also couldn't contact her on her cellphone!"

Mamoru saw the blackette looking straight toward him. He wondered if Rei could see the guilt in his eyes.

"I… I have a very bad feeling!" Rei said with a look of utter dread in her dark purple eyes.

"I know what you mean!" Mamoru nodded, realizing that the dread he had been feeling wasn't connected to Setsuna at all. "I feel it too!"

Hotaru had her eyes on them. She knew exactly what they were talking about. But she couldn't for the life of her say what was behind it or why she experienced this precognitive sense of dread.

"Alright!" Ami called out. "Let's go searching around in groups of two.
"Yuna-chan, Emi-chan, Hikaru-chan! Carolina-chan! Chibi-Usa-chan!
You wait here to be our anchor group, please! When Shingo-kun and his group come back tell them to stay put with the rest of you! We'll stay in touch with our cell phones!"

"You're absolutely right, Usagi-chan! These takoyaki are delicious! It's only natural to want second or even third portions!" The blonde's new friend gushed while eating the portion of octopus balls she bought while meeting Usagi

Neopi was a cute tanned 17-year-old whose long black hair was braided into two long high pigtails with violet heart-shaped clips on the bases of the pigtails. Usagi thought the hairstyle made her look a little like an ibex.

The teenager in the long orange dress sat right opposite Usagi.
Both young women were eating their takoyaki while a bunch of Neopi's friends were hanging around.

"I still don't understand why you're not as fat as a cow with the way you eat!" A girl taller than Neopi with purple flame-shaped hair grinned.

"Yes, thank you, Salapa-chan!" An annoyed Neopi reacted to Usagi's diversion. "I'm aiming to see if you'll still try to feel me up if I gain some weight!"

"Hahaha!" A girl with a long ice-blue ponytail giggled before jabbering: "Salapa-chan is always trying to feel people up! There was that one time when we were at the pool and there were a bunch of guys! One of them was so ugly, but Salapa-chan told us she was going to ask him out and then his girlfriend came over but Salapa thought she was a hotty so she started to flirt with her too and her boyfriend didn't like that but Salapa then suggested the three of them take it to the locker rooms and she gently pushed them in that direction while having her hands on their butts, and then …!"

"Anyway, Usagi-chan! Do you really know the Three Lights personally?! That's amazing!"

"Hey! Hey!" Salapa exclaimed while hitting Neopi on the shoulder with her pointer finger. "What is all that about?! I'm not some pervert!"

"You called me a fat cow!" Neopi deadpanned in reaction to the question of the girl in the light-gray T-shirt and blue suspender skirt.

"I really didn't!" Salapa suavely spoke.

"Yes, you did! And I wasn't the one who implied you're a pervert!"

"You did too!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Don't worry!" The girl with the ice-blue hair said. "They're not always like that!"

"But they are quite often!" A dry male voice called out.

Usagi looked to her right and noticed a wiry young man standing with his back to her while his arm was draped around the waist of his more athletic buddy.

"I'll admit, it's only through the exercises you put me through that I manage to retain my figure!" Neopi peevishly conceded.

"Thought so!" Salapa nodded sagely.

"Rei-chan has also been making me jog lately!" Usagi said with a roll of her eyes. "It's…"

"Annoying, isn't it?!" Neopi said while leaning closer. "Anyway! You know the Three Lights!"

"Take me by the hand and let's look up to the skyyy!"

"Oh! That's the start of "The Stars Watch Over Us!" Neopi said while stopping Usagi's mouth with an octopus ball. "I love that song!"

Usagi swallowed and decided to change the subject.

"Hey Neopi-chan! You have a very peculiar name!" The blonde said. "And you don't seem to be Japanese yourself! Can I ask, is your name Egyptian maybe?! Or Arabic?!"

"No! Sorry to disappoint you!" Neopi giggled.

"Portuguese perhaps?!"

"Not at all!"

"Could it be Italian?!"

"That's not it either!"

"South America?!" Usagi - now seriously at the end of her wits - pondered out loud.

"Forget about it, Usagi-chan!" Neopi laughed. "You're never going to guess!"

"How did you get to know the boys from Three Lights, Usagi-chan?!" Salapa asked with a chuckle and a roll of her eyes.

"Oh?! To be honest, it was when I tried to sneak into the employees-only section during a television show they were filming!"

"Hahahaha!" Salapa laughed. "You're gutsy, Usagi-chan! I'll give you that!"

"Yes, she is that!" Neopi chuckled along with Usagi. "But you have to be gutsy if you want to see the stars!"

"That was the idea!" Usagi giggled.

Neopi watched the blonde intently and smiled.

"They are amazing aren't they, the stars?! I love watching them! They are so far away and so bright and powerful!"

"Oh! You're talking about real stars now?!" Usagi asked with a frown while Salapa stealthily joined the rest of her friends who stood watching the concert. "Or the Three Lights?!

"Yes!" Neopi gently nodded. "Stars are amazing! Yet in the grand scheme of things they are so vulnerable! The slightest change might set them on a collision course with each other or on the path of something worse!
You want to protect them against what their fate might hold, but you know you're not supposed to protect them at all times!"

"What do you mean?!" Usagi exclaimed. "I'd do all I could to protect the stars that shelter us! Or my friends!"

The conversation taking a more serious turn, Usagi slowly forgot about her surroundings and became wholly invested in her companion's presence.
Both of them had finished their takoyaki and it seemed like Neopi was sitting much closer to her than before.

"Of course, you'd try that!" Neopi smiled. "But you know you're not supposed to fight every event that doesn't go according to your wishes!
The world turns and events play out as they are supposed to!
Loneliness, conflict, loss, abuse, inequality, disability… They are a natural and just part of life and they will never be defeated. No matter how hard you try.
You might have been allowed to succeed in protecting your loved ones on occasion, but sometimes the tables will be turned against you!
People are at their most beautiful when they comfort each other in the face of insurmountable obstacles after all!"

Usagi blinked. She took a closer look at Neopi.

The blonde thought her companion really did have Middle Eastern features. But she now distinctly felt like that might not be true after all.
The serene smile on Neopi's face belied the to Usagi horrible things the blackette was saying.
The words Neopi used seemed deliberately chosen. It was as if they contained a threat or an admonition.

"Do… Do I know you?" Usagi muttered, too quiet for her voice to be heard over the sounds of the music and noises of the concert.

But Neopi did hear her.
The girl extended her right hand to Usagi's cheek as if in slow motion.

"No," Neopi said while cupping the blonde's cheek. "Not. yet."

The meadow and all the people… The entire concert was gone.

Usagi saw the outlines, windows, and doors of buildings behind her companion
She knew the buildings were deserted and began to feel immense sadness because she recognized every one of them.
Usagi saw in the reflections of the windows that some of the buildings behind her were on fire.
She saw a constant sequence of bright blue flashes in the reflections of the windows. Flashes that lighted up the foreboding gloom which hung over Tokyo.

In front of her, Usagi knew, was a young woman whose might and abilities were more than on par with Sailor Galaxia.
And she was… Neo-Queen Serenity.

Powerful. Vulnerable.

Visible to all. Isolated from her friends.

That was true of both of them
They stood on opposite sides in a confrontation without mercy for the fate of humanity.

All alone in the middle of the wasteland with nobody around to intervene.

"This is a vision of the future!" Neopi said as the wasteland faded away and the meadow slowly reappeared. "A blessing which I prayed for Inamoteph to bestow upon you! Whether in that future we stand side by side or on opposite sides will depend on the decisions you make hereafter!
But know that I will always hope to see us facing the future as friends!"

Usagi didn't understand what she was hearing. Inamoteph? A vision of the future? Who was Neopi?

The smile of the girl sitting opposite her seemed so gentle and sincere. But the young woman Usagi saw in the vision definitely seemed intent on attacking her.
What decisions would she take in the future that would make them enemies?
Why did Neopi seem to threaten or rather warn Usagi that one day she might not be able to protect her loved ones?

The blonde was completely disorientated.

And then with violent force, a can of Coca-Cola was flung before Usagi's face and buried itself in the grass several meters further.

"Usagi! What do you think you are doing here eating takoyaki on your own?"

"That sure wasn't an exaggerated reaction!" Diana commented with a roll of her eyes.

Her heart thumping in distress from the vision, Usagi looked around. Neither Neopi nor her friends were anywhere in sight, however.

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan!" Usagi gasped as Rei pulled the stumbling blonde up.
"There was a girl with blue hair! And one with purple hair like a flame! And a girl in a long orange dress with red accents! Do you see them?! Mamochan! Do you see them?!"

"What?!" Mamoru frowned while a blonde man with a black tricorn hat in a blue 17th-century infantry coat and white gaiters loomed up from the crowd behind him.
"I don't see them! What did they do?!"

"We were threatened, Mamochan!" An angry Usagi cried out. "Our ability to protect our loved ones was called into question!"

Rei saw that her friend was able to stand on her own strength and let go of Usagi's arm.

Valentin leered at his prey from under the cover of his tricorn hat.

"What are you talking about?!" The miko asked. "You saw the enemy?!"

"Be watchful!" Diana told the blackette. "The enemy might still be around!"

Their Bavarian foe grinned at the remark.

"You bet I did!" Usagi cried out while moving closer to Mamoru. "And if you can hear me, Neopi, we will never stop fighting against suffering and injustice! We will always protect everyone!"

Usagi knew she was acting out. Several people were watching her.
But she never felt so angry before. It was as if the pain and frustration of an older version of her were taking over her mind.

"Obstinacy is a most reprehensible sin!" Valentin said while throwing a clay ball toward the blonde. "Do your best, Dickkopf! We will support your sacrifice!"

The clay ball quickly grew under Rei and Mamoru's eyes until it took on the shape of a man.

"U… Usako!" Mamoru called out to his beloved while Rei moved to push the blonde out of the way.

But their attempts to save their loved one came too late.
Having been overcome with fury, Usagi was now shocked to feel the growing golem clinging to her back and encapsulating her body.

"Usagi!" Rei screamed as she realized what was happening.

Mamoru grabbed and pulled the blackette by the wrist.

"Come along!" The young man exclaimed. "We have to transform if we want to save her now!"

Running alongside him, Rei looked back and saw the golem that had swallowed Usagi growing larger and larger.
People standing in its path as it grew were caught in its tentacles by the dozens, while the majority of nearby spectators fled the scene in a panic.

As the strange yellow octopus creature continued to push outward, more and more fans of the Three Lights became aware of the danger and began to cry out in alarm while they ran to the park's exits.

"It's going to be a disaster!" Rei exclaimed when she and Mamoru found a spot between the back of a stall and a lone cherry tree.

"Let's hope the organization's security personnel can handle the situation!" Mamoru said. "Our job is to save Usagi and prevent the golem from hurting any of the concertgoers!"

Shingo's jaw dropped in amazement when he and his friends watched from a distance how the golem reached a size similar to the concert stage Three Lights were performing in.

"What is that?!"His friend Masamori Atagi exclaimed. "A promotional stunt from the takoyaki stalls?!"

Shingo looked around. His eyes at last landed on Hikari.

"Where's Hotaru-kun?!" He cautiously asked the greenette.

"She went to the toilet earlier!" Hikari said. "I haven't seen her since!"

"We better follow the people who are running from the situation!" Emi called out to her friends. "Things could get dangerous!"

"Look!" Carolina exclaimed.

Her voice brought the attention of her friends and bystanders to what the Portuguese was pointing at.

"Those are the Sailor Senshi!" Chibi-Usa said.

Having ascertained that the employees from the record company in charge of safety had guided the concertgoers to a safe distance, Sailor Saturn established a Silence Wall bubble around her friends and the huge yellow-tentacled golem that had swallowed Usagi.

Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto had taken to the sky and were circling the giant octopus while trying to figure out how to fight it without harming the about a dozen frightened people it had caught between two tentacles.

"It's a giant octopus!" A stupified Tuxedo Mask stammered when he and Sailor Mars appeared from behind the takoyaki stand and saw the horror they were facing.

"That's just great!" Mars sighed. "Congratulations, Usagi. You are what you ate."

Back at the concert stage, Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya had stopped playing. The three Kinmokuan artists nervously observed their friends circling the creature that had swallowed Usagi.

"We have to help them!" Seiya exclaimed.

"No way!" Taiki protested. "We are in full view of everyone!"

"That's right!" Yaten nodded. "If we leave and reappear in our Sailor Star forms people will undoubtedly start to ask questions."

"It's not like that ever happened before," Seiya argued.

Taiki stared at his brother with a pained expression.

"That's true," The redhead said. "But again: We are literally in the spotlight here."

"Let's trust in Saturn to keep our fans safe and the others to defeat that giant golem," Yaten agreed.

"Fine. But if it seems like they need our help, we will go backstage immediately!"

"Obviously," Taiki nodded while grimly watching how their friends hovered above the octopus creature.

"Evidently," Yaten similarly agreed.

"Alright then!" Super Sailor Uranus exclaimed while hovering next to Sailor Neptune. "The three of you will undertake a diversionary attack, while Neptune and I assault the golem from the back so that we don't target the people it's holding hostage."

"Let's just do this quickly before we lose more time!" Jupiter replied. "Those digits on its forehead are already counting down to twenty!"

"Alright then," Venus nodded upon taking her stance to unleash Venus Love And Beauty Shock. "Let's do this!"

"Wait!" Sailor Mercury called out upon realizing something. "We should climb to a higher altitude!"

Her warning came too late. The golem suddenly ejected a giant cloud of black ink in every direction, obscuring it from the view of its enemies.

Four swift tentacles lashed out to finish the job.

"Aagh!"

"Watch out!"

"It's…!"

Sailor Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were caught instantly between the golem's arms.

"Watch out, Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Mars exclaimed while flying back toward the takoyaki stand. "It's coming this way!"

Carrying its manifold prices in its tentacles, the huge golem started to move forward on its three free arms.
Tuxedo mask tried to heed Mars's warning but was caught as well.

"Oh no you don't!" An angered Mars yelled at the creature. "I'll stop you right here!"

"Mars!"

The symbol of Mars appeared in the palm of Mars's hand, unleashing a veritable inferno.

"Flame!"

Mars got down on her left knee and bent her right knee, balancing herself on her right foot while a fiery bow appeared in her right hand.
She drew a glowing arrow with her left hand.

The Senshi of Fire and Passion's glaring purple eyes marked the left eye of the golem as its target.

"Sniper!"

As Mars jumped up, the air around her bow spontaneously burst into flames from the heat of the several thousand degrees Celsius hot arrow of fire the young woman launched.

But before that arrow was able to reach its target, Mars spotted a man in a blue infantry coat and black hat who appeared before her and sprouted thousands of identical clones that stood beside him in a long line.

To Mars's dismay, her attack exploded against the wall of clones. New clones of Valentin immediately filled the breach formed by the fallen ones.
The rows of sinister-looking soldiers viciously grinned at Mars as if to taunt her with her failure.

One thing the Senshi of flame and passion had achieved though: The golem stopped moving.

"Great. Now what?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Diana asked Mars.

"Isn't it your job to help me out here?" The blackette sighed. "I'm your mission, right?"

"Well… Not exactly."

"Then what is your mission?"

"Pretty much to observe and make sure all key events play out as they're supposed to."

"To what end?"

"Hahahaha!" Diana laughed loudly while a big droplet of sweat slid from her face as well as Mars's. "I can tell you you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do so far. Ow."

"Cover me, Sailor Venus!" Mercury called out to her friend while Diana rubbed her sore forehead. "I have to take a picture of this. Those look like 17th-century army tunics!"

While she saw her fellow Senshi using her supercomputer to scan and analyze the uniforms of the soldiers forming a living shield on every side of the golem, Venus nodded grimly and did as she was asked.

"Venus!"

The symbol of Venus appeared in the palm of Venus's hand, spawning a shower of sparkles.

The Senshi of Love and Beauty blew a kiss on the palm of her left hand in the shape of a shiny yellow heart.
Standing with her left leg forward and her right leg back, she pulled her left hand behind her head.

"Love and beauty shock!"

Extending her left arm to the side, Venus revealed a ring of bright yellow hearts that circled her until it merged into a single radiant heart.

The blonde launched the bright heart toward Dickkopf but stared in shock as her projectile exploded against a wall of soldiers that suddenly extended upwards from the line on the ground.

"This wall you will not breach!" The multitude of identical Valentins bellowed simultaneously.

"17th-century Bavarian army uniforms," Mercury read on the screen of her miniature supercomputer. "I think we might have our first substantial clue as to the identity of our opponents."

The blue-bobbed Senshi quickly dodged an attack from a tentacle and hovered together with Venus at a safer distance.

"It's getting hot up here," Venus remarked to her friend. "So hot, I'm starting to sweat."

"You're right," Mercury nodded. "I'm feeling stifled."

"Only 10 minutes left before we take your friend's soul!" Valentin's army bellowed at Sailor Mars. "Are you feeling the pressure yet?!"

Mars glared at her opponents. She too was aware that the air around her was heating up.
Her adversary wasn't just protecting his golem from attacks. The enemy army was applying pressure on her, Mercury, and Venus while advancing on them.
Pressure - Mars remembered from the books she had been reading - which aimed to cause discomfort and ultimately panic in the opponent, so that said opponent couldn't think straight and went into a route.

Grimly locking eyes with the soldier from whom all the others had sprouted, Mars focused her mind on staying calm despite her situation.
Just like in her Muay Thai matches, she knew she would prevail if she could stay calm no matter how aggressive her opponent was.

Fire burns fiercely. But it burns with a controlled fierceness.
Passion's vehemence is constant and unwavering.

'We might actually pull this off,' Valentin thought to himself while observing the clearly deadlocked Sailor Senshi his army was advancing on.
'Faust, you filthy yak. I might just help your golem win this.'

Then, to his surprise, he saw Super Sailor Mars jump into a salute and wink at him.

"Mars!"

The symbol of Mars appeared in the palm of Mars's hand, unleashing a veritable inferno.

"Flame!"

Mars got down on her left knee and bent her right knee, balancing herself on her right foot while a fiery bow appeared in her right hand. She drew a glowing arrow with her left hand.

The Senshi of Fire and Passion's glaring purple eyes stared into those of her opponent

"Fusillade!"

As Mars jumped up, the air around her bow spontaneously burst into flames from the heat of the several thousand degrees Celsius hot arrows of fire the young woman launched at the wall of enemies.

Even if the first line of Valentin clones was burned up, the Bavarian could instantly make new copies of himself to fill the gaps.
But he could not prevent some of the fusillade's arrows from breaching those gaps before he filled them up again.

"No!" Valentin reacted in dismay as he saw five fiery arrows fly beyond his line toward Dickkopf.

But then it was Mercury, Venus, and Mars's turn to be disappointed as the five arrows burned themselves up, melting holes in the wall of ice that suddenly appeared in their path.

"Well done, dear sister!" Valentin laughed. "They'll need a savior from the sky to intervene if they want to try and stop us at this point!"

"Scarlett!" A clear and melodious female voice resounded from up high to the man's disbelief.

"Kinmoku!"

Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya felt their hearts skip a beat and looked up in the direction of the voice.

Right above Dickkopf a young woman in a long deep red dress and a black crown with two shiny scarlet wings that looked a little like those of a dragon was performing a graceful dance while holding an amber-colored mace in both hands.
A hellish bright red light emanated from the tip of the Perpetuem Mace she aimed at the golem.

"Amber Love Radiation Embrace!"

Mercury, Mars, and Venus covered their eyes as the scarlet light burst from the mace and vaporized Dickkopf without harming the people nor the Senshi previously caught between its arms.

Sailor Saturn noticed how even before the light started to dissipate, Mars ran towards the center of the group that was lying where the giant golem had been perched just a minute ago.

"Usagi-chan! Usagi-chan!" Mars called out as she raced across the grass toward her friend.

Finding Usagi half-unconscious several meters from Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Pluto, Mars didn't hesitate to pick the blonde up and shout her name without so much as a glance toward the others.

"Usagi! Usagi! Please wake up, Usagi!" The blackette anxiously prompted.

"Rei…chan," Came from the lips of the girl she loved.

"Usagi. Are you alright? I'm Sailor Mars."

Usagi slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at her friend.

"Sailor Mars?" She asked in a drowsy voice. "Yes. I'm okay. Sorry for making you worry about me."

One by one, Mercury, Venus, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Pluto, Queen Kakyuu, and the others arrived at the scene while emergency workers tended to the Tree Lights fans who recovered from the fright of being taken hostage by a giant octopus.

"I see I was needed to save you from some kind of trouble yet again," Queen Kakyuu smiled at Usagi.

"You didn't come a minute too soon, Your Higness," Usagi giggled in Mars's arms. "Welcome back to Earth."

A bright scarlet light shimmered next to the Queen.

"And contrary to the last time I visited, I brought a friend along instead of an enemy."

Usagi and the Sailor Senshi watched how the light slowly took on the shape of a young woman with three long violet braids dressed in what looked like a sleeveless orange hanfu with a short brown skirt.

"It's still here!" Uranus exclaimed in wild shock as a furry light-blue octopus-like creature appeared sitting perched on the girl's right shoulder.

"Please relax, Uranus," Tuxedo Mask smiled while holding up a hand in protection of the creature. "I recognize this pair."

"Are you Tsukino Usagi-san?" The young woman asked while extending a hand towards the blonde.

"I am," Usagi nodded while a memory dawned on her.

A delighted grin appeared on the visitor's face.

"Then I, Iwaso Yuine-san, am honored to visit your beautiful country and pleased to surprise my boyfriend, Seiyno by attending one of his concerts in the company of my love rival."

Usagi smiled from Yuine to Queen Kakyuu, rather puzzled as to the reason why everyone was looking at her while chuckling as if at some joke.

"Oh!" The blonde exclaimed. "You mean me?!"

"Yes slowpoke," Mars smiled while flicking Usagi's nose. "She means you. Welcome to Japan, Iwaso-san. I'm sure Seiya-kun will be very happy that you came to surprise him. I only hope he and his brothers will be allowed to continue the concert."

Luckily none of the Three Lights' fans got seriously hurt. The ones who were taken hostage got out of it with a scare and at worst a bruised arm.

When the security people hired by the record label allowed the concert to continue, Seiya held his guitar in both hands with his eyes on his girlfriend and played the first tunes of the Three Lights' first hit record after their return from Kinmoku.

The crowd whistled and cheered upon recognizing the notes.

"They're going to play "Chasing Comets" it seems!" Usagi told Yuine Iwaso. "Listen to everyone clapping along to the rhythm! You can tell the song became a fan-favorite!"

The crowd enthusiastically clapped along to the drum beat produced by Taiki's synthesizer. Each three beats topped off by a drum roll.

/Chasing Comets is played to the rhythm of Peaches & Herb's Reunited/

Clap clap clap drum roll

Clap clap clap drum roll

Clap clap clap drum roll

Clap clap clap drum roll

"Amazing! What a grande atmosphere!" Yuine exclaimed. "I didn't expect Seiyno and his brothers to be so popular on your planet, my rival! And thanks to you for saving the galaxy I can enjoy their music!"

"When we were kids we would often meet…"
Clap clap clap drum roll

"... on the hillside overlooking the city."
Clap clap clap drum roll

"You would tell me of the dreams you had."
Clap clap clap drum roll

"I just told you how I hoped they'd come true."
Clap clap clap drum roll

"Life was hard, but we never knew…
… how dear the hard times of the past would be…
… when everything we knew was gone and we…

… were chasing comets. We miss your love.
Chasing comets. Please smile at us.
Chasing comets. Return to us.
We lost our way home. Need your guiding light.

Chasing comets. In a foreign land.
Chasing comets. After journeying far.
Chasing comets. Slow and fast.
Searching tirelessly until we find you again."

Usagi observed with how much love in her eyes Yuine was gazing at her lover, who was shining like a star on stage.
They very nearly didn't meet at all. Their love might never have bloomed if Chaos had its way.
Yet here it was. It was a beautiful bright inclusive and warm love. A love that would strengthen Seiya during the future struggles he would meet with back on Kinmoku.

The blonde turned her eyes on Rei who stood to her left and felt Mamoru embracing her from behind.

"Are you alright, Usako?!"

"Yes, I am! Thank you, Mamochan!"

Usagi wondered about Neopi and her friends and about the vision she had.
A desolate Tokyo, bombarded by who knows what.
Would it become a reality?
Could Sailor Moon stop the vision from becoming a reality?

Who was Neopi and where did she come from?
Why did the young woman meet with Usagi at the Takoyaki stall, seemingly to threaten her… Or to warn her?
What was their enemy after?

"Changes come and changes go. I can't understand them all.
We don't want to stay too long. Although we made friends here now.

With a bright light, we found hope again.
And a keen mind raised our spirits too.
Then a fierce heart fired us on to fight.
Soon a tender heart gave us joy of life.
Plus a firm friend made us feel supported.

We stood up against our fears and pain.
And together we started again. And we…

… were chasing comets. We miss your love.
Chasing comets. Please smile at us.
Chasing comets. Return to us.
We lost our way home. Need your guiding light."

"Don't worry!" Rei said. "We won't let the enemy win. They may be many, but we too have powerful friends."

Usagi saw the miko smile confidently at someone to her right and followed her gaze.
She saw Queen Kakyuu smiling brightly back at the duo.

The redhead came closer to tell Usagi something.

"My brothers sing such beautiful songs! I hear their sadness and their hopes in the melodies and lyrics as I did two years ago!
But it is very embarrassing having so many songs made about you! I'm glad I share the honor with Earth's Senshi and above all with Yuinichi!"

"It was sweet of you all to get everyone encoring "Your laughter raises my heartbeat!" Yuine smiled at Usagi and Rei. "I can tell Seiyno put a lot of thought into the lyrics!"

"Chasing comets. In a foreign land.
Chasing comets. After journeying far.
Chasing comets. Slow and fast.
Searching tirelessly until we find you again.

Then finally we found you again.
We returned to a long-lost home.
You smiled and said everything was right.
We celebrated with a former foe.
And you gave us the pleasure of your voice.

Chasing comets. We missed your love.
Chasing comets. Now you smile at us.
Chasing comets. You returned to us.
We found our way home through your guiding light.

Chasing comets. In a foreign land.
Chasing comets. After journeying far.
Chasing comets. Slow and fast.
Searching tirelessly until we found you again.

"Say, Rei-chan!" Usagi smiled in an insinuating way. "I've been thinking there might be a theme that connects the latest victims! I just can't figure it out yet!
We had celebrated composer, Tsutsumi-san whom Minako-chan jumped at the chance to work with!
There was Ebihara-san, whom Makoto admires!
And now there's me!"

"Yes, Rei-chan!" A mischievously grinning Diana said. "It does seem like there's a theme running through the victims and their relationship to girls who are Sailor Senshi! What could it be?!"

"It's all about the people a Sailor Senshi has a professional relationship with, obviously!" The miko bluntly lied. "And you have a professional relationship with Hmjbb-chan!"

Usagi observed her friend as she looked away.

"With whom?! The blonde asked in an annoyed tone.

"I told you loud and clear, Usagi!" Rei replied while looking ahead and clapping her hands with the rest of the crowd. "I can't help it if you weren't listening!"

"You clearly just mumbled something! What name did you mumble, Rei-chan?!"

"Encore! Encore! Bravo!" The miko stubbornly clapped.

"What was the name, Rei-chan?!"

"Oh well," Diana smiled with a roll of her eyes. "At least everything played out as it was supposed to.
For better or for worse."

Chapter Text

"Such a tragedy for Ami-chan! She aims higher than anyone, but she's being dragged down by the lowest!"
"Are you perhaps talking about me, Imouto-san?!"
"Now now, Urawa-san. I don't think your sister meant…"
"Now that you mention it, when are you going to do your own laundry, instead of letting Ami-chan…"
"I can't help it if she does my laundry while I'm asleep, even if I ask her not to do it! You know better than anyone how little others respect my wishes!"
"Ah… I suppose relationships between siblings - and your psycho-neurological makeup - are just things you cannot redo. "

"The unrequited romance of a boy who wants to love himself! Ami-chan bathes the slothful!"

Haruto Ôta didn't have a lot of bright sides to his life.

He performed below average both academically and athletically.
Girls thought he was sweet, but certainly not boyfriend material.
He got along with most people at school, but few sought his company.
He had a good relationship with his older sister, but suffered from the fact that she overshadowed him in all aspects of life.
His parents loved him but didn't understand him.

On top of all that, he was currently on his way from the student cafeteria - where he had refreshed himself with a bottle of Calpis soda - to his classroom to work on a motivational assignment with the most intelligent girl in school on one of the last school days before summer break.

But he did have one major bright spot in his life.
His classmate, Hana Okabe, was sparkly, kind, good-looking, and sympathetic to Haruto's interests in anime and model-building.
These were all important requirements for the girlfriend Haruto dreamed Hana would one day become.

And Hana was currently joining Haruto in the hallway while carrying a high stack of reference books.
A chance for her would-be boyfriend to leave a good impression if he played his cards right.

Haruto upped his pace until he walked side by side with the blonde in the white blouse and blue skirt of the standard girl's uniform.

"Hello, Hana-chan," The slender boy with the messy dark-brown hairdo greeted his classmate. "You're hauling a heap of books. Do you want me to help?"

"Oh, Haruto!" Hana exclaimed while showering her friend in the light of her dazzling smile. "That's so kind of you. Yes, and thank you."

"I'll take these from you then," Haruto grinned while taking the stack of books Hana was carrying from her. "These are quite heavy. You're pretty strong, Hana-chan."

"Well, I have two older brothers after all," Hana laughed. "I have to be able to stand up for myself."

Haruto was all too happy to learn that Hana seemed as strong as he always fantasized she was. He thought athletic girls were sexy and loved staring at Hana during P.E.

"Cartier-sensei asked me to bring these to the teacher's lounge after homeroom. They're the math reference books for next trimester."

"What a pity they're not the answers to next trimester's final tests," Haruto joked. "We're already studying for university entrance exams. I wouldn't mind a chance to cheat on our finals."

"That would be nice," Hana chuckled. "But would Ami-chan allow you to cheat on your joint assignment?"

Haruto saw Sonoko Ijuin and Keiko Moriyama talking together at the entrance to their classroom.
The girl with the wavy green hair and her friend with the black ponytail noticed him and Hana as they approached.

"I'd be lucky if Ami-chan doesn't volunteer to make the assignment more difficult," Haruto sighed. "When Cartier-sensei explained the assignment to us, I asked if we could make the house we're supposed to design one with a flat roof. Ami-chan agreed with Sensei that it should have a gable roof."

"That would complicate the assignment," Hana whistled. "Poor you, Haruto-kun. But it can't be helped. Ami-chan is always so serious."

"How naughty of you, Hana Okabe," Sonoko complained.

"Isn't it more like you aren't serious enough, Hana-chan?" Keiko Moriyama asked while embracing Haruto's friend and locking the blonde's hands between hers.

"Let me go, Keiko-chan! Let go!"

Haruto watched Keiko and Hana struggle with growing annoyance as the unequal level of strength between the equally tall girls became obvious.
He wanted to intervene, but didn't know what to do with the stack of books he was carrying.

The boy glared at Keiko when the beautiful black-haired girl smiled at him.

"Were you complaining about Ami-chan, Hana-chan?" Keiko asked. "You shouldn't badmouth your classmates, you know?"

Haruto was subjected to mixed feelings when he saw the blonde and black-haired ponytails of the girls bump up against each other as Hana pulled to the right and Keiko pulled to the left.

Finally, Hana submitted to her captor, and Keiko, in turn, slackened her firm hold on the girl.

"There," Keiko chuckled as she released Hana, took the stack of books from Haruto, and handed them to the blonde again. "I hope that taught you not to distract Haruto-kun from his assignment."

"It's not just Hana-chan's fault though!" Sonoko sternly addressed her classmate while Hana quietly continued her path to the teacher's lounge by herself. "Why are you so lazy, Haruto-kun?"

Haruto, in turn, opened the door to their classroom in silence, ready to spend another two hours working on the assignment in question with Ami.

"Good luck on your assignment, Haruto-kun," Keiko sang as he closed the door behind him.

Now in a bad mood - because Hana wasn't able to hold her own against Keiko and because he couldn't intervene - Haruto saw his teacher eyeing him with suspicion as the boy walked along the rows of seats toward the one next to Ami Mizuno at the top of the class.

"Welcome, Ota-san," Christopher Wagner sternly spoke while leaning his hands against his back. "We have been waiting for you."

"Hello, Haru-kun," Ami smiled. "I'm glad to see you're ready to continue work on the project with me."

"What was that racket about before you entered the classroom?" Wagner asked.

"Nothing much, Cartier-sensei," Haruto moodily replied. "We were just fooling around."

As he spoke the last word, it dawned on the boy in the navy-blue uniform that he should have told on Keiko for basically assaulting Hana.
But he felt like that chance slipped away from him when his teacher sighed.

"You kids…" Christopher Wagner melodramatically rubbed his temples. "In my time…"

The handsome man with the caramel-blonde marquisetto beard involuntarily remembered the two Heidelberg University students who blackmailed him for the rest of their education after having found out about Christopher's gambling addiction.

"N…Never mind!" Wagner almost shouted. "Why don't the two of you continue to work on your assignment while I grade your tests?"

"Yes," Ami curtly nodded before turning to Haruto. "We were taking measurements for the rooms on the ground floor. Remember, Haru-kun?

"Do I ever?" The boy with the messy dark-brown hair quipped. "That was hard work!"

"It sure was," Ami giggled. "We got all the questions right that permitted us to measure out each of the rooms.
We have the second floor to work on today, but we also need to work on our swimming pool."

"Right," Haruto nodded. "He looked at the questions they needed to answer in order to receive permission for taking the measurements of the swimming pool.

"We want a fair bit of garden between the swimming pool and our house, don't we? So I thought…" His partner for the assignment enthusiastically talked.

Ami was nice enough, Haruto reflected. She was no Hana, obviously, and Haruto was into blondes anyway. But he had expected Ami to be more strict and stern.
Haruto was pleasantly surprised to learn that the bluette had a fun side and liked his dumb jokes.
He considered that she might just laugh at his jokes to be polite, but he didn't mind that per se.

Haruto remembered how nice Ami looked in a swimsuit during P.E.
You might not expect it from seeing her bend over her books, but Ami is a strong swimmer. It took Haruto by surprise when he first saw the bluette outswim most of the girls in class.

If only Ami weren't so studious, they might become friends. As it was, Haruto didn't see himself understanding too much of what the girl would be talking about if they interacted on a daily basis.

"Haru-kun?"

Haruto blinked upon realizing Ami was staring at him.
Did she ask him a question? Did he space out for that long?

Cold sweat began to prickle the young man's palms and neck.
Looking stupid was one thing he couldn't afford to do in front of Ami Mizuno.

Haruto quickly searched for the question that would unlock permission to take the swimming pool measurements.
He hoped that was what Ami had asked him.

'Two large pumps and 1 small pump can fill a swimming pool in 4 hours.
One large pump and 3 small pumps can also fill the same swimming pool in 4 hours.
How many hours will it take 4 large pumps and 4 small pumps to fill the swimming pool?'

The young man in the navy-blue vest and trousers blinked at the mindboggling question.
He was aware that Ami and his homeroom teacher were both waiting to hear his answer.
He just couldn't think fast enough to understand what was being asked.

'Split the difference!' Haruto feverishly thought. 'Split the difference! It has to be close to the answer!'

"Erm… Two? … I think."

Christopher Wagner chuckled under his breath. There were no surprises to lazy students like Haruto. Of course, he'd try that. Further demotivating Ami Mizuno was going to be easy.

"Not quite that much, Haru-kun," Ami smiled.

Haruto smiled hopefully. His guess didn't seem to be a complete blunder. Crisis averted.

"You see," Ami gently said while scribbling on the notebook in between them. "If R and r are the rates of work of the large and small pumps respectively,
4(2R r) = 1 : 2 large and 1 small work for 4 hours to do 1 job
4(R 3r) = 1 : 1 large and 3 small work for 4 hours to do 1 job
T(4R 4r) = 1 : Find time T if 4 large and 4 small are to do one job."

'What?!' Haruto panicked. 'How can she just casually say that so fast? I couldn't understand any of it. Wait… Let's see what she wrote down.'

"Solve for R and r the system of the first two equations.
Then substitute in the third and solve for T to find the time. T = 5/3 hours = 1 hour 40 minutes. Understand?"

Haruto nodded and smiled.

"Then that leaves us to calculate the width, length, and depth of the pool we want for our dream house," A visibly excited Ami smiled.

Haruto nodded and glanced at the notes his classmate had written down.
Gradually he seemed to understand bits of it. He remembered having studied the matter in school and at home. But he just couldn't make his brain work fast enough to keep up with Ami's mind.

The problem wasn't that Haruto was lazy. The problem was that he was literally slow.
Haruto couldn't put it quite into words yet, but it was as if he had to work twice as hard as everyone else to keep up with them.
Becoming demotivated because he couldn't comprehend why he couldn't do just as easily what everyone else could, he naturally became less inclined to put effort into things he didn't need to do.

Haruto experienced the effects of this deficiency in him, but he wasn't yet able to recognize the cause.

Despite this, Haruto was actually quite intelligent. When he had time to come to a conclusion in his own time, he often performed slightly above average.
But this only fed into the accusations of laziness.

There were also the regular accusations of egotism, of course, especially from stronger, more popular boys with easier lives who didn't see a problem with occasionally enjoying themselves at the expense of Haruto.
According to them, Haruto "seemed like he was in love with himself" because he occasionally felt left out and had no other resource but to read a manga on his own during lunch break and because he sometimes tried to stand up for his rights but didn't know how to do so successfully in a way that didn't leave him open to reproach.

"Let's end it here," Wagner smiled as the two hours they had to work on the assignment eventually ended. "You didn't seem to get very far, but time's up for today. You can continue your work after summer break."

The man in the green shirt and black trousers made sure to look from Ami to Haruto when he mentioned they didn't get very far.

It was all about subtlety.

First, let her grow frustrated. Let her feel as if she's held back by the weaker link.
Then, make her doubt if the lives of those weaker links are worth saving.
Finally, shock her by confronting her with her vows and what she has become.

Christopher was intimately familiar with the treatment he himself had received from Mephistopheles over 300 years ago.

"Thank you, Sensei," Ami smiled.

"Thank you, Sensei," A tired Haruto nodded. With a look at Ami, the boy wondered what they should be grateful for.

'After all,' Haruto reflected as a few minutes later he tied his shoelaces and heard the rain pour down outside. 'It's not like he's doing us any favors with this assignment.
I'm missing out on valuable study time for my last exams tomorrow.'

The young man in the navy-blue uniform saw his classmate open her umbrella in front of the school exit, her briefcase in hand.
He figured she was off to her luxurious penthouse, which he heard she lived in with her mother.

Haruto couldn't imagine his own parents divorcing.
Although there was that period when his frustration over having no friends and doing badly at school spiraled out of control at home and he feared his parents might somehow break up over their failure to manage him.

"Hey," Haruto said when he stood next to Ami.

"That seems quite the downpour, doesn't it, Haru-kun. But I'm sure it won't last too long."

'She's always so optimistic,' Haruto considered.

"Yes," He said. "Let's brave it together."

As he opened his shabby orange umbrella, Haruto thought he recognized something in the way Ami looked at him.
He couldn't say what it was, however. It certainly wasn't romantic interest.
Whatever, he preferred blondes anyway.

With the thoughtlessness of someone who feels like he hasn't got anything to live for but hopes for luck constantly, the boy with the messy dark-brown hair set foot into the torrent armed with his umbrella.

Ami watched the rain pour down on every side of the poor boy. For a moment, she watched the spectacle with unease.
Haruto being assailed by nature all on his own didn't let her reflect on his situation for long though. She quickly paced ahead and followed him.

They quietly walked out of the gate together, surprising each other when they both turned left.

As they passed the Juuban Municipal High Tennis Club lawns on their right, Ami watched how the rain showered the roofs of the covered tennis courts and the uncovered lawns alike.

Haruto followed her gaze and looked further ahead at the baseball field where he had occasion to showcase his lack of athleticism during P.E. back before finals began.

If only he was in a class where athleticism wasn't valued so highly!
Why should he have to give up on watching anime and sci-fi movies to be more valued as a person?
Sure, being strong was useful, but the semblance of happiness the boy got from watching adventures in imaginary worlds wasn't something he wanted to give up for the far-away promise of becoming more athletic after months upon months of boring and time-consuming training.

"Are you taking the bus nearby, Haru-kun?" Ami inquired, speaking up over the sounds of the rain and traffic.

Haruto frowned. He was simply walking the way home like he always did. It was she who didn't seem to take her usual route.

"I'm walking home," He simply said. "Are you taking the bus?"

"I'm heading to a friend's place," Ami smiled sadly. "He's been in a bit of a rough spot. Well… He hasn't had it easy for a while. I'm going to check up on him and then I'm going home to study."

"That's nice of you to check up on your friend," Haruto smiled encouragingly. "I hope things will look up for him."

"Thanks, Haru-kun. That's kind of you."

The two of them kept walking southward on the footpath of a long street in a residential area.
The rain was starting to let up as they continued. Slowly, the shower turned into a steady drip.

Haruto was still confused as to why Ami kept walking in the same direction as him. He realized her friend might live in his neighborhood.

"I wonder if Nee-san will be home for dinner," The young man said. "She often eats out with friends from school."

"Your older sister studies at K.O. University, doesn't she?" Ami asked. "What is she studying?"

"My sister is graduating as a Master of Finance this year," Haruto nodded. "She wants to find a job at an NGO or work for the government."

"That's an interesting field of interest," Ami smiled. "NGO's are always in need of good financial advisors. I hope she succeeds."

"Me too," Haruto said as they crossed the street. "I bet you didn't expect that seeing how much trouble I have with mathematics, huh?"

"There are a lot of late bloomers in the world of finance and mathematics," His companion shared.
"But just because your sister is a financial expert and you have trouble with math doesn't mean you won't discover talents in other areas.
Or maybe you won't. There are all kinds of professions, Haru-kun. Not all of them require highly developed skills."

"Only the ones that are paid well," Haruto sulked.

"Yes. I'm afraid you're right there. Many people are able to live well while working jobs that don't pay very well, however. But not everyone."

Again, Haruto saw that strange look in Ami's eyes as she watched him. He couldn't for the life of him understand what it meant. Nobody ever looked at him that way.

"My sister is very smart. Kind of like you. I'm sure the two of you will find a great job in no time."

Ami smiled and looked away.

Talk about getting a job made her wonder where she'd find that job.
In theory, she didn't mind moving to Hiroshima and working there if Ryo wanted to stay in the city.
Ideally, she would like to work in the United States, if only for a few years.

In the past, that would have been something she'd have second thoughts about since it'd feel like betraying her friends. But as a fighting force, they had become much more resilient and experienced than before.
If Mamoru had his year abroad, surely she should be allowed to be a little selfish too?

"So… Erm… Are there any shows you watch?" Ami heard Haruto ask.

"Huh?" The bluette reacted in surprise.

"On television," A slightly pale Haruto clarified.

"Oh?" Ami laughed. "Well, I like Bayside Shakedown."

"Ah. Yes. That's a fun show," Haruto said as they approached the apartment building where his family lived. "But I was thinking more of a…"

"A…?" Ami repeated while halting in front of the door.

"Your friend lives in our building?" Her companion inquired with a surprised look. "So that's why you were walking with me all the way."

"What a coincidence, Haru-kun! I didn't know you lived here. I've been visiting Urawa-san for so long and I never saw you here."

"It's a big building, I suppose. I don't even know who Urawa-san might be," Haruto frowned.

The boy in the navy-blue uniform saw a sly grin appear on Ami's face.

"Tomorrow is the last day of finals, Haru-kun," Ami said. "And then summer break starts."

"You seem excited by the prospect. Do you have plans?"

"Oh, I have lots of plans," Ami giggled while twirling about. "Because my boyfriend is staying over for the entire holiday.
I'm so happy. We don't get to see a lot of each other throughout the year. This is going to be a summer of romance for the two of us."

'Why is she suddenly talking about her boyfriend?' Haruto wondered. 'We were just having a nice conversation. It's not like I was trying to flirt with her or anything.
Why do girls always do that, dropping these little warnings whenever you get too close?'

But to Ami, he said: "Sounds nice. I heard you have a boyfriend in Hiroshima. Nice to hear he'll be spending the holidays with you."

"Hello Ami-chan," Haruto heard a male voice say behind him. "What a surprise to run into you here."

"Oh! Hello Mamoru-kun. Hello Yuine-chan," A pleasantly surprised Ami greeted the pair. "Nice to meet you both. This is my classmate: Ôta Haruto-san. This is Usagi-chan's boyfriend; Chiba Mamoru-san, and our friend from overseas; Iwaso Yuine-san."

"Nice to meet you," Haruto smiled while bowing to the pair.

"Nice to meet you, Ôta-san," Yuine greeted her junior with a handshake. "Where you having a romantic walk after school together?"

"Haha," Mamoru laughed. "Nice to meet you, Ôta-san. Don't mind Yuine-chan. She has a peculiar sense of humor."

"It sometimes blows up in my face though," Yuine laughed.

The violette grinned and turned to Ami.

"Seiya… kun and I were having a drink at the Fruits Parlor Crown with Mamoru-kun and Usagi-chan yesterday when Mamoru-kun said it was a pity he already had his last exam while Usagi-chan still had two days of work ahead of her. So as a joke, I proposed he'd show me around town," Yuine laughed.

"Usagi-chan took it seriously, however," Mamoru chuckled. "She said it was a great idea."

"Your girlfriend trusts you a lot, Mamoru-kun," Yuine smiled while patting the younger man on the shoulder. "Good for you."

With all the talk of romance and boyfriends and girlfriends, Haruto was starting to feel awkward. The young man racked his brain trying to think of a casual excuse to slip into the apartment building where he lived.

"Hey, it was nice to meet you two," He eventually said. "But I have to go and help my mother with dinner. I'll see you around. You too, Ami-chan. See you tomorrow."

"Okay, enjoy your dinner, Haru-kun," Ami waved as her friend entered the building through the familiar arched doorway.

"You seem to think highly of Usako for trusting me, Yuine-chan?" Mamoru continued the conversation.

"Oh? Yes. I do." The girl in the pink T-shirt and white trousers smiled while looking from Mamoru to Ami.

"Not that I'm different," She said as she slid her hands into her pockets.
"I know Seiyno will always be faithful to me and I trust him to be honest with me if he ever falls for another woman.
But in the Hisui Oka Kingdom, where I was born, they have a saying: Those smiling eyes you fell in love with smile at other women too.
Our women tend to keep a pretty short leash on their men. It's a cultural thing.
My father thought it was ordinary to let my mother visit stores with women behind the counter."

"Wow!" Ami laughed. "So strict. Imagine what Ryo-kun would say if I forbade him to enter a store with a female clerk."

"Isn't it rather difficult to keep your eyes on your boyfriend if anyone can become female?"

"Hahaha! I know what you're getting at," Yuine chuckled. "But the process does take a few weeks. Any Hisui Oka woman will know what's going on before a man their husband got along with becomes a woman, you can take my word for it."

"And if the husband falls in love with a man while both want to stay male?" Ami smiled.

"Well, it might surprise you to hear, but that doesn't happen often on Kinmoku. I heard about your gay friends and while I'm not bothered by it, I was a little surprised to hear that there seems to be a sizeable amount of gay people on Earth."

"You don't have many gay people?" Mamoru frowned. "I would have thought…"

"I suppose it's because we can switch gender so easily (although only for a limited number of times) that falling in love with a person of the same gender just doesn't happen very often," Yuine shrugged.

"That's an intriguing idea," Mamoru said. "Hey Ami-chan. How are you doing on your exams? Usako told me you have less time to study because you have an ongoing assignment for math?"

"I do," Ami smiled. "But I'm doing great. I simply stay up a little later for extra study.
I can take it. I even aced a few exams.
I'm more worried about Haru-kun. He's the one I'm having the assignment with and his academic performance isn't great as it is. I hope he'll do okay on his finals."

"He should also stay up later to study extra then," Yuine bluntly spoke.

Ami frowned and looked at the entrance to the apartment building.

"I don't know if he can," She said. "Haru-kun is always exhausted at school. He might not get enough sleep as it is. Studying late might end up being counterproductive in his case."

"He might already stay up late to watch his favorite anime," Mamoru incorrectly concluded with a shrug.

"How about you, Mamo-kun?" Ami smiled. "Are you happy with your performances?"

"I'm doing fine on most subjects. Statistics is always a gamble though."

"Oh, is it?" Ami laughed along at the joke. "And how is your dissertation for engineering mathematics coming along?"

"That's erm… less of a laughing matter," Mamoru sweatdropped to Yuine's amusement. "I'm getting there. I just have to double-check some sources right now, which is keeping me from progressing. But I'm getting there."

"Oh right!" Ami suddenly exclaimed. "You never told me how things went on the double-B?"

"The double-B?" Yuine repeated. "I suppose that's a cultural matter you will now inform me about?"

"No cultural matter," Mamoru said. "It's just that before their final exams started, my girlfriend and future daughter both celebrated their birthdays."

"Double-B," Ami grinned at Yuine. "I thought it was clever."

"There was a party in the evening, so I couldn't do anything special on the day itself," Mamoru said. "But we visited Jindai Botanical Garden the day after, and I had a few presents and a reservation at a restaurant in Chōfu prepared in the evening."

"Jindai Botanical Garden," Ami repeated. "Sounds like a great idea to visit on a birthday."

"It's where Yoshi-kun works," Mamoru said. "I took Yuine-chan there today rather than touring the city, thinking she might find it more interesting than her own suggestion."

"It was so beautiful," Yuine gushed with her eyes wide. "And so interesting. I learned a lot about Earth's flora. I'm afraid I left Mamoru-kun to his fate while talking to his friend, Kurebayashi-san. Such a knowledgeable man he is.
I made a new friend on Earth. Even though I can't tell him I'm from another planet."

"That's alright. I had fun reading my book while the two of you talked."

"Well… It was fun talking to you guys," Ami finally said. "But I need to go and say hi to Urawa-san and go home to study afterward. I'll be seeing lots of you two during summer break."

With a wave of their hands, Yuine and Mamoru watched Ami enter the large apartment building through its arched entrance.

"It's a kind thing she keeps doing for Urawa-san," The latter muttered beyond Yuine's hearing.

"That last bit I couldn't understand," The Kinmokuan shrugged.

"Oh. Sorry," Mamoru apologized. "I was talking about the man Ami-chan is visiting. But I've been thinking several times today: Your Japanese is exceptionally good, Yuine-chan. I'm afraid to insult you by asking, but is it perhaps thanks to Kakyuu-chan's magic?"

"That's not insulting," Yuine laughed with a wave of her hand. "But no. There's no magic involved. The truth is that Japanese became a highly popular language on Kinmoku after you and your friends saved the galaxy. Seiyno and his brothers taught several of the most highly rated teachers in the capital, who, in turn, started giving private lessons in Japanese."

"Wow! That's amazing. To think that we had such an impact."

Yuine made a face at her companion's remark.

"Seems like you underestimate what saving the galaxy means," She grinned as they continued their walk. "I started to follow one of those classes because Three Lights - although they have yet to appear on stage on Kinmoku - released their first singles and eventually their album in the Federation of the Fourteen Kingdoms and I wanted to understand what they were singing about."

"Wait a minute," Mamoru frowned. "They didn't release versions of the songs in your own language?"

"Again: Saving the galaxy is a pretty big deal. People want to hear the songs in your language.
Anyway, I could tell you a funny and romantic anecdote about how my teacher was instrumental in having Seiyno literally stumble into the park where I work and me getting starstruck (don't tell him that), but I'll save it for another occasion."

"Hahaha!" Mamoru laughed as they climbed a hilly footpath. "I look forward to it.
In any case, I'm happy for you and the people in the Federation of Fourteen Kingdoms that the war with the jinsè Yumi is almost over so that you can begin to rebuild your lives and your nation."

The young man in the mint-green polo shirt and grey trousers noticed an uncharacteristic dark look coming over his usually so playful companion.

"I fear the war with the Jinsè Yumi is far from over, Mamoru-kun," Yuine said.

"What? But Taiki-kun said…"

"Seiyno and his brothers are always highly biased when it comes to our Queen," Yuine sighed. "The Jinsè Yumi may have mistreated several groups and eventually lost their position through mismanagement of the nation, but they stayed in power for so long because they also managed to make a lot of people happy.
Our Queen is gradually winning a lot of those people over. But there are a lot of them who fled the nation because their side lost the war."

Yuine heaved a sigh as they walked through a somewhat shady neighborhood.

"Right now…" The young woman with the three long violet braids continued. "The remainders of the Jinsè Yumi have found refuge in the Dairiseki Empire, with whom they cultivated a highly amicable relationship over the past decades.
The Dairiseki Empire would love nothing more than to destabilize the Federation Of The Fourteen Kingdoms.
I heard that the Empire is sponsoring the Jinsè Yumi and that the remnants of the 14th army have taken refuge in Take Shãnlín Province.
Take Shãnlín is a large province with a huge wilderness at its heart, from where the Jinsè Yumi could keep up a guerrilla war for decades with enough foreign funds.
I fear our Queen's reign might be marred by much bloodshed still."

"That's saddening to hear," Mamoru started while his eyes fixed on a woman who had just walked out of a building ahead of them.

"Oh? You're still here," A familiar male voice called out to Mamoru's right. "I hoped we wouldn't bump into each other. I forgot my briefcase in the hotel room."

"This is why I told you never to bring any valuables when we meet. It's asking for…"

Setsuna's startled red eyes met Mamoru's shocked blue ones.

Yuine didn't understand what made her companion halt his steps, but she followed suit without saying anything.

Assistant Professor Jirou Higashi turned pale upon recognizing one of his students at the scene of his shady sexual exploits. He half-raised his hand to greet Mamoru but changed his mind and turned his head while running straight into the love hotel his date had just left.

For a second, Mamoru wavered. Then he resolutely walked on.

"Sorry. I was thinking of something I have to do for school this evening," The handsome young man with the neat black haircut smiled at Yuine. "It's very sad to your people that your enemy might still bring trouble."

Setsuna turned pale when Mamoru walked past her. Then she turned crimson as she realized he was trying to help her save face.

Yuine threw a passing glance at the woman. She may not have interacted with every one of Earth's Senshi as much as the other in their civilian forms, but she sure as hell recognized the young woman who had been keenly interested in Kinmoku's plant life and how it inspired fashion on her home planet.

"Is Queen Kakyuu aware of all that you just told me?" Mamoru continued as they left Setsuna behind them. "Her brothers might see things in a more rosy light than they should, but she probably knows her challenges for what they are."

"Our Queen is aware of the dangers she faces," Yuine said without looking back. "She has excellent and trustworthy advisors.
As I said: Her efforts at diplomacy are slowly winning the favor of the people who benefited under the reign of the Jinsè Yumi.
But we may never be completely certain of their true allegiance."

Yuine saw Mamoru looking behind him to check if Setsuna was beyond hearing distance.
The violette did the same and noticed that their friend had left the place where they spotted her and was walking southward.

"I cannot stress this enough, Yuine-chan," Mamoru solemnly spoke. "Please don't ever tell anyone that we saw Setsuna-chan here.
If you could forget about us seeing her here, that would be even better."

"I… I don't quite understand," His companion said. "But I understand this is important to you and her, so I will keep the past few minutes a secret even from Seiyno.
You have my word."

"Thank you," Mamoru smiled. "I realize that is asking a lot."

"No," Yuine said with a shake of her head. "Seiyno and I trust each other. But that also means we trust each other's judgment.
Keeping this a secret is important to people we care about, so I will do so without reserve."

After that, the two of them walked on and talked about the new communication devices that were taking the Federation Of The Fourteen Kingdoms by storm.
Mamoru was intrigued to learn Kinmoku was experiencing a similar telecommunications revolution as was taking place on Earth.

Meanwhile, what he had witnessed left a lasting impression on the handsome young man.
The thought of Setsuna having a relationship with their teacher bothered him more than he was able to admit to himself.

Did she love him? Mamoru couldn't accept such an idea. But he couldn't fathom why else Setsuna would be visiting a love hotel with Assistant Professor Jirou Higashi.

The K.O. University student was now certain of one thing: While previously Setsuna had invaded his mind on occasion while spending time with Usagi, the greenette could now become a serious obsession.

Meanwhile, Ami was sitting through the First Congo War. Or a reenactment by Touki Urawa and his sister Natsuko at least.
The blue-haired genius found the latter sitting in front of the television with her brother when she entered the apartment.
She decided to weather the storm she knew was brewing by sitting in between the pair.

When the news reported on the genocidal conflict in Africa, all hell broke loose..

"At least with all this misery and bloodshed behind them, their country might finally get a chance at a decent democratic rule after decades of Mobutu dictatorship," Touki muttered while watching a speech by new Congolese President Kabila.

"Yes, Oniisan," Natsuko said in a hauty voice. "What those people experienced is real misery.
You'd thank your lucky stars for the life of luxury you now lead if Japan ever experienced a civil war."

"Oh? But I guarantee you would miss your life of luxury a lot more than I do if it ever came to that!"

"I would? I can't say I have a personal maid coming in to do my dishes on a regular basis!"

"Ami-chan does precious little of my dishes since I own a perfectly adequate dishwasher!"

"I'll have you warned not to bother Mizuno-san with your nonsense when Ryo visits her during their summer break!"

"And what nonsense would that be, pray tell?!"

"How is Ryo-kun doing on his finals so far?" Ami strategically asked her future mother-in-law.

"Ryo has been doing great, Ami-chan." The brown-bobbed woman in the white shirt and green dress smiled at her. "He says he hopes to finally outdo you, so you'll look forward to comparing results when he leaves Hiroshima to move in with you for the summer."

"Good plan, letting two teenagers in love to live together with minimal supervision," Touki snapped, seething because his sister had first; come by unannounced while he was exhausted from work and kept ringing the bell until he woke up, and second; called the problems he had to struggle with nonsense. "Not that Ami-chan and Ryo-kun aren't wise and dependable enough."

"That's right. They are," Natsuki glared. "And I trust Ami's mother to provide adequate parental supervision."

"Mother will have to work though," Ami carefully commented. "So we will be left to ourselves most of the time. But rest assured, we have only wholesome plans."

As to the nature of those "wholesome" plans, the blue-haired genius did not elaborate.

"So that asshole had you waste your study time on his "motivational assignment" during final exams?" Kaede Ôta asked her brother while sitting on his bed with her long legs crossed. "Is that guy trying to turn you into a ronin? I can't believe this nonsense!"

The brunette in the scarlet shirtdress watched the back of her younger brother as he sat bowed over his physics textbook.

"Hmhm… It's not so bad for Ami-chan, although her friends took offense to her having to do the assignment with me. But I need my study time."

"Don't take it too hard, Haru-kun. I know if you put your mind to it, you'll get through this. Stay strong. Your Onee-san is confident you can do it."

Haruto turned to look behind him and forced a smile.

"Thank you, Onee-san," He said. "But I need to be alone now to continue my study."

"You're absolutely right!" A startled Kaede nodded as she jumped from her brother's bed and proceeded to walk toward the door. "I'll leave you to it. Fight on, Haru-kun!"

Haruto watched her close the door behind her with a wink.
Left to his own devices, the boy with the messy dark-brown hair once more bowed over his textbook and crammed his ass off.

Or at least, as much as the fatigue that plagued him allowed him to do.

What really caused Haruto's near-constant lethargic state was not that he was lazy.
Haruto was perfectly happy working on an assignment with clear-cut goals and a straightforward enough way to get there. In fact, he could get positively wrapped up in a challenging assignment that he could handle.

It wasn't that he stayed up late watching anime either. Haruto set the video recorder if there was a late-night show he didn't want to miss and watched it in his room over the weekend.

The second bane of Haruto's existence - although just like the fact that his brain worked slower than that of the average person wasn't something he was yet aware of at this age - was the fact that he could never really get rested.
Haruto was a boy who went through life with a near-constant haze hanging over his brain that impeded his every function.

What worked against the young man in figuring out what ailed him was that there was no name for his condition. Although if his condition had been documented, chances are nobody would be interested in studying it or in helping people like him find solutions on how to deal with the problem.

This sleep deprivation was caused by the fact that Haruto was never able to achieve a deep sleep for long, and the slightest noises pulled him out of his R.E.M. phase or sometimes woke him up completely.

Haruto wasn't aware yet of his condition, but considering the situation he was in, he was well aware that he needed help to get more study time without becoming a zombie when it was time to bring forth the results of that study time.

The young man's mind had slipped off and he was staring at the EVA units he had proudly displayed inside a cabinet to the left of his room when his mother knocked on the door and entered with a portable phone in hand.

"Haru-kun! You have a telephone call from Ritsu-kun!"

"Alright, I'll come and get it," Haruto said while getting up and walking to the door.

"Don't talk too long, right?" Himari Ôta told her son. "You still have to bring the garbage downstairs and study."

"Alright, I'll keep it short," Her son nodded as he took the portable device from her.

"Why that boy can't walk over and come in if he wants to talk to you is beyond me," The woman with the white bob sighed as she closed the door.

"Hey," Haruto nervously greeted his next-door neighbor on the phone.

"I got it," Came the equally short answer. "Where do you want to pick it up? Not at my place of course."

"I know where we can meet casually," Haruto said.

As he walked through the hallway with the garbage bag in his hand, Haruto hoped his nervousness wasn't visible to others.

What he was going to do was illegal and was going to cost him a lot of money.
He had been saving up all month, because he knew he was going to need the pills Ritsu Ueda proposed to sell him.

To his fright, the young man with the messy dark-brown haircut saw Nobu Ueda walking up the stairs. With all the stealth he could muster, Haruto tried to hide the bag behind his back and hoped the dark hallway and the school uniform he was still wearing would obscure it from view.

"What are you doing out this late?" Nobu roughly asked.

"I'm just going for a walk," Haruto said, internally infuriated that his neighbor would demand to know what he was doing.

"Why don't you wash your father's car, you lazy kid?" The bearded and bespectacled man haughtily said as he passed the boy by.

Forgetting about the need for stealth, Haruto fumed internally about the affront.

'Why don't you just die, you gossiping trash!' The boy angrily thought to himself. 'Trash like you that always looks down on other people should really die!
Haha. If you knew the kinds of things your beloved son is doing, you'd have the sense not to talk ill of others.'

Daydreaming up a suitable fate for the neighbor who was always gossiping about him to other people in the apartment building while the burning venom of psychological terror and humiliation was pumping through his veins, Haruto pressed the button on the elevator and stepped inside when it arrived.

Within minutes, the boy found himself at the subterranean waste separation hall next to the parking space.

Trying to look casual, he walked on until he arrived at the organic waste container for his floor and dropped the bag in it.

A tough-looking bespectacled young man with curly black hair was standing next to him in his school uniform.

"Hello, Haru-kun," Ritsu curtly nodded.

"Hello."

In an attempt to make the proceeding run smoothly, Ristu handed his neighbor a little plastic bag by way of a quick handshake.

Haruto attempted the same and tried to slip the money he promised Ritsu into his side pocket.
This failed, however, and the paper money fell on the floor.

"Idiot," Ritsu cursed as he knelt to pick up the money.

This was the moment when, for the first time since regularly visiting Touki Urawa, Ami spotted Haruto in the building while bringing down Touki's garbage after having had dinner with him and his sister.

The bluette walked up to the two young men with a smile on her face, intending to share her thoughts with Haruto.

She had become rather fond of Haruto because in her eyes the boy had taught her an important lesson: Powerful people may move mountains, but weak people struggle through life every day with the limited abilities they possess.
That is how Haruto inspired the Senshi of water and wisdom to stop worrying about her lack of magical power and do what she can with the power she has.

Before she closed the distance of about five meters, however, another young woman had something to share with Ami's classmate.

"Maybe those pills will also help you find that girlfriend you've been dreaming of," An incorporeal Gretchen nastily whispered into Haruto's ear while Ritsu got up after picking up his classmate's money and walked away.

"Huh," Haruto frowned while Gretchen Meijer dropped a ball of clay near his feet. "Did you say something, Ritsu-kun?"

"Now, Struwwelpeter!" The blonde exclaimed as she revealed herself in her 17th-century clothing. "Catch your prey for the Soul Merchants!"

Ami hid behind a wall as the golem encapsulated a frantically screaming Haruto.

Ritsu ran from the scene upon seeing what was happening behind him.

"This is Mercury to all on patrol! I am at the scene of an attack! Come quickly!"

Knowing that her friends would find her location via the geolocation tracking system built into the new Sailor Communicators, there was nothing left to the bluette but to transform.

The Mercury symbol activated on the fluid blue Mercury Orb as Ami exclaimed her transformation command: "Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Ami raised her Crystal Change Rod in her right hand, the Mercury Orb attaching itself to the rod.
The blue Mercury symbol then launched itself from the orb of the Crystal Change Rod and five swelling currents of water flowed from the tips of the star on top.

The young woman twirled around her axis while the swelling currents of water washed around her body until it was submerged in the cool liquid.

Standing with her feet close together, Ami joined her hands while firmly holding onto the Crystal Change Rod.

Large ripples expanded from the water's surface around Ami's body while it was momentarily illuminated in a shimmer of bright light.

Bubbles burst from around Ami's body and the light flashed itself out, revealing Super Sailor Mercury as she turned around, dressed in her deep blue boots, her blue skirt with the large light-blue bow on her lower back, her long white gloves, her white leotard and the deep blue heart at the center of the light-blue bow over her breasts, her segmented white shoulder pads, her blue neckerchief, and the golden tiara with the deep blue crystal on her forehead.

Super Sailor Mercury raised her arms while the two long light-blue ribbons attached to the back of her skirt trailed around her.

A shiny bright harp appeared behind her as she struck a pose, standing in an A-stance with her arms lowered to the sides.

A foul stench pervaded the basement, stronger than the stench that hung over the waste separation area before the attack.

Sailor Mercury was still hiding from her opponents, but she could hear something big crawling towards her.

Slither. Slither. Slither. Slither.

Struwwelpeter slowly made its way towards her.

"I know you are here!" Mercury heard Gretchen crow. "You are all alone, so I won't miss this chance to take you out, Sailor Mercury!"

Slither. Slither. Slither. Slither.

A jumbled mess of pale wiry things came into view to Mercury's left as the stench became so strong it was almost overpowering.

"While Struwwelpeter suffocates you, I will freeze off every entrance to keep your friends from saving you! I'm sorry to be so cruel, but you entrapped yourself here! May God have mercy on your soul!"

Slither. Slither. Slither.

As the mass of pale wires grew, Mercury finally realized she was looking at human hair and horribly long fingernails.
She saw a young woman with long blonde hair done up and covered by a beige silken bonnet who was dressed in a long salmon-red dress with a broad beige band along the hem of the skirt and a light-green bodice pass her by as she stood waiting for Struwwelpeter to reveal himself.

"Who are you?" The bluette called out.

"Never mind my name," Gretchen responded without stopping on her way to the elevator. "You'd better worry about my golem."

Mercury decided to run to the young woman, but as she moved forward, her ankle was caught in the mass of fingernails of Struwwelpeter's right hand.

Turning around, the Senshi of water and wisdom saw the huge filthy humanoid creature with overgrown finger-and-toe nails and meter-long hair crawling toward her.

"Bubbleee!" She exclaimed.

A tiny light appeared between her hands as the bluette focused her power.

Spinning around once, Mercury crossed her arms before her face with the tiny light gathering power in front of the cross.

"Spray!"

Sailor Mercury spread her arms wide, and - from the tiny light - a multitude of water bubbles burst forth all around her, which formed an impenetrable wall between her and Struwwelpeter.

Gretchen just had enough time to blast a shower of freezing water into the elevator shaft before she heard Mercury's footsteps coming to a halt behind her.

"You didn't think our discussion would end there, I hope," The Senshi of water and wisdom glared at her foe. "You took two souls that are very important to a friend of a friend of mine, and I'm going to make you return them."

"I'm sorry," Gretchen firmly stated. "But those souls have already been purchased."

"By whom?" Mercury demanded while standing ready to attack.

"By someone who put me through a lot worse than you can ever hope to do," Gretchen snarled before she thrust her right hand forward and blasted Mercury with freezing water.

"Mercury!"

The symbol of Mercury appeared in the palm of Mercury's hand, a roaring maelström washing out of it.

"Aqua Rhapsody!"

The maelström shaped itself into a silver harp which Mercury played with virtuosity.
Unbound streams of water burst forth from the instrument and merged into an unstoppable vortex that launched straight at its target.

The two young women stood blasting each other with their attacks. Gretchen's attack created a wall of ice between them, which Mercury's attack broke into pieces, only for it to be frozen solid again as the two attacks kept colliding.

"If someone has hurt you, my friends and I can protect you against them!" Mercury exclaimed. "We overcome threats much greater than you can possibly imagine!"

With a glance at Struwwelpeter - who was ineffectually trying to crawl through the impregnable wall of bubbles that separated him from his prey - the bluette redoubled her efforts and hoped her saviors might quickly arrive.

They did.

"Ugh!" Sailor Uranus exclaimed as she and her lover made their way to the scene via the underground parking lot next to the waste separation area. "What is this horrible smell?"

"Lazy people stink, don't they? Hahaha," Struwwelpeter chuckled as he moved his right arm in Uranus's direction and caught her feet in the coils of his fingernails.

"Don't you dare call Haru-kun lazy, you disgusting monster!" Mercury angrily exclaimed before turning to Gretchen. "Both of you need to surrender! You are the one who entrapped herself now and your golem is outnumbered!"

Gretchen gritted her teeth as the truth of her adversary's words became apparent to her.

"Time to disengage, Struwwelpeter!" Someone called out from behind Sailor Neptune. "This buffoon forgot a little something called STRATEGY and lost her advantage! Let's get out of here and save the day another time!"

"What?!" Neptune exclaimed while seeking cover from the hail of pebbles that were being thrown at her and Uranus.

Mercury observed with wonder how a boy with dark-brown hair and a comical yet manly face and a bespectacled girl with long wavy black hair and a cute butterfly clip over her right ear stood at the entrance to the subterranean parking lot, attacking her friends.

To her relief and dismay, Struwwelpeter came undone from Haruto, leaving the unconscious young man to drop to the floor like a sack of rice while the golem turned into a child-sized homunculus with long hair but normal-sized finger-and-toe nails.

"So this is what happened to the unnacounted golems," Gretchen muttered while Uranus chased after the three homunculi into the parking lot. "They formed a little group of their own."

Upon hearing a loud crash, the blonde turned to the elevator and saw that the door was open and the shaft was freed from the ice she had injected into it.

"Faust," The young woman said under her breath with a mixture of gratitude and displeasure in her voice.

"Faust?" Mercury repeated in shock as her opponent ran and entered the elevator to safety.

Behind her, Uranus came back from her chase to shake her head at Neptune.

"I'm sorry for being useless," The blonde tomboy addressed Mercury. "I'm afraid they got away."

"No person is ever useless, Sailor Uranus," Mercury smiled as she dissolved the wall of bubbles and joined her friends.

"Huh," Uranus chuckled. "I wouldn't say that."

"But I would," Mercury stated. "We managed to save the person the Sould Merchants were targeting today and received valuable information, so I count today as a good day.
Even though tomorrow may not turn out to be such a good day for Haru-kun."

When Haruto came too, his initially blurred vision saw two clear blue eyes smile at him.

Good morning, sleeping beauty," Ami giggled. "I'm sorry for laughing, Haru-kun, but you're not exactly fighting the gossip about you being lazy by falling asleep amidst the dumpsters."

"Huh? I'm still in the waste separation area?" The boy with the messy dark-brown hair quietly said. "I fell asleep? I had the worst nightmare. There was a monster that took over my body. Sailor Mercury was there and…"

"Sailor Mercury?" Ami laughed. "In any case, there are no monsters here, Haru-kun. Though with how late it has become, we'll have a beast of a time studying for Physics tomorrow."

"That's right!" Haruto exclaimed as he sat up in an instant. I need to hurry back to my room and study."

"That's right, but Haru-kun…?" Ami said.

Haruto observed that bluette. Once more, she looked at him in that strange way.

"Do your best, Haru-kun," She said. "But don't beat yourself up over it if you fail tomorrow's test. It is important, but there are more instances in which you can make up for it in the future. And even if you fail those… Even if you fail at life… Don't blame yourself. The most important thing is that you keep trying to survive and grab those few instances where you do succeed with both hands."

Haruto only half understood what Ami was trying to tell him, but one thing he did understand now. He finally knew what the strange look meant.

As he got up and dusted himself off, this newfound knowledge gave him a boost of courage for the hours ahead. But this knowledge wasn't the only thing that gave Haruto courage. There was something else. Something neither the golem nor Sailor Mercury had found in the pocket of his navy-blue trousers.

Chapter Text

"What? Usagi-chan, you have a summer job?"
"I sure do, Mina-chan. I'll be joining the ranks of the working class."
"So you'll be working at the competition. You do realize that means we must be enemies from now on?"
"Now now, Mako-chan. I'm pretty sure if Usagi-chan were tall enough, Ebihara-san would have hired her."
"You don't need to be tall to get a job, Ami-chan. Let's just see if Usagi can hold a job for longer than a day."

"Even Heinrich Faust isn't immune to the antics of a clown. Vigilant Usagi-chan, save the smiles of the children!"

Hotaru didn't like to disappoint people.
Sometimes it happened. Your own wishes or weightier issues, on occasion, prevented you from doing what others expected of you.
It was deplorable when that happened, but she couldn't very well be a slave to other people's whims.
Sometimes she just couldn't. But sometimes, just as well, she didn't want to.

Sitting in the office of the Pink Pika Tennis Club's trainer, the tennis club ace knew she had good reason to avoid looking Natsue Moritaka in the eyes.
But she couldn't help having her own wishes that got in the way of making her friends happy.

"So…" Natsue sighed. "I think you know why I called you in. I know this is none of my business, per se, but as your teacher, I consider it my responsibility to stop you from making a horrible… Hmhm… I consider it my responsibility to help you explore your talent to its fullest potential."

"I feel satisfied with your guidance, Moritaka-sensei," Hotaru calmly spoke as her gaze wandered from the trophies in the cabinet behind the woman with the black ponytail to her yellow eyes. "I have learned so much from you and my senpai at the Pink Pika club. I look forward to playing here for a long time and learning much more from you."

"It is nice of you to say so, Tomoe-san. But you know very well that there is very little I can still teach you about tennis.
It is clear to all that you have risen above the level of ability that is common in this club. To put it bluntly, this school and I cannot offer you the infrastructure you need to further develop as an athlete. We are holding you back."

Hotaru stared at her trainer's desk in dismay.
She knew very well that what Natsue was saying was true. A big part of her wanted to go further. If she followed her desire as an athlete, she would give up all secondary considerations and strive to develop into a grand slam tennis player.

But in her life, the true secondary consideration was tennis itself.

"Like I said, I know this is not strictly something I should pursue. If you decide to decline the offer from Yokohama Tenns International, I cannot order you to reconsider. Nevertheless, I do order you to reconsider."

"But I am happy where I am," Hotaru said in slightly too loud a tone.

"You may be happy now, Tomoe-san. But think of how you will feel in a few years! Do you really want to look back on your life and realize that you gave up the chance to compete with the likes of Monica Seles…? Don't roll your eyes at me. I mean what I say. Do you really want to give up that chance in order to spend your youth with friends, most of whom you probably won't see again past your university education?"

"I know that. I know I might regret it, but…"

"I'm sorry," Natsue Moritaka sighed. "I shouldn't pressure you like this. It's just that… If I'm being honest, it makes me angry to see you reject the chance to train at Yokohama Tennis International because I know… I can see your potential. I know you could become…Oh, girl… You could become something amazing. And I think I understand your reasons, but…"

She didn't. She didn't understand at all. The truth of the matter was that Hotaru didn't completely understand herself. Her reason for not wanting to train at YTI was related to the fact that she didn't want to miss her Pink Pica friends. It was related to her duties as a Sailor Senshi. It was related to her desire to study medicine. But there was something else. Something that had only started to influence her thinking in the past few months.

"Look," Hotaru spoke up. "Even if I were to start the training program at Yohokama, I'm not going to become the amazing athlete you guys want me to be. I want to work in medicine. I want to become a medical researcher or a surgeon. I can't combine a career as a top athlete with medical studies."

"I know," Natsue nodded.

Hotaru calmed down upon suspecting that she had finally won over the woman in the pink polo shirt and violet sweatpants.

"I know this is a completely selfish desire of mine to see you shine in international competitions. It's not guaranteed to be what makes you happy. You should do what makes you happy."

"Thank you," Hotaru muttered.

"The way you plowed through the preliminary rounds to enter the All-Japan Inter-High Tournament was something else, though," Her trainer smiled. "You are really special, Tomoe-san. Whatever you end up doing with your career as an athlete, it is a pleasure to have been part of it. If nothing else, let's win this tournament together."

Having left Natsue's office, Hotaru walked in the sunshine that was pouring down on Tokyo, moping about how the dread that had been plaguing her made her disappoint the woman who taught her the joy of such a fine sport.

'In any case,' She reflected. 'What I told her is true: I can't pursue a career as a professional athlete when I have Senshi duty and want to study to become a researcher… Although I'm still not sure whether I would perhaps prefer to become a physician or a surgeon.'

The black-bobbed girl in the yellow short-sleeved shirt and green shorts looked behind her at the tennis courts where she had spent the morning training with her friends.
It was true she would miss them if she decided to train at Yokohama Tennis International. It would be nice if she could take at least Hikari with her.

It couldn't be helped. She had too much on her plate, and sports was always meant as a recreation.

Not that Hotaru looked forward to the melodrama she would have to endure when she told Haruka she declined the offer from Yokohama.
Natsue was easy compared to the tears and vacant stares that would follow that conversation.

Being a Senshi, she had more important matters to deal with anyway, like the meeting she was heading towards. Hotaru wondered what important news Ami had to tell them all. Any information would be welcome, since they were still completely in the dark about the nature of their enemy.

"A penny for your thoughts, young lady. You seem to be with your head in the clouds, since you passed me by without so much as a nod."

Hotaru halted upon hearing the familiar female voice uttering those English sentences.

A grin appeared on her face, and she decided to play along with the game.

"I was just walking home after training, Miss Nagahasu," She said in English. "I didn't mean to be impolite."

"Very well said, Tomoe-san," Kaito Nagahasu said while clapping her hands. "It gives me pleasure to take note of every instance where your mastery of the English language improves."

"I have a great teacher," Hotaru smiled as she turned to face her homeroom teacher.

The woman with the long dark-purple braid zipped up her white-and-light-blue jacket.

"It may be a hot day, but there's a chilly wind out," She said. "But what were you daydreaming about if I may ask, Tomoe-san? You seemed to be quite perturbed."

Hotaru threw a glance at the tennis courts behind Kaito.

"I made a decision that's going to disappoint many people," She admitted.

"That sounds troublesome," Her homeroom teacher frowned. "Sounds like something a young and idealistic teacher in a coming-of-age movie would help the protagonist with."

"I don't think even a young idealistic teacher would be able to help me with this," Hotaru grinned.

"Hahaha," Kaito sweatdropped. "Are you looking for a fight?"

"If you want to know," Her pupil sighed. "After I qualified for the final tournament of the All-Japan Inter-High, I was approached by people from Yokohama Tennis International, which is a huge deal. They wanted me to train at their school, but I told them I wanted to stay with the Pink Pikas."

"I see."

"And Moritaka-sensei just chewed me out over it."

"You gave up fame and fortune for your friends, Tomoe-san."

"Yes."

"And you won't be swayed to renounce your decision?"

"I can't become a professional athlete. It's a waste of my time and effort."

"Even if those very friends chew you out over your decision?"

Kaito saw Hotaru look away with an annoyed expression.

"You haven't told them yet?" The woman in the white-and-light-blue jacket and white skirt inquired.

"I'm on my way to a get-together with a bunch of friends. I have so many people to tell and they're all going to give me hell!" Hotaru whined. "Give me a break already."

'At least I know Shingo-kun will be understanding… I think.' The black-bobbed stoic thought to herself.

"Alright," Kaito smiled. "Let's get into my car. I'll drive you there."

"What? You don't have to…"

"At some point, the young and handsome idealistic teacher picks up the troubled youth from the police station…"

"Hey."

"And they have a heart-to-heart while she brings the youth home in her car. I think this is just the time for such a scene."

"But your car sucks," Hotaru said while raising her right eyebrow.

"Hey."

"Not every car can be a star," Kaito said as she got behind the wheel of her red 1994 Toyota Paseo. "I was able to get this for a good price and I happen to think it looks cool."

"It looks like a doorstop," Hotaru smirked.

"You've just been spoiled by that wild ride of those friends you're always telling me about. Now let's get back to the subject."

Kaito turned on the ignition and carefully rode her doorstop on wheels out of the school's car park.

"On the other hand," She said while glancing left and giving Hotaru a stern look. "How is Persuasion advancing?"

"Erm… Captain Wentworth just had a very passionate letter delivered to Anne. Erm… Are you sure this book fits my reading level? I have to look up words all the time in that dictionary you advised me to buy. All the time. It's not the best reading experience."

"Persuasion is perfect for you. Even if the reading level is a bit of a high bar, I know you have the necessary motivation to push through. Looking up words is exactly the way you're going to raise your reading level, and Jane Austen's books are written in a clean and proper British English that - even if it is a little archaic - is a great basis to build your vocabulary on."

"I like the book in any case," Hotaru said while looking up at the planetarium that was printed on the roof of the car. "It's an engaging tale of a woman who was persuaded to make a decision that was detrimental to her happiness and gets a chance to right that wrong."

The blackette wondered why it felt like the planetary print wasn't there when she got into the car. It's a strange thing to decorate your car with. The previous owner might have had it done, but Kaito could very well have been behind it too. It was a strange planetarium as well. Hotaru didn't recognize Earth's solar system among the planets and stars in the picture. Although…

"I must say that's a description that focuses a little too much on the title of the story," Kaito said as she turned the car right at an intersection. "While it is true that Anne Elliot was persuaded by others to decide to end her engagement with Captain Wentworth, it was a decision she made for herself."

"That's… true, I guess. Though a bit harsh and not completely accurate."

"It's not. But I'm asking you to ignore the fact that Anne was convinced by others to make a choice that negatively affected her fate, and look at the story in another way. Anne decided to give up one sort of life and chose another. Her new life is one where she doesn't stand at risk of causing Captain Wenthworth unhappiness."

"It does, though," Hotaru frowned.

"It does. But not through actions Anne may have committed as his wife."

"Oh…"

"Her new life doesn't put the happiness and health of potential children at risk either," Kaito continued. "Let's pretend Anne lives in a vacuum from society. In this scenario, Anne decided to give up on being the cause of other people's misfortune."

As had happened before when Kaito elaborated about certain subjects, Hotaru suddenly got the nervous feeling that she was being tricked or entrapped, but she didn't know why.

"You mean she gave up on the responsibility of becoming a mother?" The blackette muttered in an attempt to steady her nerves.

"No. In this scenario, Anne decided to take the responsibility of preventing herself from becoming the cause of her potential husband and children's misfortune. That is what I'm asking you to take into account when reading the novel.
When Anne gets a second chance… When someone - Wentworth - reaches out like he did with the letter and lets Anne know that they will brave all challenges together, how does that inform her motivation to go back on her earlier decision?"

With Hotaru being so busy trying to calm herself down and wondering what was triggering her irrational unease, she didn't notice how agitated Kaito herself was, and with how much effort the young woman tried to control her voice.

"Anyway, the society depicted in Persuasion must be quite familiar to you," The woman with the large dark-purple braid smiled in a more light-hearted tone.

"What?!" Hotaru asked with a shock.

"Victorian society had much in common with our own, each with its strict rules of etiquette," Kaito grinned at her pupil. "I thought it might seem familiar to you."

"You need to take a left here," Hotaru pointed out. Her earlier nervousness forgotten.

"But let's go back to your tennis troubles."

"You do like to jump from one subject to another," Hotaru sweatdropped.

"Haha!" Kaito Nagahasu chuckled. "You're catching on. My mind finds so much interest in this world that I can't keep busy with one thing for long. Unless it overshadows all others in magnitude. But let's hear it. Why did you turn down the offer from Yokohama Tennis Club?"

"Honestly, I don't know what I want!" Hotaru whined. "I can't become a professional athlete. I want to become a medical researcher or a surgeon more than anything.
I love sports, but I'm not going to give up a career in medicine over it. I want to go deep into medicine and I want to know all.
I want to be able to help lots of people. I want to take control of the company my mother co-founded.
So, tennis is fun and I'll be happy doing it with my friends… But it sure would be nice to compete with Monica Seles."

Kaito glanced at her pupil with a sour look on her face and looked ahead.

"Tomoe-san. Sounds to me like you want it all."

"I… I think I might," Hotaru sighed. "But right now I don't want to train at YTI. It just doesn't feel right. Even though I could train there after school and still see my friends here, I just feel… better staying here."

Kaito could hear the unspoken word that Hotaru had replaced at the last second.
She had been waiting for this moment.

"Look up at that bright blue star above you in the left-hand corner of the roof," She said. "Do you see it?"

Hotaru looked up and saw a large star glowing in an otherwise abandoned corner of the planetarium.

"It looks lonely, doesn't it?" Kaito asked. "That star is so bright and powerful that it drifted apart from all other stars for fear that its huge gravitational pull might bring destruction to the others.

But that is not how life works.

Rather than bringing destruction to the other stars, the blue star would draw new possibilities from them in the shape of stardust that would form planets where life could start to grow.

Sometimes those of us who consider the happiness of those less fortunate feel that they should hide their ability. But in truth, that ability might bring greater benefit than harm to those they aim to protect."

Kaito stopped the car and smiled at her pupil. She felt like her words didn't quite convey what she wanted to let Hotaru know. She sensed that to be the case anyway.
But perhaps what she had said would help Hotaru with the problem the black-bobbed stoic had actually brought before her, rather than the one Kaito wanted to solve for her.

"We have arrived," The woman with the large dark-purple braid said as she opened the cardoor on her side.

As they traversed the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine together, Hotaru slowly went from pondering what Kaito had told her in the car and how it applied to her situation, to wondering why her homeroom teacher was still in her company while she was on her way to the Senshi meeting.

"It's so beautiful around here!" Kaito gushed as the woman in the white-and-light-blue jacket and white skirt turned her head left and right.

"Yes," Hotaru smiled awkwardly as they reached the temple where the sacred fire was kept. "You've never visited Hikawa Shrine?"

"No, I haven't. To think a friend of yours lives here in such gorgeous scenery. The main temple was so beautiful, but this one is very picturesque too. And you and your friends agreed to meet in this temple? I guess if the headpriest's granddaughter is among you, he wouldn't make any objections."

"Grandpa is simply happy there's a bunch of what he considers beautiful young women gathered in his shrine," Hotaru deadpanned as they ascended the stairs. "He promised to leave us to ourselves on condition that he gets to join us later."

Kaito smiled to herself as she entered the temple and saw the large group of surprised young women and young men gathered around a few tables by the side of the sacred fire that was smouldering in front of her.

"Hello, everyone!" Hotaru greeted her friends. "My teacher brought me here in her car, so I showed her around the temple grounds as a thank you."

"Oh!" Kaito grinned as she and Hotaru got closer to the group, and Rei got up to meet her. "I see a few familiar faces here. Tsukino-san, Aino-san, Kino-san, Mizuno-san. Are you also attending this party?"

"Good afternoon, Sensei," Usagi nervously giggled as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"How nice to see you here," Minako similarly laughed.

"And you are wearing such a nice dress, Tsukino-san," Kaito observed, instantly winning Rei's friendship with her compliment of the black-and-white dress with the leaping bunnies print.

"But I forgot to introduce myself," The purplette bowed. "How rude of me. My name is Nagahasu Kaito. I am Tomoe-san's homeroom teacher and private English tutor.
I also teach English and Geography to Tsukino-san, Mizuno-san, Aino-san, Kino-san, and the Kou brothers. You're doing great, Aino-san. And you are heading for greatness, Tsukino-san."

"Good afternoon, Sensei," A young woman in a frilled green shirt and blue jeans bowed before her. "Welcome to Hikawa Shrine. I am Hino Rei. My grandpa is the head priest at this shrine."

"I am Shiba Mamoru," A young man in an off-white polo shirt and gray trousers said with a bow.

"Hold on," Kaito sweatdropped while holding up her hands. "I don't want to be rude, but there are sixteen of you here…"

"The girl in the red T-shirt and black skirt is…"

"Tsukino Chibi-Usa-san," Kaito interrupted her pupil.

"Correct."

"I pay attention when you talk about your friends," The purplette winked.

"The blonde in the green pants and yellow shirt is…"

"Tenoh-san. Then the woman in the orange dress is Kaiou-san."

"Are you guys turning our introdump into a pop quiz?" Haruka jested.

"The boy in the gray T-shirt and brown pants is Urawa Ryo-kun."

"Aha! Mizuno-san's boyfriend. Nice to meet you, young man. And I see the Kou brothers are present as well."

"Good afternoon, Sensei!" Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten greeted in unison.

"I am Meiou Setsuna," A tall tanned woman in a beige shirt and skirt bowed.

"And the two women with the cats on their laps are Kou Kakyuu-chan and Iwaso Yuine-chan," Hotaru concluded.

"Oh! I didn't know you had a sister, boys. Nice to meet you both," Kaito bowed. "And what's the occasion for this party if I may ask?"

Usagi didn't quite understand why her teacher was looking at her when she asked the question.

"Why, it's to celebrate the start of summer break, of course!" Minako burst out to save her. "We have lots of plans for summer break, and I'm going to record my first movie, so please look forward to it!"

"Yes," Kaito nodded. "So I've heard. How exciting."

"But I'm not the only one who's going to have a summer job," Minako continued while dramatically pointing at Usagi with both hands.

"Is that true, Tsukino-san?" Kaito smiled. "Is there something you want to save up for? A present for the boyfriend, perhaps?"

Mamoru chuckled amusedly when she winked at him, but quickly glanced at Setsuna when Kaito turned her eyes on Usagi again.

"It's something like that," Usagi moodily replied. "But mostly it's because SOMEONE insisted that I get some experience in the workforce."

Her speech was interrupted by a growl from Luna.

"I'll give you something to growl about," Her owner muttered. "Taking away my precious summer break."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Tsukino-san," Kaito reacted. "You might gain interesting experiences at work and meet amazing people. I know I've met some very special people at work."

Sitting down between Chibi-Usa and Yaten, Hotaru showed a friendly smile when her teacher's eye landed on her.

"But I realize I'm getting in the way of you lovely ladies and gentlemen starting your celebration, and you are too nice to try and get me to leave, bless you. I have somewhere I need to be anyway."

The young woman with the long dark-purple braid stepped back towards the temple exit and bowed a quick greeting.

"Good luck to you all and enjoy your summer break, everyone. Don't forget your assignments and do your best at your summer jobs, but don't forget to have fun together too."

"Thank you, Sensei."

"See you in a few weeks, Sensei."

"Have a fun summer break, Nagahasu-Sensei."

Watching the woman leave through the temple exit, Rei quietly followed in her footsteps and made sure Kaito was actually leaving the shrine grounds before appearing in the temple again and nodding to Usagi and Ami.

The latter was standing before a portable blackboard on which the words "Happy Summer Break" had been written.

"It's a good thing you wrote this when you did, Kakyuu-chan," The young woman in the black dress with white and pink flower print said.

"It was written with good intentions and the power of foresight," Queen Kakyuu joked.

"But with our visitor gone, we can finally begin this meeting," Ami said while wiping the blackboard.

"Yes. Sorry about that," Hotaru grinned. "Sensei was very persistent."

"No problem, Hotaru-chan," Usagi smiled at her friend before addressing the room. "We decided to summon you… "

"Summon!" Chibi-Usa laughed. "How royal-sounding."

"We summoned you here because over the past few weeks, we acquired several bits of information about our new enemy. Ami-chan will list all that we have learned on the blackboard."

"Thank you for the introduction, Usagi-chan. I think this is a good opportunity to list all that we know so far, beginning with the angels.
Rei-chan told me she hasn't been able to learn anything new about them through her fire readings so far and that Ryo-kun hasn't had any visions about them beyond what Michiru-chan described. So for now, there is no news on that front."

"Taiki-kun and I haven't had any luck spotting the angels in orbit either," Haruka spoke up. "We don't know if they are invisible to the naked eye due to some magic they employ. Ami had a device installed that should help us with that, but we still have no success regardless."

"Concerning the golems," Ami continued as she wrote on the blackboard. "We have been able to defeat more of them, meaning our rate of success is higher than at the start of our campaign."

"Unfortunately, one more golem escaped our wrath," Haruka interrupted. "So there are now three fugitive golems running around the city."

"The good news is that we haven't heard anything about people being targeted by these fugitive golems for now. But we do need to catch them, because we don't know if their increasing numbers might embolden them to start seeking out victims without the aid of their masters."

"The Soul Merchants," Rei said.

"Yes," Ami nodded. "Our enemy has a name. But more on that later. It appears that the enemy is unaware of the fugitive golems' location. So we can assume there is no contact between the fugitives and their masters. What the fugitive golems' goals are and what they have been up to without the guidance of their masters is anyone's guess."

"And who are their masters?" Setsuna inquired. "Are they the angels?"

Ami heaved a sigh and turned to the blackboard again.

"Quite the opposite, I'm afraid," The blue-haired genius said.

Everyone stared at the name she had written. Until Minako said it out loud.

"Faust? But isn't that just a legend?" The blonde in the black-and-white dress asked.

"There is evidence that a real Heinrich Faust existed. If I heard correctly and my opponent was really speaking about Faust to herself, we might be dealing with a serious malevolent threat."

"I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Queen Kakyuu said while raising her hand. "But for the benefit of me and my people, can you explain who this Faust is or was?"

"The name is a mystery to me too," Makoto said. "And I think others could also do with a little elaboration."

"Very well," Ami nodded. "According to cross-examination of 17th-century German texts and historical evidence, Heinrich Faust was a professor of physics at Heidelberg University in the County Palatinate, a small German state based on the river Rhine. Faust was an incredibly intelligent man, but he was not content with the knowledge he had amassed. According to legend, Faust tried to learn the art of magic, and this brought him into contact with a devil named Mephistopheles.

Mephistopheles told Faust that it was his faith that was holding him back and said he could give him mastery of enormous magical powers and pleasures beyond the scope of man if he would sell him his soul. Faust, in his arrogance, thought that he, of all men, should be able to outsmart the devil. So he took on the challenge. Through this act and due to the devil's cunning, Faust lost his soul for all eternity."

"So we are not just dealing with a powerful magician, but also with a devil?" Mamoru asked.

"Yes," Ami nodded before turning to the blackboard again. "According to the legend, four other people were dragged along with Faust in his downfall:
His friend and rival, Christopher Wagner, who signed a contract with Mephistopheles to get out of a gambling debt.
The Bavarian noblewoman Marthe Schwerdtlein, who signed a contract in order to be freed from her abusive husband.
Her neighbor Gretchen, who signed a contract because she wanted to become Faust's wife despite her strict mother's objections to their romantic interactions.
And her brother Valentin, who signed a contract because he wanted to forget the horrible things he did during the sack of the city of Magdenburg."

Michiru saw Haruka pondering something.

"He is German," The greenette said. "But we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Especially since we don't get along with him."

"His name is Valentin," Haruka growled. "It's too much of a coincidence. What are the chances of a German Tokyo Dagaiku Sakana student named Valentin not being part of this group?"

"What is this about?" Rei frowned. "Do you think you have met one of the enemy?"

"There's a fellow student named Valentin at Tokyo Dagaiku Sakana who has been acting abrasively towards me. He's likely one of the Soul Merchants if what you say is true."

"You are right," Ami said. "That is suspicious. "You better keep your guard up."

"But I agree with Michiru-chan," Usagi said. "We might suspect him unfairly because the two of you don't get along."

"In short," Rei concluded. "Shadow him when you can and be careful. But don't go too far."

"Leave it to us," Michiru smirked. "This is a spy vs spy We are sure to win."

"Wait…" Usagi frowned. "Something feels off."

"I agree," Haruka said. "How do the girls you met at the concert fit into this?"

"And how do the angels fit into it?" Setsuna asked. "Do they have their own plans with this Faust and his companions?"

"Neopi warned me there would come a time when I shouldn't try to save my loved ones," Usagi ominously muttered.

Queen Kakyuu observed the Earth Senshi deep in thought.

"Perhaps Neopi is one of the angels?" Makoto suggested.

Kakyuu shared a look with Seiya and spoke up.

"Neopi. Salapa. Beipva. They're not Jinsé Yumi totem names," The redhead said in an attempt to help. They might be the civilian names of Senshi from beyond the Solar System. But not ones that we know of."

"In any case, we have too little to go on in that area," Ami said. But the Faustian part of the story is giving us far more of a handle on things than we had before.
We know now that they are using the golems to collect souls, which they then sell, probably to Mephistopheles. All the more reason to make sure that they do not succeed. Not even in a single instance."

Minako regarded her friend with concern as she heard Ami stressing the words in the last sentence.
She also noticed how the bluette had basically taken over from Usagi in leading the meeting.

"So we continue to search for the Angels in the observatory?" Haruka asked.

"And we continue to try and get more detailed visions of them," Rei said while sharing a nod with Ryo and Michiru.

"The rest of us keep patrolling the streets and reading the news," Usagi said

"I think we need to do more than patrol the streets," Mamoru interrupted her. "If we want to find those rogue golems, we might need to start searching in hard-to-reach and even disgusting corners of the city."

"The sewers?" Makoto said with a dirty look. "I'm afraid you're right. But is searching for the golems something we should put that much effort into? It's clear that they haven't been a threat so far."

"They haven't been a threat so far," Artemis said. "But it sounds to me like they are collecting more members for their group from the golems employed by the Soul Merchants."

"I agree," Luna added. "I think they are gathering strength for some purpose. Those golems are up to something. Mew!"

"Yubi! You know better than that!" Yuine told her pet, after which the furry octopus stopped pulling on Luna's tail. "I'm sorry, Luna. I think he's getting bored. It's a little rough on him only getting to take walks in the shrine grounds in the evenings when nobody else is around."

"I understand," The cat sighed. "I'm used to it. It's no big deal."

"And even then, Rei and I have to distract Grandpa, Yuuichirou, and Megumi from going outside in the evenings," Makoto smiled. "I bet it's a little rough on Yubi to be here."

"He misses his daily walks, don't you, boy?" Yuine said while rolling the furry eight-armed creature into a ball and cuddling it in her lap.
"In the park where I work, he gets to climb from tree to tree and explore the bushes… I'm sorry, Yubi. This is a trip I really wanted to make. Thank you so much for coming with me."

"Maybe you guys are right," Usagi pondered. "And with this being summer break, we can afford to get up a little early…"

"You mean the same time as during the school year, don't you?" Chibi-Usa deadpanned.

"Since I'll have to work until the evening, that'll be early for me," Her future mother growled to Rei's amusement. "But we have some more time now to go and search for those golems in the icky bits of town. Me, you, and Hotaru-chan."

"I'm glad you're involving yourself in that group," Chibi-Usa said with a nasty glare.

"Of course I am," Usagi grinned. "And I involved Hotaru-chan so that her Silence Wall bubbles can protect us from the filthy things we may encounter."

"You clearly thought this through, Noodlehead," Seiya teased.

"So then we have a new plan on how to proceed," Ami concluded. "I, for my part, will look into the Faust legend and expand my knowledge about it. But first, I will share with you a basic outline on what I already know."

"We… We're getting a lecture?! I thought we were going to party?"

"The party comes after the lecture, Yaten-kun," Ami grinned. "It's only fair of me to teach you some things after all you taught Hotaru-chan and me about Kinmokuan medicine."

"That's right," Hotaru chuckled. "And once the party starts, I'll teach you how to play tennis."

"After you became drunk enough for it to be funny, of course," Yaten's sister Kakyuu smiled at him.

"I did not sign up for this," The blancette grumbled.

"Relax, Yaten," Taiki chuckled. "This might become quite interesting. I'd love to learn something about Earth cultures besides the Japanese one."

"Then prick up your ears," Ami said. "Because here comes culture…"

Usagi's eyes rolled around in their sockets as she walked with Unazuki Furuhata from the Fruits Parlor Crown kitchen to the employee restroom.

"And that, in short, is our business culture," Her orange-haired friend said after the explanation she had subjected the blonde to. "You see, a lot has changed here since you frequented us a few years ago. You and your friends should come more often. Huh? Huh?"

"Haha," Usagi quietly chuckled. "It's interesting how your parents decided to turn Fruits Parlor Crown into a hamburger restaurant."

"It's not just a hamburger restaurant. We serve drinks and ice cream too. The idea was to deliver a real American experience to our customers, as I explained to you while detailing our business culture."

"Strange. I don't remember that."

"Anyway," Unazuki said as they approached a girl with a beige pixie cut and a short pigtail on the left side of her head sitting at the employee cafeteria table. "It's time to introduce you to your senpai, who will teach you how to work the counter and flip the burgers."

Usagi saw that the girl in the orange T-shirt and green skirt of the Fruits Parlor Crown uniform, which she and Unazuki were also wearing, had just finished her meal.
The beigëtte turned around and her pupils dilated upon laying eyes on the blonde.

"I'm sorry to bother you during your lunch break," Unazuki smiled at the girl. "I wanted to introduce your new kouhai and ask if you could teach her how to work the counter and make the burgers for the rest of the afternoon. This is Tsukino Usagi-chan."

"How do you do?" Usagi smiled. "I am Tsukino Usagi. Please take care of me."

"N… Nice to meet you too. Erm… My name is Lida Hmjbb. Please take care of me."

"I'm sorry," Usagi apologized while a vein over her right temple started to pulsate. "What did you say your name is?"

"Erm… My name is Lida Hmjbb. Is everything alright? You're making a bit of a strange face."

"Ah! I'm sorry. I just realized that a friend of mine was right about something, and it ticks me off."

"Hahaha!" Hmjbb suddenly laughed with a lot less nervousness than before. "I get that. I have a friend like that as well. It can be so annoying when they think they know everything, right?"

"That's so true. I'm glad you think so too, Hmjbb-chan!" Usagi nodded eagerly. "They can get so full of themselves."

"U-huh. I know what you mean. Always thinking they're right and you are wrong. I know the type."

"I think the two of you will get along great," Unazuki smiled knowingly. "If you need me, I'll be serving drinks."

"Okay, Unazuki-chan. By the way, Usagi-chan. Please call me Hina. It'll be easier."

"Okay, Hina-chan," Usagi smiled.

"Good. I'll teach you everything you need to know, including that there's a half-hour break in the middle of your shift, and starting today, there will be a clown performing every afternoon."

"Oh goody!"

"Now let's go to the counter so I can teach you how to take orders."

Usagi obediently followed the girl to the counter and listened to the explanation that was given to her.

"Here is the list with codes," Hmjbb said while pointing to a plastic sheet of paper inside a drawer below the cash register. "Every code corresponds to a burger, beverage, or order of ice cream. We punch the code into the cash register - possibly followed by times amount - and we get the price for that order."

"I see!" Usagi smiled. "How neat."

"If you understand, you can first watch me deal with a few customers and see how great I am at working with the system. Once you think you can do it yourself, I'll let you handle the cash register and I'll stand by to intervene in case you happen to make a mistake or have a question."

Almost immediately, a short, stubby man with glasses was forthcoming.

"Welcome to the Fruits Parlor Crown, Okyaku-sama, where you can live the experience of eating at an American diner. How can I help you, please? - Use this exact sentence with every customer."

"I'll have a Crownburger with cheese and fries on the side," The man in the gray business suit said. "And a glass of barley tea to swallow it down."

"Thank you for your order, Okyaku-sama - So that's code 145 for the burger with cheese. 20 for the standard medium order of fries. 78 for the barley tea."

"Wow!" Usagi said. "You make it seem so easy."

"Yes, yes. That's right," Hmjbb proudly smiled. "Admire me.'

"No, I'm sorry. I won't," Usagi quickly muttered to her senpai's confusion.

"Please take your seat at table 5, Okyaku-sama. Unazuki-chan will bring your order to you shortly."

"You see?" Hmjbb smiled while leaning with her back to the counter. "There's nothing to it. You'll get the hang of it by the day's end. I guarantee it."

"There's another customer," Usagi said while peeking over the girl's shoulder. "Oh, it's you."

Hmjbb immediately turned around.

"What?" Rei growled. "Is that any way to talk to a customer?"

"Welcome to the Fruits Parlor Crown, Rei-chan, where you can live the experience of eating at an American diner. How can I help you, please?" Usagi repeated with a curtsey, which she must have seen in a British period drama her mother was watching. "By letting you criticize me while I'm working?"

"How rude," Her friend in the baggy orange suspended trousers over a white T-shirt frowned. "I'm just here to eat a burger and want to be treated like any other customer."

"Is this a friend of yours?" Hmjbb whispered behind her right hand.

"It's THE friend," Usagi said.

"Oh! I see. She definitely looks the type."

"Excuse me!" Rei exclaimed. "What is your name?"

"My name is…"

"This is my coworker Hina-chan, Rei-chan," Usagi quickly said to Hmmjb's amusement.
"What can we do for you, please? Other customers are waiting behind you, Okyaku-sama."

"Very well," Rei growled. I'll have a Crown burger with cheese, a master serving of fries, a master glass of cola, and a strawberry ice cream."

"All that violent Muay Thai makes you hungry, doesn't it?" Usagi grinned while Hmjbb pushed in the codes for the orders. "Please take a seat at table 9, Okyaku-sama. Unazuki-chan will deliver your order shortly."

Working like this, a few hours quickly passed, and it was time for Usagi and Hmjbb's mandatory toilet break.
The two young women quickly did their business and washed their hands while chatting about work.

"You know," Hmjbb said while staring in the mirror at an elderly woman who was going into the cubicle she just left. "Your friend might be a know-it-all, but she's got one thing going for her…

She liked cheese," The beigëtte continued, drowning out her colleague's statement of Rei being cool.

"Cheese?" Usagi frowned.

"Yeah. Not many Japanese people like cheese. Well, it's nothing special to eat a cheeseburger, of course. But she might like the real stuff too?"

"The real stuff?"

Usagi scratched her head at the route the conversation was taking and peered out of the round window at the top of the door to the restaurant's floor to catch a glimpse of the clown.

"Yes. Camembert, Gruyère, Gorgonzola… Hmm. I'm getting hungry already."

"You remind me of a friend of mine," Usagi laughed. "Do you really like cheese so much?"

"Oh, I love cheese. It's a pity the real gourmet stuff is so hard to come by. I should have been born in a country like France or Germany," Hmjbb ranted. "But I did find a specialty shop where I regularly splurge for some great cheeses. That half-soft cheese I had last week paired excellently with the bread they recommended and a glass of Jasmine tea."

"Oh look! The clown just made a dog out of a balloon!" Usagi exclaimed to Hmjbb's slight annoyance. "That is so cool."

"Hey, hey. I taught you plenty of cool stuff today, you know. I want some praise too."

"Oh? Hahaha," Usagi awkwardly laughed while scratching the back of her head. "Thank you for everything you teach me, Hina-chan. You're a really fun senpai."

"That's better," Hmjbb smiled while standing with her arms akimbo. "And tomorrow I'll start teaching you how to flip burgers. But for now, let's get back to work behind the counter!"

When after a half day of listening to business culture and a half day working, Usagi got home, she found that Hotaru and Mamoru were joining the family for dinner.
Also there for the first time was Chibi-Usa's friend Carolina.

"So, Usagi," Ikuko Tsukino said while she served everyone their portion of rice. "Why don't you tell us how your first day at work went?"

Kenji looked up from his newspaper in a panic and stared at his daughter until his face turned red.

"What was that?!" The bespectacled man whined. "Did you drop out of school?"

Ikuko heaved a deep sigh while trying to contain her irritation.

Hotaru and Chibi-Usa chuckled at the sight while Shingo and Carolina soberly ate their miso soup.

"No, Oyai-san," Ikuko groaned. "I didn't allow our daughter to make the biggest mistake of her life while you were busy with whatever you do. Usagi is working a summer job at a restaurant run by the parents of a friend of hers. I promise you it's a very respectable business."

"I promise you on my part that I would do my best to talk Usako out of dropping school if ever the subject arose, Tsukino-san," Mamoru calmly assured Kenji.

"Bootlicker," Carolina and Hotaru muttered.

"Good. Good," The man gently smiled at his daughter's boyfriend. "I know I can count on you, Chiba-san."

"May the Gods give me patience," Ikuko sighed with a roll of her eyes while her husband turned back to his newspaper. "So, what of it, Usagi?"

"My first day on the job was super fun," Usagi cheerfully said. "I have a very nice senpai, and the clown who comes to entertain the kids is awesome."

"Jobs aren't supposed to be fun, you reprobate," Ikuko growled.

"Like you would know," Kenji muttered.

"Excuse me! I work a full-time job in here as well. Doing your laundry so that I get all the stains out of your clothes! Going to the supermarket where newbies stare at the fruit for hours before they decide whether it's ripe enough for them! Cooking your breakfast, lunch, and dinner to rival a chef's craft!"

"That's right!" Carolina spoke up. "Doing the housework is a tough job."

"Thank you, Rodrigues-san," Ikuko smiled as the remark calmed her down. "I'm glad someone around here realizes the sacrifices I bring."

"Bootlicker," Mamoru and Hotaru muttered.

"I do like it when the FRIENDS you boys and girls bring home for dinner are so candid," Ikuko said with a vicious grin as she sat down. "Not all of the members of this family are blind to what's in front of them, after all."

Everyone at the table felt personally indicted by that remark in some way or another. So Usagi quickly elaborated on her experiences, and Chibi-Usa made sure to ask lots of questions.
Shingo and Hotaru also did their best to come up with anecdotes during every commercial block as the group watched television after dinner.

But it seemed that Ikuko dropped the insinuation for now, and after their boyfriends and girlfriends went home, everyone slept soundly in the Tsukino residence.

The next day, Usagi found herself back behind the counter with Hmjbb.

"It seems Unazuki-chan's father wanted you to get some more experience behind the counter before I teach you to flip burgers," The latter said. "So I guess I'm stuck here with you."

"Do you prefer flipping burgers?" Usagi asked the girl in the orange T-shirt and green skirt, while a tall and broad-shouldered older man with thick black hair approached them to order.

"Flipping burgers is a lot more sweaty than working the counter," Hmjbb said. "But it can be a lot of fun."

"Welcome to the Fruits Parlor Crown, Okyaku-sama, where you can live the experience of eating at an American diner. How can I help you, please?"

"Let's see," Heinrich Faust muttered. "I'll have a Chicken Burger Crown with a master serving of fries and a master serving of barley tea."

"Thank you for your order, Okyaku-sama," Usagi smiled. "Please take your seat at table 5, Okyaku-sama. Unazuki-chan will bring your order to you shortly."

"Yes. I'll take my seat," Faust grinned. "Let's have a nice lunch."

"Yes. Please enjoy your lunch, Okyaku-sama," Hmjbb smiled.

"He'll be in for a bunch of laughs," Usagi grinned. "The clown is performing for a few kids at table 4 right now."

"Are you obsessing over that clown again? Although that guy did look like he needed a good laugh. What a serious face despite that grin he showed us."

"I'm not even disappointed that we're working the counter again," A rather oblivious Usagi said. "From here, I can keep the clown in sight."

That very same clown was at that moment inviting a 6-year-old boy to pinch the imitation flower on its chest, making the child laugh when it was drenched in water that squirted from the device. His brother and sister promptly wanted the same treatment.

Faust smiled at Unazuki when she brought him his order and largely pretended that the clown and the kids didn't exist.
The scholar was in a good mood, since Gretchen had come to the church of Saint Maria Magdalene to thank him for saving her from her predicament of about a week ago.
Obviously, she pretended that she came simply to pray there, but it was the first time she had visited the church, which she used to call an unholy obscenity.

Faust couldn't agree with her more, though. He had hoped God would smite the evil building before it was even finished. He had prayed to God, begging to be smitten together with the unholy church. But God seemed as always deaf to the lamentations of the damned soul.

Faust was happy that Gretchen was able to bring herself to thank him for a service rendered to her out of affection. But he didn't wish for her to visit the church of Saint Maria Magdalena regularly. Better for her to pray for deliverance with the nuns at the chapel of T.A. Girls' Academy than to be tainted any further by the devil than she already was.

"Oh!" Usagi piped up after serving another customer. "That's Mina-chan's new song."

"The one playing on the television now?" Hmjbb asked while looking at the set hanging in the corner over one of the sliding doors. "Oh my! She painted her hair?"

"Yes," Usagi eruditely explained. "Mina-chan told me she had to dye her hair for the period movie she's filming with Akito-kun."

"Minako-chan is making a movie with Akai Akito? And you know her personally?" Hmjbb exclaimed. "What's it about?"

"Oh? Mina-chan said the movie is about the love story between the daughter of a tea ceremony master and a Christian Daimyo in 16th-century Japan. You should have heard how Rei-chan teased Mina-chan with her lack of knowledge about the Edo period. She made fun of me too. That darn know-it-all."

"Truly," Faust muttered as he finished his master portion of fries and searched in the left pocket of his gray coat. "Dogmatism is a sin frowned upon in academic circles with good reason."

As the clown waved goodbye to the family at table four, Faust got up and dropped a clay ball next to the comical personage in the red and purple outfit.

"I wouldn't know how to seize this fiery soul, Meister Pfriem," Faust chuckled as he walked towards the payphones on the other side of the floor. "But I suppose you would know best."

"Oh no! Watch out!" Usagi screamed as she saw the little clay ball bounce towards the clown and grow into the shape of a humanoid golem. "Behind you!"

The clown looked behind and stared into two empty eye sockets while Usagi pushed a button on her Sailor Communicator to alert her friends.

"Golem. Golem," Meister Pfriem said.

"Oh no!" The clown angrily retorted. "Not this. I haven't…"

Within seconds, Meister Pfriem enveloped its prey, growing into a long straight humanoid shape about the length of the restaurant floor.

Having seen the horror develop, Usagi ran to the personnel restrooms with Hmjbb and the rest of the personnel following close behind.

"What a horribly low ceiling!" Meister Pfriem exclaimed as he used his massive arms to prevent the customers of the Fruits Parlor Crown from running through the sliding doors to the stairs. "Which incompetent architect designed this building?! "

A terrified mother of two regarded the red 24 on the golem's forehead as it counted to 23, feeling herself growing faint under the strain of the monster's bellowing voice.

"They should have made this ceiling much higher!" Meister Pfriem continued its litany of complaints. "How the devil am I supposed to stand up in here?!"

A teenage boy who had come to grab a burger with his girlfriend but was now in the claws of the monster thought he heard a police siren and hoped for salvation.

"Why, I would have built this ceiling at least three meters high! The heat is building up under this low ceiling and it has no place to go! I say, don't you people feel how sweltering hot it's getting in here?! I'm burning up! Help! I'm…!"

"As I was about to say!" Rei Hino growled as she baked the golem from the inside until it came apart around her. "I haven't got time for this nonsense!"

The customers of the Fruits Parlor Crown didn't quite understand what had just happened, but they applauded the clown as if she had performed another trick.
Sailor Moon arrived just in time to see that her friend had freed herself from the danger she and the Fruit Parlor Crown's customers had been in.

"I don't know what happened here," The blonde laughed while picking up the ceramic figure Meister Pfriem had been reduced to. "But I'll be taking this with me."

"And we'll be taking this with us," A gray-haired male police officer said as he put a pair of handcuffs on Rei's wrists.

"What?" The by now somewhat dishevelled clown protested. "What are you doing?! I haven't got time for this! I have to do my duty as a miko by four! And after that I have to meditate!"

"You can meditate on your sins in a jail cell. We got an anonymous phone call about a person working here disguised as a clown to stalk an employee!"A blue-haired female officer said." Let's get to the police station. You've got some explaining to do."

"Please, Mister police officer," An embarrassed Sailor Moon apologetically called out while walking to the stairs behind the officers and their captive. "You must be making a mistake. This person was such a nice clown, she couldn't possibly have had bad intentions. Please listen to me."

As the group descended the stairs, Faust left the payphone area and leisurely walked towards the sliding doors.

"Hahahaha," The swarthy man in the gray coat and blue trousers quietly chuckled. "I'm sorry, Sailor Senshi. But after the hell I went through for so many years, I needed a good laugh."

Chapter Text

"So you are visiting a museum, Chibi-Usa-chan? How mature of you."
"You visited a few museums with school yourself, Usagi-chan. But you were probably slacking off, so you don't remember."
"How unfair! How would I slack off while visiting a museum? Slacking off is the entire point of visiting a museum!"
"Well, there you go proving your niece right, Usagi-chan."
"That's right, Carolina-senpai. It seems more to me like slacking off is the entire point of Usagi-chan."
"I am the only one out of us three with a job, you know?"
"I teach my fellow students in after-school art class for free, though."
"Ugh…"

"An afternoon at the museum to study art, but be watchful of the trap set by the golems! Chibi-Usa-chan, protect your love!"

Amishiro Park was always a bustle of fathers, mothers, and children on a warm summer day, and today was no different.

Here, there was a single father with a twin. There, two mothers were chatting while their children took turns going down the long slide.
A group of teenagers was sitting and talking on a few benches in the corner of the park, while a few office ladies were having lunch on the benches over at the other side.
A group of children was playing with a ball in the middle of the park...

Every individual there was having innocent fun while minding their own business.
Everyone but a group of three, standing at the top of the wide slide with a view over the entire park.

"The greatest thing about the main character in the movie," Hilverding told his companions while moving back and forth with swagger. "Is that he did what he had to without letting himself be tied down by his problems."

"Yes, Struwwelpleter said with a roll of his eyes. "There are other types who hate life and are constantly engaged in self-destructive behavior."

"I know their kind," Schlager chuckled haughtily. "There's one of those in my class. A quiet boy."

"The type that thinks he knows better than everyone else?" Hilverding chuckled.

"You could say that," His female friend smiled. I often tell him he is no different than the rest of us and should learn to adapt to the group.
But he's always sitting alone and eating in the toilets during lunch break."

"Hahahaha!" Hilverding laughed. "Just imagine."

"What an anti-social pratt," Struwwelpeter huffed. "Probably doesn't want to participate in sports activities either."

"He's not putting in any effort to help the group, that's for certain," His friend with the long wavy black hair who had a cute butterfly-clip over her right ear said.
"We often hit him with the ball on purpose to teach him a lesson."

"During dodgeball?"

"During any ball game," Schlager smiled.

"Hahaha! You're merciless," Struwwelpeter said while sliding his long, dirty blonde hair from before his eyes.

"Serves him right," His friend said. "I have no patience with whiny kids."

"That's right," Struwwelpeter dryly commented. "No mercy for weak little sissies."

"About that," Hilverding said. "That timid embarrassment who thinks we are her children is planning another attack today."

"Oh? In that case, let's follow her and intervene in the fight," Schlager laughed.

"Those Sailor Senshi are such buffoons it'll be easy to make another friend," Struwwelpeter agreed."

"And it's not like Martha and her friends are any more industrious or competent," Hilverding said. "It'll be like taking candy from a baby."

"Say, do the two of you feel like having some ice cream?" Schlager asked.

"I'm always in for some iced cream."

"Me too. Let's go to that Fruits Parlor Crown place," Hilverding said. "I hear they had a row a couple of days ago involving a clown that worked there.
Maybe we can get some more laughs while we enjoy our ice cream."

And so, the immature homunculi slid off the wide slide into the sandpit with a cry of pleasure before they went on their way.

"Did you bring your allowance with you? Struwwelpeter asked Schlager as the trio of golems walked up the stairs to the Fruits Parlor Crown.

"What allowance?" The creature that looked like a 10-year-old girl huffed. "I cleaned the apartment for that money. They are wages. Not an allowance."

"We all worked together to clean the apartment," Hilverding said. "Martha was stupified that we did a much better job at it than she ever did."

"What else would you expect from a woman who hates her life without doing anything to improve it?" Schlager commented.

"I don't expect anything from anyone who doesn't take responsibility for their own problems," Hilverding said. "After all, every person makes himself or herself. We have no excuses for indolence."

"Exactly what I'm thinking," Struwwelpeter said while raising his chin. "Now let's have some yummy ice cream."

"What will you be having, Schlager?" His companion in the white T-shirt and red shorts asked their female friend.

"Welcome to the Fruits Parlor Crown, Okyaku-sama," They were interrupted by a girl with two long blonde pigtails. "where you can live the experience of eating at an American diner. How can I help you, please?"

"I'd like a strawberry sundae with extra whipped cream," Hilverding said.

"A banana split for me," Schlager added.

"And a pistachio parfait for me."

"Really? Bweh!" Hilverding and Schlager said in unison.

"You have an adult taste, Okyaku-sama," Usagi said. "We'll take care of your orders."

"He's the youngest of us, you know?" Hilverding smirked at the blonde.

"Oh? And who is the oldest?"

"Me," The boy with the dark brown hair said.

"Our strawberry sundae is also a great choice," Usagi said while accepting Hilverding's payment for the three orders of ice cream. "As is our banana split.
Please take a seat at table 1, Okyaku-sama. Unazuki-chan will deliver your order shortly."

"Alright, let's take a seat," Hilverding decided as he walked towards the table with his companions in tow.

"Is everything going well, Usagi-chan?" He saw a girl with a beige pixiecut hairdo ask the girl who took their orders.

"Everything is fine, Hina-chan," Usagi replied. "I've been taking orders like I never did anything else. You were right: After being taught by you, I got the hang of it in no time."

"Ah, yes. Thank you for the praise," Hmjbb smiled happily while waving her hand before her chest.

"Héhé. My mother said work shouldn't be fun, but she's so wrong."

"And I haven't even taught you how to flip burgers yet. You're in for a treat."

"My boyfriend said this kind of work might get more dreary as you do it year in year out, though," Usagi said. "I'll have to buy him a present."

"For saying that?" Hmjbb asked while blinking in confusion.

"No. One of my teachers wondered out loud recently, in my boyfriend's hearing, whether I started this job to earn money so I could get him a present. So I kind of have to get him a present now. His birthday is coming up anyway. So is my little brother's. With the wages from this job, I can treat them to something special this year.

"Don't get their hopes up," Hmjbb sweatdropped. "This job may be fun, but it doesn't pay nearly enough to buy anything fanciful. Not if it's your daytime job anyway."

"I thought about getting Mamo-chan a handsome suit to wear at the party this weekend, but I won't get paid by then," Usagi sighed. "And I know mother won't allow me an advance on my allowance."

"There's a party?" Hmjbb asked while handling a customer.

"Mamo-chan studied in the US for about a year, and a few of the friends he made are coming over. He's been excited about it for months. He must have missed them. A friend of Mamo-chan's is going to hold a party in their honor. Both of us are invited."

"You and me?" Hmjbb smiled.

"No," Usagi giggled. "Mamo-chan and me."

"Here is your order, Okyaku-sama," Unazuki told Schlager, Struwwelpeter, and Hilverding when she arrived at their table with the ice cream sundaes they had ordered. "A banana split. A pistachio parfait. And a strawberry sundae."

"Hmm…" Schlager smiled. "These look delicious."

"Enjoy them while they're cold," Unazuki joked. "And if you need anything else, just order at the counter, please. It is nearby. Very nearby."

Struwwelpeter slid back the long hair in front of his eyes to watch her leave the table and wait on other customers.

"I was thinking," The creature in the yellow T-shirt and blue jeans that looked like a 10-year-old boy said. "Do either of you know who Martha is targeting?"

"She didn't say anything to me," Schlager said. "I think she's starting to suspect us trying to save more of our friends."

"Yes. She might be afraid the others find out she's been keeping us," Her long-haired friend said.

"I think some of them already know," Schlager said.

"Really? Hilverding asked.

"Who?" Struwwelpeter inquired.

"She trusts Wagner a lot. She confides in him about nearly everything. I'm pretty sure she got a shock and told him about us after we brought you home with us."

"Maybe it would be best for our enterprise if we found a home for new members of our group in some abandoned building," Struwwelpeter suggested.

"Good idea," Hilverding nodded before putting a strawberry in his mouth. "Hmm… We'll see if we can save the golem Martha is using today and try to find a good location afterwards, whether we're successful or not."

"If Wagner knows about us, it might be a good idea to find a shelter for ourselves anyway," Schlager added. "You never know what they might get into their heads."

"But first, let's enjoy these ice creams," Hilverding smiled while taking a bite of vanilla ice cream.

"By the way," Hmjbb said to Usagi. "Today is the first day of recording for Minako-chan and Aki-kun's movie."

"Huh? How do you know that? I haven't told you."

"Well, I didn't tell you when you told me you know Minako-chan, but I, in turn, am a close friend of Aki-kun."

"You are friends with Akito-kun, Hina-chan?!" Usagi gushed. "No way. Akai Akito is so cool."

"And a know-it-all."

"Like Rei-chan, huh?"

"He's terrible," Hmjbb nodded with a sigh. "But he's my dear friend, so I tolerate it. I remember that day when we went to that museum. Oh… What a day that was."

"That reminds me," Usagi said. "My… niece is going on a tour at a friend's house. It seems it's a real museum of ancient portraits."

"Now they're just saying whatever," Schlager muttered, overhearing the entire conversation since they were seated so close to the counter.

"Hush…" Hilverding went.

The other two saw their friend listen intently.

"Are they going to be alone together?" Hmjbb grinned at Usagi. "Oohlala."

"Don't be like that," Usagi laughed. "The friend is a girl. And besides, they won't be alone, because Chibi-Usa-chan invited a couple of their other friends too."

"I think I have an idea of where Martha will strike today," Hilverding said with a knowing grin.

"I am in love," Minako said as she turned her eyes on the young man in the blue kimono and light-beige haori.

Akito turned away from her as if to avert his eyes from temptation.

"According to the book you gave me, love is a sin," The woman who stood behind him in a beige kimono with green and pink designs continued. "Am I a sinner then?"

Akito walked ahead through the beautiful traditional Japanese garden. A garden that did not hold such beauty to him as the one who pursued him.

"I cannot live by the rules of God," Minako protested. "I can't."

"Gin!" Akito suddenly spoke up, startling her with the passion in his voice.

"You are a flower that is only starting to bloom," He continued after steadying his voice and turning towards her. "Why don't you offer your chastity to the Virgin Mary and obtain true heavenly happiness?"

Minako lowered her eyes in despair.

Akito turned and walked until he reached a chair, which he seated himself on.

"It… It is the only thing I desire for you," He said as he turned his eyes on her again.

"You have a wife," Minako said, her eyes still lowered. "Happiness in this world and happiness from above, you have both.

I don't desire happiness from heaven.
At least tell me how to obtain happiness in this world."

"Happiness in this world," He said while averting his eyes. "... Is fleeting."

"Six years ago…" Minako said while breathing agitatedly. "I said that I would not marry without Ukon-san's permission.
Whatever happens… I will never break that oath."

Akito saw her run from him in despair.
He did not want to be the cause of her unhappiness.
He couldn't help it. He simply could not marry her.

"My permission…" He muttered as he got up and slowly walked the path back to the main building.

"And cut!" The director exclaimed. Well done, everyone. I think we nailed this one. Let's have our lunch break here."

"That was great, Minako-chan," Akito said. His shoulder-length black hair tied in a topknot. "You could hear the stifled passion in your voice.
Are you sure this is your first leading role?"

"Haha. Thanks, you flatterer," Minako said as she walked over to a wooden table near the edge of the set.
"Let's just say I have a lot of pent-up frustration and this is a way to let it all out."

Akito came and sat beside her on the tablet's bench. He decided against taking the bait right away and looked out over the set.

"They are two meaty roles we got here with Ogin-san and Ukon-san," The young man said. "We can really cut our acting teeth here. Although with that comes a lot of pressure. You especially have large shoes to fill."

"Arima-san was a kind senpai to my mother when she played the lead in Tokyo Midnight," Minako said while swinging her legs. "They got along well.
It feels like getting a chance to be closer to my mother by playing this part. It makes me very happy."

"Oh. I didn't know your mother knew Arima Ineko-san. That's quite a bit of meaningful coincidence. I can imagine you wanting to give it your all."

Minako smiled when the handsome male singer patted her on the shoulder.

"You can say that again," She smiled. "Although that's nothing compared to the pressure I'd put on myself if I ever got the chance to star in a remake of Tokyo Midnight.
I'd love that."

"I hope you'll get that chance," Akito said in his smooth, comforting voice. "Now, how about we visit the lunch bar?"

"That's a great idea," Minako said while jumping up from the wooden bench. "I feel like having some yakisoba with a curry bread."

"So many carbs," Akito whistled. "And you still manage to stay this slim? What's your secret?"

"I eat very light dinners late at night, and I always eat light breakfasts," Minako chuckled as they walked towards a makeshift stall where the crew got their lunches.

Akito seemed interested in her. That much was clear to her from their first meeting.
The question to Minako was how interested he was. She had seen pictures of herself in the gossip pages with other male artists with whom she had started relationships.
The problem was that those relationships never went anywhere because those guys were only interested in having a quick fling with her.

Minako was tired of those flings, though. She wanted to meet a guy who was serious about her.

"I'll have a yakisoba and a curry bread," Minako told the woman at the stall.

"You're inspiring me," Akito said. "I think I'll have a curry bread too. A curry bread and a salad."

"You won't be disappointed," Minako smiled.

"You certainly won't," The woman behind the stall chuckled while accepting Akito's payment.

"This is going to be delicious," Minako said when she received her food. "You think your fans will forgive me for my character pursuing yours so doggedly?"

"My fans are pretty chill girls and boys," Akito said as he was handed his curry bread and salad. "They won't mind. They might even start to love you too.
That's what our record companies hope for anyway."

The two of them walked back to the table they came from, and sat down. Three people of the camera crew were already sitting on the bench on the other side.

"So…" Minako said after a bite from her curry bread. "I thought Mute Akai was just you trying to protect your privacy in interviews, but you don't ever seem to talk about yourself even during casual conversation."

"Hahaha," Akito sweatdropped. "That nickname is new to me. Which of the major tabloids came up with it?"

"None of them," Minako smiled cutely. "I just made it up. But I'll sell it to the tabloids if you don't start talking about yourself. I swear I won't sell what you tell me."

Akito couldn't help laughing as his co-star showed him a V-sign while obviously crossing the fingers of her other hand behind her back.

"Alright then," He said. "What do you want to know about me?"

"How big is your family?"

"I have two brothers and one sister. Our father left us when I was 5. Mother raised us without looking for a new husband until it was time to go to middle school."

"Were you very sad about it?"

"Mother said I tried to comfort her when she cried, but I don't remember much about that time. I do remember I helped her raise my brothers and sisters.
But I was also pretty selfish, so my mother had to intervene from time to time."

"Sounds fair. When did you first fall in love?"

"My first love was a Manga character," Akito said without shame. "I used to fantasize about meeting her in real life.
Real girls never quite lived up to the memory of her, but I did have two real girlfriends before I started my career."

"How cute. I suppose that means you're very demanding of your girlfriend?"

"Not really. I don't have much of a preference as to appearance or anything. I just want a girlfriend with a certain kind of cuteness."

"Haha!" Minako said. "But that kind of thing is hardest for a woman to satisfy."

"Maybe," Akito pondered. "Now you're starting to make me feel bad. Maybe I should lower my expectations."

"Oh? To what?"

"Now I just want a really great kisser," Akito laughed. "I'll have to announce that girls can test their luck and the best kisser will be my girlfriend."

"You're horrible," Minako deadpanned. "And when are you going to make such an announcement?"

"I might not need to make one after all," Akito grinned. "You and I have a kissing scene in this movie. Let's see how well you perform."

Minako turned and watched her co-star's mischievous grin.

The arrogant smirk reminded her of someone and ignited her competitive streak.

"And did you think you're history's greatest kisser?" She asked with a sly grin of her own. "Let's see how well you'll perform. No pressure, of course."

"Oh? Don't worry about that, Minako-chan. I promise to blow your socks off."

"Hahaha! You are on, Mute Akai. We'll see who the best kisser is at this table."

The three camera-crew members sitting on the other side of the table were well aware that both stars had long ago forgotten they were there.

As she walked through the doors of the church, Chibi-Usa was greeted by the same magnificent interior architecture as had become a familiar sight by now.
The grandiose was a strange, paradoxical element in the Church of Saint Maria Magdalena that contrasted fiercely with the modest nature of its patron.

The sun shone through the beautiful colors of the huge stained windows on the second and third stories
A fast-paced and joyful jubilate was being played on the organ to her left as she walked in between the exquisitely carved wooden chairs in front of the altar.
Inside God's house, it was as evident as outside that today was a beautiful and radiant sunny day for all of creation to enjoy.

But the outside didn't hold nearly the same interest to Chibi-Usa as the inside.
She walked on to the front of the pew, her eyes fixed - fixated - on a person who today wore her head of perfectly black long hair loose.

Chibi-Usa regarded Carolina's handsome shape from behind.
Her square shoulders were dressed in a loose, sleeveless light-green shirt, showing her bulging arms that the pinkette loved to kiss.
Her firm, expressive hands were lovingly holding the rosary she was using to pray.
Her long, elegant legs were clad in a pair of dark-gray trousers with a few prominent white flecks on them, because Carolina was exactly the kind of person who could make slovenly a fashion statement.

Chibi-Usa pondered these things as she sat next to her lover, and the music stopped.

"Here I am, picking you up at this place once more," The pinkette sighed melodramatically. "You meant it when you said you wanted to make me a convert, didn't you?"

A sly smirk appeared on Carolina's face, and the blackette slowly opened her eyes and lowered them towards her girlfriend, making Chibi-Usa feel like a hare caught.

"This is how the first Christian missionaries converted the pagan tribes of Europe," The Portuguese teased. "By showing their leaders what they might stand to gain from conversion. It's a quid pro quo: First, I welcome you to church, and then I welcome you to my father's museum of faces."

"Are you saying my cute self is a barbarian?" Chibi-Usa asked while her red eyes stared at Carolina's.

The Portuguese stared back in awe.

"You're a barbarian of cuteness," She gushed.

"Honestly, where do you keep getting those crappy pick-up lines from."

Shocked out of adoring her girlfriend, Carolina turned to look at the two couples standing behind her.

"Oh. Hi, Masanori-kun," She laughed. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Same time Chibi-Usa arrived," Momoko winked.

"So the four of you are going to join us in my father's museum, huh?"

"You could say, we invited ourselves," Kyuusuke said with a playful grin.

"Or more accurately: I invited them, because you've been a little overly physical lately, and I wanted a way to curb you today. "

"Overly physical?" A nonplussed Carolina stammered. "But I seldom get the chance to get physical with you."

"Even when among strangers, your hands are constantly all over Chibi-Usa-chan at every opportunity," Masanori sighed.

"And if there are no opportunities, you create them," Chibi-Usa bashfully said while hugging herself.

"Oh, Coelho Ardente," Carolina gushed while her hand moved to her lover's cheek.

"Hey, you're in a church," Fuminori Nakano said with a roll of his eyes. "I thought you had such a struggle with your faith about dating Chibi-Usa?"

"Yes, but I feel better about that now," Carolina grinned like a reprobate. "Anyway, let's get going. We have a lot to see."

"Is it really that big a place?" Momoko asked.

Her friends left their seats and started walking towards the church doors.

"The museum is formed by part of the cellar, the mezzanine formed by the ground floor hallway and the stairwell to the second floor, and two large rooms on the second floor," Carolina said. "Although the cellar serves mainly as an archive and the portraits kept there are not on display."

Looking around as they walked, Chibi-Usa pondered that the Church of Saint Maria Magdalena had become a lot more popular lately.
While at first only Christians of the Catholic Faith visited the church, recently non-believers showed a growing tendency to visit the building for its stunning architecture and interior.

But the pinkette was not the only person watching people.

Upon seeing Carolina taking notice of something to her left, Chibi-Usa saw a man with thick bushy black hair dressed in a green jacket and black trousers observing her while in conversation with Pastor Hidaka.

As he noticed that she saw him, the man looked away.

"Do you know that guy?" Masanori asked the pinkette.

Chibi-Usa shook her head.

"He's a Polish man named George Twardowski," Carolina said. "He's the trustee of the fund that built the church in service of the Ecclesiastical Province of Tokyo. Sometimes he's accompanied by another man who is the trust fund's grantor. The two of them are here pretty often. They seem to care a lot about the church and the community."

Martha and Gretchen were sitting side by side on a bench near the enclosed garden of a Beaux-Arts style mansion, letting the sun shine on their faces.

"You know it's going to rain later today, don't you?" Gretchen asked.

"Is it?"

"Don't you watch the news?"

"I did," Martha said. "But I suppose I forgot."

"I wish we could forget other things."

Martha glanced aside at her young friend. The friend she had betrayed over lust and the promise of a new life. She didn't believe how she could have been so callous all those years ago to allow Faust to talk to the young girl entrusted to her watchfulness.

"Yes," She said. "And I wish we could undo things."

Gretchen was a beautiful girl from a good family. The Meijers weren't on the same level as Martha, financially. But Martin Meijer had died, leaving his wife and children their own home and a small business that was doing well until Eva fell ill.
Gretchen could have easily found a husband who would have made her very happy if not for Faust and his dazzling ways.

Martha rather didn't remember how Mephistopheles had enchanted her and how they behaved while Faust seduced Gretchen.
Even though hell had given her far more demeaning and horrible memories of the carnal kind.

"Do you miss your mother, Martha?"

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Martha tried to remember her mother. The woman who was just as taken in by Erich Schwerdtlein as Martha herself, but didn't want to hear any complaints when Martha's husband turned out to be a drunk and a violent tyrant.

"I couldn't forgive my mother for ignoring my pain," She said. "So no. I suppose I don't. My relationship with my mother soured as my marriage did. I don't hate her, but I try to only think of the good memories."

"I can't remember much of my mother," Gretchen said. "It's been so long ago, and I have so many other memories. Valentin remembers her more clearly than I do. I have some childhood memories of her that I cling to, but most of all, it is the guilt that remains."

"Gretchen, we were duped by the devil. You didn't know that what Faust gave you for your mother was a poison instead of a sleeping drug."

The blonde leaned forward and clutched her head in her hands.

"I wanted to drug my mother so I could meet with my lover!" Gretchen almost screamed. "My own mother! I still don't understand how I could wish for such a thing."

"Gretchen, it's not your fault. We were…"

"But it was my fault, Martha. It was all our own fault. We know it, and God knows it. That is why all of Heinrich's prayers and self-flagellation won't do any good. God has abandoned us because we turned to the devil to fulfill our wishes."

Martha's hand went for the scalp of her younger friend. But she hesitated. Was she really allowed to comfort the girl she failed through selfishness and lust?

"I'm sorry, Martha," Gretchen said. "I know that once we were all released from our respective corners of hell, under Valentin's influence, I started to resent you. But I can't blame you anymore for what was the result of my deal with the devil."

Martha felt something glow inside as she started to caress her young friend's arched back. She didn't realize it, but a part of her that she had believed to be lost was reclaiming its individuality and growing in power.

"Thank you, Gretchen," She smiled. "Even though I still feel guilty for betraying your trust, it feels good to be forgiven by you."

Gretchen looked up and smiled at her friend.

"I suppose," She said. "Because Heinrich saved me from being captured, I started thinking about things…"

"I hope you didn't think about forgiving him, though?" Martha said with a sour look.

"Maybe Christopher is right, Martha. Mephistopheles might have targeted us to get his hands on Heinrich's soul, but we were the ones who allowed ourselves to be targeted. In any case…" The blonde said as she looked ahead to focus her thoughts. "Oh… Here they come!"

Martha looked up and saw that Carolina had arrived at the fence gate surrounding her home with Chibi-Usa and their four friends.

"You're right," She spoke eagerly. "That means it's time to enter the house of this great artist and put the golem Herr Faust gave us to good use."

The two women quickly followed their prey as the six youngsters entered the mansion.

Once inside, Masanori, Fuminori, Kyuusuke, and Momoko bowed to a man in a wheelchair who was dressed in a white shirt with red accents and a pair of black trousers.

"This is my father, Tiago Di Ramos Rodrigues," Carolina introduced the man while caressing his shoulder.

"Welcome to our home," Tiago said. "It will be a pleasure to guide you through my collection. It's been a while since we had visitors."

"Thank you, Rodrigues-san," Fuminori smiled. "Momoko-chan and Chibi-Usa-chan were eager to visit. Masanori-kun told me he had already visited the museum last year.
He told me you are a great artist?"

"Hahahha!" Tiago chuckled. "I've been lucky enough to have pleased a collection of wealthy patrons with my art."

"Rodrigues-san became famous for painting the walls of the Jardins De Fantasia among other things," Chibi-Usa explained. "And he designed the new logos of American Airlines and the football club FC Barcelona."

"Really?" Kyuusuke said. "That's the first I heard of it."

"Like I said: I was lucky enough to find some rich patrons for my art," Tiago smiled. "And after my divorce and then my accident, I needed a break from the past, so we moved to Japan."

"You forgot to mention you were getting obsessed with the historical connection between Portugal and Japan, Father," Carolina smiled. "After discovering that a distant relative of ours was on a trading ship that traveled to Japan in the 1570s, father got his hands on a wood carving portrait of him, and two obsessions were born."

"Two obsessions that made me drag my poor Carolina to the other side of the world," Tiago shook his head in mock-sadness.

"I was a little sad to have to say goodbye to my friends," His daughter chuckled. "But I have to admit I was mainly really excited for the big adventure."

"Hahaha. I remember with what fervor you started to learn Japanese and how you asked me to buy those anime VHS cassettes for you."

"And now I've got my very own magical girl by my side," Carolina grinned while pulling Chibi-Usa close.

"Hahaha," Chibi-Usa laughed loudly. "See if I won't punish you with my magical whip if your hand stays on my butt."

"Let's start the tour!" Tiago laughed.

Momoko and Kyuusuke watched as the man with the shiny short black hair turned with his wheelchair and led the way through the double door from the entrance hall to the mezzanine.

"Oh, wow!" Momoko gushed as she saw the portraits hanging from the hallway and the stairwell to the landing. "There are so many of them."

"Yes. I've been splurging on these, I'm afraid," Tiago smiled. "I just think it's wonderful to see all of these portraits from around the world and throughout history here in one place. It's as if this corner of Tokyo became a shelter for an international group of people."

"These are all portraits of regular people," Chibi-Usa observed. "So that's what finding your forebearer's portrait led to?"

"Yes. Obviously, it would have been prohibitively expensive to buy paintings of famous people by famous artists. But that is not what interests me.
I want to collect the faces of ordinary men and women because of the unknown history and the silent lives behind those portraits. Does that make sense?"

"Yes," Chibi-Usa smiled. "I know what you mean. It's the mystery of the lives that these relatively obscure and unknown people lived. It's the wonder of looking at their portraits and trying to divine the things they experienced. Fantasizing about their hopes and dreams."

"That's it," Tiago nodded. "You get it.

Now, everyone, let me point you to the picture in the green frame. The man in the burgundy coat… "

Meanwhile, Hilverding and Schlager helped Struwelpeter to crawl out of the toilet on the second floor.

"Thanks," The latter said as he wrung out his long, dirty hair in the bathtub. "That was a hard climb. The plumbing is slippery in this place."

"They probably eat lots of fish here," Hilverding grimaced in dismay. "Anyway, let's take a peek through the house and see if Martha has already attacked. "

"Yes," Schlager agreed. "But let's be stealthy about it. Unlike those cowardly Soul Merchant clowns, we lack the ability to turn incorporeal."

"You're right," Hilverding said as he quietly opened the bathroom door an inch.

He found that Taigo Di Ramos Rodrigues was riding up the stairs in an elevator while his guests followed him.

"This is the portrait of an Italian peasant by Giotto Di Bondone," Carolina's father said as he arrived atop the stairs. "One of the most expensive pieces in my collection…"

"How much money did you spend on it, Rodrigues-san?" Kyuusuke asked while he and Momoko arrived on the landing.

"Oh? Hahaha! I'm afraid I'm much too ashamed to name the price out loud," Tiago laughed. "Rest assured, it is more than you would have spent on a set of sports equipment."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Momoko laughed.

Fuminori and Masanori had a good laugh as they followed their friends up the stairs, shielding Chibi-Usa from view as she lost her balance.

The pinkette screamed silently as she lost her footing and fell backwards.

"Careful," Carolina grinned as she caught her girlfriend in her arms. "You wouldn't want me to get my hands all over you."

Chibi-Usa carefully put her feet back on the stairs and looked sulkingly behind her.

"I don't have a problem feeling your hands all over my body," She whispered. "But as a Japanese, I'm not comfortable being touched and kissed in public all the time.
I told you this before."

"Alright, alright," Carolina quietly spoke while stealthily caressing Chibi-Usa's left hand. "I'll learn to restrain myself in public. I know God would want me to respect my lover's sensibilities, whether a man or a woman."

"I don't have high hopes for that," Chibi-Usa deadpanned. "But thank you for trying."

"Now let's enter what was formerly the second-floor study in this house," Carolina's father said. "And take a look at our Edo Period collection. Not that I have only Japanese works here, but I decided to split up my collection according to Japanese time periods."

Following Tiago, the six youngsters entered the large room and closed the door behind them.

"This is a great vantage point," Schlager said while peering out through the slightly opened bathroom door.

"Yes, you have a view of most of the mezzanine from here," Struwwelpeter whispered.

"It's almost time for Martha's attack," Hilverding chuckled excitedly. "I'm sure of it. Any minute now."

"Masanori told me you have a bunch more portraits in an archive in your basement," Fuminori interrupted Taigo while the man explained the process of making a woodcut print. "Why don't you exhibit all of them? Are you short on space?"

"Oh no. We have enough free space to turn the entire second floor into a museum," Tiago said. "The problem is that I bought so many portraits, and many of them need to be restored. Which takes time. I have time, but I am also working on new art and commissions from important clients, so I don't have that much time to devote to the restoration of the portraits. So linger in dust they must for a while to come, I'm afraid.
About once every month or three, I can lift a portrait from obscurity and add it to my displayed collection."

"You do amazing work, Rodrigues-san," Chibi-Usa said as she traced the contours of a German nun's face in a portrait from the 1700s. "These paintings and woodcuts seem like they were restored by a professional."

"Why, thank you, Chibi-Usa-chan," Carolina's father smiled. "I studied under a restoration artist when I was younger, and I hoped that my skill hadn't deserted me when I started the collection."

"It certainly hasn't," Masanori gushed. "I was amazed when, during my first tour of the museum, Carolina-senpai told me you were the one who restored most of the works."

"You seem quite immersed by that nun's painting, Chibi-Usa?" Momoko chuckled. "Watch out if you don't make Carolina-senpai jealous."

"Hahaha," Carolina laughed. "I don't get jealous that easily. I'm quite confident in my powers of attraction."

"I can't believe how self-assured you are," Kyuusuke sighed with a shake of his head that caused Tiago, Carolina, Fuminori, and Masanori to laugh. "I wouldn't dare say something like that about Momoko and me."

"That's just because you are too timid," The Portuguese teased. "See if you won't become as confident as I if you know each other a little longer."

"Yeah, sure," Kyuusuke deadpanned with a roll of his eyes. "That's probably it."

"It is a beautiful portrait, though," Momoko commented as she looked at the nun's eyes and noticed a slight discoloration near the left eye, which had eluded Chibi-Usa.
The purplette wondered if it was a flaw in the restoration process and decided to keep quiet about it in order not to embarrass Carolina's father.

As the group started to leave the room, Chibi-Usa was still wondering what seemed so familiar to her in the portrait of the nun.

"I knew it," Carolina joked as she bumped into the pinkette. "I should dress up like a nun one of these days. You have a cute fetish there, Coelho Ardente."

"Leave it to you to only think of one thing," Chibi-Usa chuckled as she moved towards the door. "I don't think you are pious enough to wear a nun's habit. You would look cute, though."

"I would," Carolina said as her girlfriend walked through the door. "I would look so cute, you wouldn't be able to resist my kisses."

"Lechery is a most unforgivable sin," The two young women heard a disembodied female voice say. "Wolpertinger, kindly take possession of this soul for us."

Chibi-Usa watched in horror as the door slammed shut behind her and heard her lover exclaim in shock. The door seemed to be frozen solid when the pinkette pulled on the handle.

"Gretchen… It must be," Chibi-Usa whispered to herself.

"What's wrong, Chibi-Usa-chan?" Masanori asked as he saw his confounded friend standing before the door.

"Carolina! She's trapped inside!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed. "Please, Rodrigues-san. Can you tell me where I can find a spare key?"

"A spare key can be found in the keybox in the hallway," Tiago said as he returned from the room next door. "But what's the matter with Carolina?"

Having gotten the excuse to run off, Chibi-Usa hurried down to the hallway and into the downstairs toilet, where she called for the other Sailor Senshi on her sailor communicator and prepared to transform.

"Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!"

Chibi-Usa waved her hand over the Pink Moon Compact, revealing a pink heart-shaped crystal inside.

Being bathed in the pink light from the crystal, a fiery red moon crescent appeared behind her.
The thirteen-year-old gracefully danced around with her arms lifted high while the glowing red crescent spun in the opposite direction.

Pink ribbons twirled around Sailor Chibi-Moon's body and formed her white leotard, her pink neckerchief, and her red bow with the pink heart in the middle.
As she stretched out her arms to the sides, pink ribbons enveloped them and formed her white gloves.

Her dance culminated in a pirouette while pink ribbons formed her pink high heels.

The red crescent wrapped around Sailor Chibi-Moon's waist to form her blue-and-red bordered white skirt with a long white bow on her back.

Lastly, Sailor Chibi-Moon's tiara appeared on her forehead, and her white hairclips appeared over each odango.

With a large pink heart appearing behind her, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon struck a pose in a wide left-leg-forward A-stance with her left hand on her left hip and her right arm parallel to her left leg.

"Now to see where it is," The pinkette mumbled to herself as she opened the door from the toilet to the entrance hall. "I have a nervous feeling about this situation. That thing might jump me at any minute."

Super Sailor Chibi-Moon carefully opened the door to the mezzanine and looked up.
An eerie silence hung over the house.

The Senshi of love and justice strained her ears but couldn't make out a sound. Step by step, she ascended the staircase to the second floor.

The whole house was quiet as a mouse.

Sailor Chibi-Moon arrived on the landing with her red eyes squarely on the door of the room she had visited just a few minutes ago.
There was no sign of Tiago, Carolina, Kyuusuke, Masanori, or anyone.

Taking her Moon KaleidoScope in both hands, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon stood ready to use her attack.
Then she kicked open the door.
Breaking the ice around the frame, her kick pushed the door against the inside wall, luckily without damaging any of the portraits hanging there.

The room was empty as could be.

The Senshi of love and justice stepped inside and took a good look around, on edge for fear of being attacked by the Soul Merchants themselves, if not by their tool.
Then she quickly left the room and went to the room next door, kicking it open as before.

Everyone was huddled together around Tiago in the far corner of the room. A two-meter-tall creature with the back legs of a rabbit, the wings of a duck, the body and head of a deer, and the arms of a squirrel directed its horrifying fanged visage with the red 22 on its forehead towards Sailor Chibi-Moon.

"Here you are, my sweet bunny," The golem said with a salacious leer.

"Moon… !"

With a thud, the creature leapt towards Super Chibi-Moon, pushing her over the landing and making her land on the first floor in the creature's embrace.

"My sweet little bunny, won't we go to the woods frolicking around all day together?"

"N…no," Super Chibi-Moon squirmed as she tried to break free of the creature's hold. "I'd rather get my girlfriend back."

"Why don't you give me a little kiss?" The golem said as it pouted its lips.

"Ah…" Wolpertinger groaned as the Moon Kaleidoscope collided with the squirrel's nuts.

'I have to get some room between us!' Super Sailor Chibi-Moon reflected while running towards the front door.

She heard the golem scrambling to its feet as she put her hands on the door handle.

"Don't run away from me, beautiful maiden!" Wolpertinger exclaimed.

The Senshi of love and justice opened the door, and her lecherous pursuer stared right in the eyes of Super Sailor Jupiter and Queen Kakyuu, who were heading up the front walk.

"Jupiter!"

The symbol of Jupiter appeared in the palm of Jupiter's hand, discharging a blinding bolt of lightning.

"Oak!"

Jupiter hugged herself and spun around on her right leg while bright rays of green light burst from the green crystal in her tiara.

"Evolution!"

Then she spread her arms wide, and numerous green leaves were launched in all directions as she twirled around in a pirouette before, from the crystal in her tiara, an overwhelming amount of green energy flashes electrified the air as they shot toward their target.

Wolpertinger was baked instantly into a ceramic figure, and Carolina dropped into the arms of her relieved beloved.

"Come here, my little bunny rabbit," Carolina muttered in her unconscious state, prompting Sailor Chibi-Moon to wonder how much of the Portuguese made up Wolpertinger's personality.

Meanwhile, Hilverding, Stuwwelpeter, and Schlager had flushed themselves down the toilet to escape the situation that had developed.

"What a pity," Stuwwelpeter muttered as they walked around in the underground sewage system. "Wolpertinger would have made a great addition to our group."

"Can't be helped," Schlager sighed. "We have precious little chance to make new friends. The opportunity has to be just right."

"Yes," Hilverding said. "But I saved you two, so there's no telling how many more friends we can save. The sky's the limit!"

"Not quite," A female voice to their far right said.

The trio of golems looked in the direction of Tuxedo Mask and Super Sailor Saturn and felt their hearts sink.

"You guys are currently stuck in a bubble," The latter said." And the only place you're going is back home with me so we can have a little talk. "

"I knew it would be a great idea to stick to the search while Sailor Moon was at work," Tuxedo Mask smiled.

"That's right. That was a great idea, Tuxedo Mask," Saturn smiled as she high-fived her friend.

"Although it would be nice if your Silence Wall bubbles blocked out the sewer stench a little more," Her companion complained.

"If my bubbles block the air a little more, we'd suffocate," His stoic friend stoically stated. "Now be a good boy or I'll send you to your room."

Tuxedo Mask looked at his friend.

"You do know I am older than you, right?" He said.

"Only in dog years."

Chapter Text

"What a romantic location we're in. Edwards' mansion looks as monumental and beautiful as always."
"That's true, Usako. I only hope my American friends won't feel intimidated by having this party thrown in their honor."
"I'm sure I'll immediately put them at ease with my poor English, hahaha!"
"Don't put yourself down, Usagi-chan. I think your English is at a very high level right now."
"Thank you, Setsuna-chan. And thank you for teaching Mamo-chan to dress himself better."
"Uh-uh! Hmm-hmm… Yes. Thank you, Setsuna-chan."

"Mamoru gropes for trout in a peculiar river. Careful now! Don't let your girlfriend dance with the devil!"

It was a sunny afternoon. Birds were singing and bees were pollinating the flowers planted around a certain house in Minato-ku.
A scene of nature rejoicing in the full bloom of summer.
Ignoring the suffering of several animals and plants that fell prey to the superior fitness of others, it seemed a scene of perfect bliss.

Inside the house, however, a group of three was undergoing brutal treatment with the aim of extracting information from them. These three were linked to a sophisticated new technology that was using robots to fight them.

"Sonic, Tails, Knuckles. Now that you're all dead, you can come to the table and have lunch," Haruka told Struwwelpeter, Hilverding, and Schlager.

"Aw man…" Hilverding sighed. "We got so far this time. I'm looking forward to fighting Doctor Robotnik."

"Yes, this is such a fun game. I love the role-playing aspect," Schlager smiled as she left her seat next to Hotaru.

"This Dreamcast is an amazing console and this is an entertaining game," Struwwelpeter gushed. "Surely, it will help re-establish Sega as the dominant console manufacturer!"

"Just get here so you can join us for lunch," Michiru chuckled. "Haruka outdid herself."

"Bhah! You praise me too much," Her lover smiled before they shared a kiss. "This much is nothing."

"A good, healthy Japanese meal," Hilverding gushed as he sat and clapped his hands. "Thank you for the food."

"Thank you for the food," His companions repeated.

With relish, the golems dug into the food Haruka had prepared for them.

"That was a lot of fun playing games with you guys," Michiru smiled after swallowing some rice. "What kind of games did you play among each other before we found you?"

"We played this game where we would catch each other whenever your team fumbled up and let us escape," Hilverding chuckled.

"Hahaha! Good one, Hilverding," Struwwelpeter laughed.

"Good thing we caught the lot of you eventually, then," Hotaru dryly commented.

Haruka shared a look with the black-bobbed stoic, meaning to say she shouldn't antagonize the golems.

"But what I meant was, weren't there any games you played just to pass the time?" Michiru innocently asked. "Like tag or ball games?"

"Hahaha! My classmates and I enjoyed playing tag ball with one of them," Schlager smiled.

Bringing a piece of pickled cucumber to her lips, Hotaru darkly observed the lights of pleasure in the eyes of the golem who looked like a ten-year-old girl.

"Yes. You told us you went to school," Haruka said. "And did you get along with the kids at school?"

"At some point, there was a girl who was in love with the most popular guy at school," Hilverding said. "I encouraged her to confess, but the boy was only interested in another girl in school. It was so sad how heartbroken she was when he turned her down. But then, who would want to be with a lazy girl who always whines about every little thing?"

Struwwelpeter chuckled while he ate his rice.

"And who picked you up from school?" Hotaru asked. "Did they have a nice car?"

"Mother picked us up," Schlager smiled.

"Or was it father?" Hilverding suggested with a grin.

"We mostly walked to school ourselves," Struwwelpeter lazily spoke while eating his miso soup.

"Hmm-hmm," Hotaru coldly reacted. "Must have been tiring?"

"Only for lazy bums," Struwwelpeter commented without looking up from his soup.

"I bet I could outrun you if I wanted to," Hilverding poked.

"Hahaha!" Hotaru laughed without humor. "No, you can't. And I can keep my Silence Wall bubbles intact at kilometers' distance. So even if you run away, I'll always find you."

"Yes. Hotaru-kun would have been amazing at track and field, but what do I know?" Haruka deadpanned. "I guess excelling at sports is just not cool anymore these days."

"I excel more than enough with the Pink Pikas," Came the stubborn comment. "I'll beat any of you at tennis."

"But not at Virtual Tennis," Schlager teased.

"I… I almost beat you," Hotaru curtly replied.

"That's loser talk," Schlager cutely grinned.

"Hahaha," Hotaru laughed while placing her hand on the golem's wrist. "Fine. Let's have a rematch after lunch.

"That reminds me," Haruka brightly smiled. "I've got ice cream as dessert for anyone who didn't turn down Yokohama Tennis International."

"Fine by me," Hotaru said with a roll of her eyes while the golems laughed loudly.

"... And is willing to tell me everything they know about the Soul Merchants."

"Oh!" Michiru exclaimed with a jittery laugh and a clap of her hands. "That's me. I will tell you everything I know."

"I know you will, my darling," Haruka smiled brightly. "And you won't give up on competing with the top in the discipline you excel at, will you?"

"I certainly won't," Her green-haired girlfriend replied while caressing Haruka's cheek. "I will always reach for the top."

"Then it looks like you and I will enjoy some top-grade ice cream in a few minutes," Haruka said while Hilverding glared and Struwwelpeter salivated. "I can already taste that soft, creamy strawberry ice cream. Hmm…"

"Ah…" Struwwelpeter sighed. "This…"

"... Sucks," Schlager agreed.

"I really don't care," Hotaru shrugged while eating her rice.

A little later, a man in a green tuxedo and black tie entered the apartment where Marthé Moreau, aka Martha Schwerdtlein, lived.

Christopher Wagner was grateful for the level of trust that allowed Martha to give him a spare key. She had told him on the telephone to come in while she got ready for work, but he still preferred to be let in.

Christopher could tell the golems hadn't cleaned in a while, since clothes were hanging on the living room/dining room table. But the place was generally clean.
Martha must have done the cleaning herself.

The man with the caramel-blonde marquisetto beard chuckled to himself when he saw the issues of In Rock and other music magazines on the coffee table. He admired Martha for being so interested in modern culture.
Christopher thought it was cute when Martha was humming some Japanese or U.S. pop song like the one he heard her singing along to the radio in the bathroom at that moment.

He decided to sit on the sofa and read one of the magazines until Martha was done getting dressed.

Christopher was slightly nervous about having to attack at the party that evening with Faust AND Mephistopheles attending.
Faust may have been used to dealing with the monster, but that didn't mean he was.

Wagner still remembered how he stumbled backwards in terror when the devil first introduced himself. He was never quite able to shake that fear.
The Palatine decided he would personally back his golem up that evening in order not to displease Mephistopheles too much in case he failed.

While he was pondering these things, Martha entered the living room in a beautiful mint-green skirt and black stockings.

Christopher was in awe of the gorgeous black lace bra he saw as the woman he had fallen in love with pulled her black top over her head and shook her bright vermilion hair.
Martha turned nearly as red as her hair when she noticed he was sitting on the sofa.

"Christopher!" She exclaimed, before continuing in a quieter tone. "I didn't expect you to be here so soon."

"I'm sorry," Wagner muttered. "I thought I'd take a seat and wait until you're ready. I didn't… Anyway… You were singing a lovely tune earlier."

"Ah, yes," Martha smiled. "It's the new number one. A danceable but bittersweet song about a woman starting her life again after a breakup."

"I noticed the golems… Your family hasn't returned yet?"

"I'm really getting worried now," Martha sighed.

Christopher watched as she walked over to him and sat down.

There was something different about Martha lately. Even though she was worried ever since her golems disappeared, she seemed somehow more alive.

"What if something happens and Mephistopheles learns about them?" Martha wondered out loud. "Or worse: What if the Senshi killed them?"

"Or interrogated them," Christopher added.

Martha's eyes grew wide.

"You think they would?" She asked. "Hilverding knows not to tell anyone that I kept them, though."

"They might find ways of making them talk."

"I should go to the police."

"What?!" Christopher exclaimed. "Don't go to the police. That's how we'd get into trouble."

"But I must! The school will start to ask questions if they stop attending."

"You shouldn't have enrolled them," Christopher sighed. "You could tell the school that you moved them to another school, can't you?"

"I suppose so," Martha pondered. "But I have to find them in any case."

"We'll begin searching in their favorite hideouts starting tomorrow."

"I'm starting to wonder if I should tell Gretchen," Martha quietly spoke. "She'd help us search."

"It's a risk," Christopher replied while looking into her green eyes. "Gretchen only recently forgave you after having been resentful since we got out of hell.
If she takes offense at you keeping the golems as children, that might just be the kind of weapon Valentin might use to turn her against you again."

"Not that Valentin would do that per se," The Palatine said after a pause in which he realized he was making Gretchen's brother sound bad. "But if he doesn't like it that Gretchen forgave you, he might."

"You don't have to defend him, Christopher," Martha started.

"I wasn't. I'm trying to be honest while doing what I can so you won't see Valentin as your enemy."

"I know Valentin puts part of the blame for what happened to his mother and sister on me," Martha smiled sadly. "I can't be angry about that. I wish he'd stop blaming me, but I understand his reasoning."

"I'm slowly starting to make him see, you and Faust and the rest of us were simply tools Mephistopheles used to get what he wanted.
We shouldn't fight among ourselves. Faust also believes… "

"Hahahaha!"

Christopher observed his laughing friend with wonder. He thought Martha had a beautiful laugh.

"You are always so busy trying to get us to come together, Christopher. You're like a magnet, pulling everyone in towards you."

"I'll take that as a compliment and a coincidental synchronicity with my powers," Christopher smiled.

"You're a kind man," Martha said, gazing with adoring eyes at the gentle, wise, and handsome man she was never allowed to meet in life.

"And you're a woman who deserved better than what she got."

"Haha. I'm a foolish woman who always falls for the wrong men."

"I hope not," Christopher smiled. "Not always, I hope."

Staring into his brown eyes, Martha leaned closer, allowing Christopher to put his arm around her shoulder.
She kissed him while holding on to his right hand.
A long kiss, full of tenderness and comfort.

How Martha had longed to love a man like him.

"I'm creasing your outfit," She awkwardly giggled. "Why are you so dressed up anyway if you're going to be incorporeal?"

"I'm not," Christopher said as he caressed Martha's finger with his thumb. "I was officially invited, just like Faust and Mephistopheles. So I have to attend the party in person."

"Mephistopheles's doing, no doubt," Martha growled.

"Perhaps. But our host is someone who prides himself on bringing together young people who excel in their field. Without boasting of my ability as a teacher, I suspect my position at Juuban Municipal High School is what got me the invitation."

"He couldn't have invited a more worthy teacher," Martha smiled as she kissed the handsome man with the caramel-blonde marquisetto beard.

"And Mephistopheles couldn't have provided me with a more fitting golem," Christopher grinned before he returned her kiss.

"Wait a minute!" Minako exclaimed. "So you're gay?"

"Hahaha. I like men," Akito Akai chuckled while nervously looking around to see if any of the other customers at Haru No Ike overheard the blonde.
"Sorry. I thought you could be trusted with my secret, but I have a bit of a playful personality. I shouldn't have tricked you into kissing me the other day."

"You're damn right you should apologize," His colleague said. "What if I were really interested in you? You think it would have been fun to see me heartbroken?"

"Haha. N… No. I realize that would have been painful."

"You wouldn't think it was fun to see me heartbroken," Minako assured him. Especially if I'm drunk and tired."

"You're right," Akito said in a more serious tone. "That was a stupid game to play, and I'm sorry. It just gets annoying having to put up a facade all the time for my female fans."

"Ah… I guess I understand how that feels," Minako said.

The blonde took a sip from her plum juice and looked Akito over.

So much for being able to trust her instincts. She had been so sure that Akito purposefully tried to cultivate her acquaintance, though. Guess her bad luck in love continued.

"But all those stories you told me about your family were true, right?" Minako suspiciously asked.

"Don't worry," Akito smiled. "My first love really was a fictional character. Only it was a boy. See? There is truth to everything I said. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."

"You're a wily fox. I'll have to be careful around you."

"Darn. I guess I ruined our relationship before we even became friends, haven't I?"

Akito wistfully looked at his glass of oolong tea and emptied it in one go as if it were a beer.

"Mute Akito?" Minako said.

The young man with the shoulder-length black hair looked up at the young woman in the white dress with pink polka dots.

"Don't worry about it," Minako smiled. "Just don't pull a stunt like that again. It's not nice."

"So you forgive me?" Akito hopefully asked.

"I'll forgive and forget," His colleague winked.

"Good evening, Okyaku-sama," Martha Schwerdtlein said as she approached their table in high spirits. "Welcome to Haru No Ike, where it is spring all year round. Can I help you, please?"

"I'll have another oolong tea," Akito said.

Minako calmly observed Martha as he made his order and complimented her about her bright Vermillion hair.

Ever since the last Senshi meeting, the blonde started to wonder if Marthé Moreau could in reality be the Martha Schwerdtlein from the Faust legend Ami had talked about. Although, to be fair, the only thing in favor of that theory was the similarity in the women's names. Marthé Moreau wasn't even German. Hifumi Ebihara said he met her while working in France.

Although Minako knew better than anyone to what lengths a good spy would go to build a connection with their target.

"I'll have an oolong tea as well," She finally told Martha.

"I'm sorry to pry," Martha suddenly smiled. "I don't want to intrude on your privacy, but could it be true that you are Ai No Shoujo?"

"That's alright," Minako smiled back. "That's me. I'm surprised you recognized me so easily with my hair dyed."

"Oh, but I'd recognize your face anywhere," Martha said. "I've been a fan since Midnight Splendour. Happy or sad, your songs are always so beautiful. Don't you think, Okyaku-sama?"

Akito was amused that Martha didn't seem to recognize him.

"Yes, they are," He grinned. "And I always compliment Minako-chan on her ability to suit her voice to every song. It is the hallmark of a great actress and singer to adapt so easily to the subject."

"Hahaha. Thank you for the praise," Minako laughed. "I try to understand the emotions conveyed in each song and make them my own. It's pleasing to hear that other people think I'm doing a good job."

"Oh, you do. I love singing your songs myself, so I know at what high level your ability is."

"That's quite true," Akito nodded. "Minako-chan is at a high level for an idol."

"Well, you have to be singing well these days," Minako said. "People won't accept artists like some of the idols in the eighties who had lots of fans just because they were cute."

"Not that Minako-chan isn't cute," Akito suavely grinned.

"Hahaha! You're flattery will get you nowhere," Minako blushed. Just before remembering, to her regret, that it wouldn't get her anywhere.

"Wow, Mamo-chan," Usagi gushed as they entered the typical European mansion of his friend Ebeneezer Edwards. "This house still takes my breath away. It's so beautiful."

Mamoru linked arms with his lover as they stepped towards the great staircase in the entrance hall.
He looked down at the beautiful blonde who was dressed in a red short-sleeved Chinese dress with a couple of gold-embroidered long-tailed phoenixes front and back.

Usagi was also wearing a gold-colored silk shawl with an embroidered red dragon on it.
Mamoru thought the ensemble looked a little garish, but he supposed Setsuna knew best if she recommended the dress to his girlfriend.

Which was only the first instance of him thinking about Setsuna that day. Mamoru figuratively patted himself on the back as he and his imperially clad date ascended the stairs to the second floor.

"You're right, Usako. Edwards hired a very gifted person to design this mansion. Its grandeur awes but doesn't overwhelm. The architecture strikes a delicate balance between styles that invite you to look around as your eyes repose."

"You have a way with words, Mamo-chan," Usagi admiringly smiled. "I hope I'll be able to manage conversation with my level of English when we meet your American friends."

"Don't worry, Usako," Mamoru smiled. "If our practice conversations were anything to go by, you'll be fine."

"Mamoru-kun! You're here! And you brought your wonderful girlfriend!"

The couple turned around and saw Ebeneezer Edwards coming towards them, dressed in a handsome gray tuxedo that complemented his teal hair and moustache.

"Edwards!" Mamoru exclaimed enthusiastically as they shook hands. "Of course, we'd come early. I'm eager to see my friends again. I hope they're not jetlagged too much."

"You haven't heard from them?" Edwards smoothly transitioned to English.

"No," Mamoru replied. "I suppose they plan to surprise me."

"In any case, it's wonderful that I have the honor of welcoming you both to my home once again. We should meet more often, but I say that to all my friends. I'm always so busy."

"Thank you for organising this celebration in honor of my friends, Edwards. We planned to only have a small informal party together, but after I told you and you got Raymond on the telephone, things spiralled out of control. Hahaha."

"Hahaha. Now, now. You know better than to tell me you've got a group of spirited and talented overseas friends coming over if you want to keep things private, Mamoru-kun," Ebeneezer laughed. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist the chance to introduce them to a couple of my friends whom they will be overjoyed to make acquaintance with."

"That's how I know you, Edwards."

"Yes," Usagi piped up. "You enjoy bringing people together. It is wonderfull quality of yours."

"Oh my!" Ebeneezer exclaimed. "How your English has improved, Usagi-chan. Where did you learn to speak like that?"

"Hahaha! Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Edwards. It was fierce struggle, but I have great English teacher."

"I can hear that. A few years ago, you struggled to express yourself in English, and now you are almost fluent. That reminds me, I did invite a different teacher of yours. A Mr. Cartier, if I'm not mistaken. I heard great things about his rapport with his students, so I thought I must meet such a talented stimulant of young people's minds. I invited one of your teachers too, Mamoru-kun."

"Cartier-sensei is invited to this party?" Usagi asked with excitement in her eyes. "He make women scream. He very handsome."

"Oh, is he?" Ebeneezer laughed. "Maybe that there is the secret to his success as a teacher, then."

"Hahaha!" Mamoru joined in his friend's banter. "Let us hope not. But what about that teacher of mine? I can't imagine who… "

"Who it could be, Chiba-san?" Mamoru heard an amused voice behind him. "Why, it is your proud data communications teacher, Twardowski-san, of course.

The young man turned around and found himself looking at a muscular man of average height with short gray back-combed hair wearing a black tuxedo with a white collar and buttons.

"You are not Twardowski-san," Mamoru coldly stated at the grinning man.

"Perhaps Twardowski-san is merely the shape of the message conveyed by another," A voice to his right said. "A piece of data used to announce oneself."

"That would either make Twardowski-san an omnipresent entity or a disposable tool," Mamoru laughed as he turned to his teacher, Heinrich Faust.

"Good evening, Chiba-san. Mr. Edwards," Faust said. "Let me introduce you to my Finnish friend, Aaku Mantere. The benefactor of the Church of Saint Maria Magdalena."

"I am very pleased to meet you, Chiba-san," Mephistopheles smiled while he rested his palms together. "You and your lovely wife…"

"Oh no," Mamoru laughed. "Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Tsukino Usagi."

"Pleased to meet, Mantere-san," Usagi blushed. "You too, Twardowski-san. My boyfriend very fond of you as a teacher."

"That's good to hear, George," Mephistopheles grinned at Faust. "You have an appreciative student who would follow you around the world to gain the wisdom you have to impart."

"I would be sure to share only knowledge that is to his benefit," Faust said in a tone of annoyance his other three companions didn't quite catch.

"Is there any other kind of knowledge?" Usagi wondered out loud.

"There certainly is knowledge that brings pain or corruption rather than joy or virtue," Faust said. "I think it is important to protect young minds, at least, from such kinds of knowledge."

"This is what we strive to do in the Church of Saint Maria Magdalena," Mephistopheles nodded. "To bring virtuous knowledge to the youth of Tokyo's Catholic community. So that they will learn how to think and act soundly when taking their steps into the world as adults."

"It is a noble pursuit," Ebeneezer Andrews smiled. "As much as young people's minds will grow and improve our lives through the acquisition of practical knowledge, without the acquisition of moral knowledge, it is all for naught."

"I agree," Usagi said. "But don't think knowledge of corruption should be kept from people. I think people should taught how to deal with. But I agree young minds need moral instruction as much as practical. Mine friend works at Shinto shrine, and I learned plenty lessons from her and grandfather."

This remark earned the blonde a quizzical look from her sceptical boyfriend.

"Bravo, Tsukino-san," Mephistopheles clapped his hands. "What unexpected sentiments from such a young mind. Indeed, I too, believe we should strive to instruct people on how to deal with things most people want to shield them from. A mind that has learned about sin and how to steer away from it is better armed in the conflict against evil than a mind that has never known sin at all."

"This is only true if this mind is strong enough to use that knowledge to its benefit," Faust said while staring hard at Mephistopheles. "Or if it is led by someone who cares for its well-being."

"An interesting discussion to be sure," Ebeneezer Edwards nodded thoughtfully. "I regret I must leave you to it, as I have responsibilities as a host. I will see all of you later."

"See you later, Andrews," Mamoru smiled. "I look forward to having you make the acquaintance of Cindy McBride and Rick Miller later."

"I also will meet up with you later," Faust said, knowing what kind of perverse mood Mephistopheles was in. "There's a gentleman I've been meaning to talk to."

"It was pleasant, Twardowski-san, " Usagi smiled. "I hope to talk you later."

"We will certainly meet again," Faust smiled curtly before turning and heading down to the entrance hall.

"Let us enter the proverbial arena, Tsukino-san," Mephistopheles invited with a broad gesture of his right arm towards the mansion's ballroom. "The other guests are waiting for inspired conversations, and I am sure you can oblige."

"Hahaha! I am not completely understanding. But I will come."

As the devil walked into the ballroom with his girlfriend, Mamoru calmly followed.

"What would you say about a group of gamblers so bold that they would risk the ultimate prize to get what they want?" Mephistopheles asked Usagi while her boyfriend looked around for his friends. "I could not understand such a mindset."

"I suppose desperate people naturally do desperate things," Usagi replied. "But gambling I do not understand. This is difficult talk for my level of English, hahaha."

"Hahaha!" Mephistopheles laughed out loud. It is, I admit. But you are handling the subject matter expertly. Royally even. So, do you consider that different situations are at different levels of desperation to different people? Because that seems to be the case for these gamblers I am talking about."

"I don't think I…" Usagi started.

"There they are!" Mamoru called out as he waved to a group of three standing with a glass of sparkling wine in their hands under the balcony of the ballroom. "Raymond! Cindy!"

A slender young man with neatly combed dark-brown hair dressed in a blue tuxedo and a young woman with shoulder-length pale-brown hair perked up and walked to meet the group, while a tall and burly young man with a dark-green short curly hair waved back and placed his empty glass on the table before following his friend's.

"Mamoru-kun!" Raymond said when he bowed and shook hands with his friend. "I'm so happy to see you again. I missed you, man."

"Hahaha. I missed you, too." Mamoru said as he next shook hands with Rick and kissed Cindy. "Let me introduce the three of you to my girlfriend, Tsukino Usagi."

"Nice to meet you," Usagi smiled while bowing to all three in order, prompting them to answer the gesture in kind.

"These are Cindy McBride, Rick Miller, and Raymond Shaw," Mamoru said while extending his left hand to each. "And let me introduce you all to Mr. Aaku Mantere. We just met, but I understand Mr. Mantere is the main benefactor of the great church that has been built on the edge of Tokyo Bay recently."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Mantere," Raymond smiled while shaking hands with the devil. "We are simply a few students from Columbia University who are grateful and humbled to be invited here. It's an honor to make the acquaintance of a benevolent mecenas to the Catholic community of Tokyo."

"Ah… But I always feel honored to meet with so many promising young people," Mephistopheles grinned while shaking hands with Lisa and Rick. "One never knows what your futures hold, nor what effect you will have on others. Hahaha."

"I must say, I adore your dress, Tsukino-san," Cindy said after sipping from her drink. "Such a gorgeous design."

"Thank you," Usagi said. "But please call me Usagi."

"Oh? Really?" Her companion in the green drop waist dress with the sunflower print reacted. "But I thought…?"

"Usako and I don't stand on decorum that much," Mamoru said. "She invites you to call her Usagi-chan like all her friends do."

"Well, thank you, Usagi-chan," Rick smiled. "Then I'll call you Usagi-chan."

"Hahaha, thank you," Usagi chuckled. "And thank you for the compliment, Cindy-chan. I went shopping with some friends at a place called Sparkles.
Maybe I can take you there later. Sparkles recently had its interior design changed, making it ready to face the future with grace and elegance.
I should also mention that presently they have a discount action going on for selected items."

"Wow! Your English is amazing, Usagi-chan," Raymond whistled. "Mamoru-kun told me you have been studying intensely, but I'm very impressed."

"Ah… Tsukino-san's English is very good, to be sure, Mr. Shaw," Mephistopheles suavely grinned. "But didn't you notice just now you witnessed a scene between two women discussing fashion?"

With that clever remark, the devil won the laughter and affection of the group.

"I think Usagi-chan will admit with me that the subject of fashion will draw out our greatest eloquence," Cindy chuckled. "Nonetheless, it is very naughty to typecast women that way, Mr. Mantere."

"Very true," Mephistopheles smiled with a peculiar light in his eyes. "I must apologize, because I know Tsukino-san's mind cannot be underestimated."

"That is high praise," Rick said. "Considering you only just met."

"Perhaps," Mephistopheles nodded. "But we've had such an interesting conversation in this short time, it feels like I've known Tsukino-san for years."

"Hahaha. That's very true," Usagi laughed. "I felt as if have met Mr. Mantere before."

"Perhaps you visited our church of Saint Maria Magdalena recently?" Mephistopheles asked. "I notice we are drawing the attention of many who do not believe in salvation through belief in our Lord Jesus Christ. This trend makes us fantasize about future conversions to our cause."

Neither Usagi nor Mamoru noticed the lecherous way Mephistopheles licked his teeth at this remark. Raymond and his friends were similarly distracted by a waiter who presented them with drinks and took Raymond and Cindy's empty glasses from them.

"I can't say Usako or I have visited the church whose building you funded, Mr. Mantere," Mamoru said after drinking his champagne. "But I know Usako's niece has a friend who teases her with plans of conversion. They seem to go to church regularly. In any case, the church of Saint Maria Magdalena is a blessing to believers as well as non-believers in Tokyo as a whole. It is a true architectural wonder and a glorious addition to the skyline."

"It is a beautiful building," Cindy nodded. "Remember, Ray? We said so when we flew in, what a gorgeous main tower it had."

"Yes. I remember. With the beautiful emerald church spire."

"Aw, jeez," Rick suddenly said. "I've been seeing you looking around for a while now, Mamoru-kun. I'm sorry, buddy, but you have to understand we couldn't get Lizzie on the plane with the quarantine regulations."

"Ah… I suppose not," Mamoru chuckled. "I am aware that she couldn't come. But I would have liked to see her again."

"That just means you and Usagi-chan should come and visit us in New York someday," Cindy winked. "Don't worry: Lizzie hasn't forgotten you. She still sleeps with the plushie you bought her."

"Lizzie is Rick-kun's Cocker Spaniel, isn't she?" Usagi asked while turning to the stout young man in the gray tuxedo. "Mamoru-kun told me grew very attached to Lizzie. It cute to hear how dog slept in bed with him every evening."

Mephistopheles sweatdropped upon hearing what Usagi thought about being suplanted by some long-eared blonde American bitch while her boyfriend studied in New York.

"I'll have to excuse myself for a moment," Mamoru said after emptying his glass. "I'll join you guys again in a few minutes."

"Ah… Mother nature calls," Raymond laughed. "Good. That leaves us with plenty of time to further embarrass you to your girlfriend with stories of your sordid relationship with Lizzie."

Cindy nearly spilled her drink laughing.

"I trust you to do so in my absence, Raymond," Mamoru waved as he headed to the restrooms.

Christopher Wagner looked to the left as he entered the mansion's entrance hall and heard his name being called.
He saw Faust leaning against the wall, having waited for his old frenemy.

"Hello," Wagner said as he approached the stout, swarty man in the dark-blue tuxedo. "I was expecting you to attend the party in the company of… Mr. Mantere."

"We parted ways when he decided to make obnoxious comments," Faust grumbled. "I left him with our adversaries. Let him shoot his nonsensical barbs at them if it's so amusing to him."

"It keeps baffling me how you can talk to him as if he's some treacherous scheißkerl who stabbed you in the back."

"Isn't that basically what he is?" Faust sourly stated while looking at his companion through narrow eyes.

Christopher chuckled in disbelief as he observed Heinrich's moody attitude.

"I don't know, Mr. Twardowski," He chuckled. "The rest of us get scared out of our wits when we have to talk to him."

"You know, Cartier-san," Heinrich Faust said while staring at the floor. "I tried to outwit that scheißkerl and got utterly defeated. We all did. Ever since that time, he did and had others do the most torturous things the human mind can imagine to us."

"And some that even humans can't imagine," Christopher whispered as he shivered and got tears in his eyes.

"Hush," Faust said. "We're safe for now. But what I wanted to say was, he did horrible things to us and mocked us ever since. But sometimes I think he hates us. I think he hates us because we remind him of a time when he was like us."

"Dear God," Christopher hissed in disgust. "Please strike us from existence if our fate is to end up like him."

"That's not what I mean," Heinrich Faust quietly spoke while crossing his arms. "I'm saying there is a vulnerability to him. That's why I can't fear him. Because I know he can be defeated. If only I understood how. That's why I can't fear him. I just hate him."

"We really should try to overcome our differences," Christopher said with downcast eyes. "It's the only way we have any hope of defeating him."

Faust looked to the side and observed his friend. He tried to gather his courage.

"I had another one who used to mock my efforts, Christopher," He spoke up.

Christopher looked up in apprehension at hearing his name uttered in a German accent.

"A man I thought of as a friend at first, but who ridiculed me without end in the company of others when I started my endeavors to learn the art of alchemy."

"Mr. Twardowski… George…" Christopher muttered. "I know I am a hypocrite. I…"

"Lately, whenever I contact Gretchen, I am addressed in tones not unlike the ones I enjoyed when we first met. They are not tones of affection, but they are tones of prudence. Tones of careful curiosity. They are quite different from the tones of resentment and hatred I had to suffer when we were hauled out of hell to start our endeavor here in Tokyo."

"I am glad of that, George," Christopher smiled warmly.

"I don't necessarily think that I deserve these new wonderful tones, but they make me happy despite myself. I know these tones were not granted to me through the partly selfish act of saving a partner in crime from a potentially compromising situation. No. These tones were granted to me through another's efforts."

The two men looked each other in the eyes.

It seemed to Christopher like some sort of light shot out of Faust's eyes that lit him up. A part that seemed lost to him was overflowing with newfound energy.

"Thank you, Christopher," Heinrich smiled." Thank you for always reasoning with her on my behalf. I know there used to be troubles between us in the past, but since we came here, you have been a true friend to me."

'What a nice evening,' Mamoru thought to himself while sitting on the European men's toilet. 'How nice to see Ray, Cindy, and Rick again.
What a pity Lizzie couldn't fly over with them on the plane, but that's just how things are. And Lisa is right: Me and Usako can fly over and visit New York once I get a job.'

Being done with his business, Mamoru heaved a sigh of happiness, content that he had thus far not had any troublesome thoughts about Setsuna since that morning.

His mind brought back the image of Setsuna standing at the side of the love hotel.
She had a very beautiful dress on. Setsuna was obviously always dressed handsomely.
That knee-length blue dress with the buttons was such a tease. It revealed her lower legs, but didn't show her beautiful, round knees.

Mamoru wondered why, when he remembered that scene which he remembered so often, he could always so vividly recall the color of Setsuna's lips.
To be sure, Setsuna had very kissable lips.

"Ah…"

Mamoru felt something poking against the edge of the toilet seat and pulling up and over it.

How annoying.

It wasn't like he didn't want to help himself. He had done so before while thinking of Setsuna. A friend of his once said that it's simply healthy for your relationship to fantasize about other women sometimes.
But he couldn't very well do it here at the party.

'Let's just think about my internship,' Mamoru thought. 'Or about class. Twardowski-san's classes are interesting, but he can deliver in such a monotonous way sometimes.
As if he's lost in thought and talking like a machine. I sometimes think he's seething in fury when he's holding a lecture. I can see him gritting his teeth sometimes when I sit close by…'

Having overcome himself, Mamoru closed the door to the men's restroom behind him and looked right into Setsuna's red eyes.

"What are you doing here?!" The startled young man exclaimed.

"What?" An affronted Setsuna reacted. "What's that reaction supposed to mean?

"I'm sorry…" Mamoru said while putting his hand to his brow. "I simply didn't expect you to be here."

"Well, Michiru-chan and Haruka-chan were lionized by your friend, Andrews. I can have my day in the sun too. Don't you think I should be lionized once in a while?"

"I do. I do," Mamoru hurriedly said. "I think you're an amazing woman with an inspiring presence who has a great mind and tantalizing talents."

"Uh.. Okay," Setsuna blushed.

A momentarily stunned Mamoru saw the young woman cast her eyes down while modestly bringing the bridge of her pointer finger to her beautiful lips.
They were standing close together in the space between three doors.

"Thank you for the compliments," Setsuna quietly spoke.

"Well…" Mamoru blushed in turn while staring as if mesmerized at Setsuna's lips. "It's the truth."

His left hand somehow found its way to Setsuna's shoulder.

'This is it,' The young woman in the bare-shouldered navy-blue bodycon dress thought. 'He's going to kiss me now.'

Mamoru stared into Setsuna's hypnotized and hypnotizing eyes as his fingers slid down her rounded bicep and over her lower arm to the fingers that hugged her lips.

"Se… Setsuna-chan…" He muttered as he brought her fingers to his lips.

Suddenly, the door to the ballroom opened, and a black-haired woman in a long orange dress walked into the heated couple.

"Oh!" The young woman smiled. "I'm sorry."

A shocked Mamoru saw the woman open the door to the ladies' restroom and walk in.

"What did I just do?!" He panicked. "What did I do? What if that was Cindy? What if it was Usako?"

"Calm down," Setsuna said with some disappointment. "It's okay. Nothing happened."

"Nothing…"

Mamoru looked Setsuna in the eyes and saw her look away.

"I'm sorry," He said, understanding that she was waiting to be kissed. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?" Setsuna asked. "You wanted to do it, didn't you? You wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to be kissed."

"It's not so simple. You know that," Mamoru shook his head. "I am the future King-consort of Earth. Usako will be Queen… "

"What if that's not how it's going to be?" Setsuna bluntly said.

Mamoru couldn't believe his ears. He stared at the greenette in disbelief.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

Setsuna heaved a deep breath. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. But she was getting impatient. She knew she didn't have much time anymore, and before she died, she wanted to experience love just once.

"Forget about it," Setsuna sighed.

"No… What did you mean?"

"I want to know if it would make a difference," The greenette in the navy-blue dress said. "If your future was not to become King. If you were free to choose."

"I…" Mamoru quietly started. "I don't know. I love Usako, but lately… I can't get you out of my mind. I keep dreaming about you."

Mamoru smiled sadly.

"But what about you?" He said. "What about that time I saw you with Higashi-sensei?"

"Thank you for keeping that to yourself," Setsuna said.

"Of course I would keep that to myself," Mamoru said in a passionate tone. "But why did you… I've been obsessing over that ever since I saw you."

"Because I wanted to see if he could turn my mind away from you.
You are obsessed with me, Mamoru-kun?" Setsuna smiled gently.

"Ha… I… Yes. I am."

"That feels nice to hear, I must say. I didn't really think you would come to answer my feelings."

Mamoru felt like he wasn't going to be able to restrain himself for much longer. Setsuna's scent enveloped the cramped space they were standing in.

"Why does it feel like there is something you're not telling me?" He asked as he took her hands in his.

"Because you are good at picking up on things," Setsuna said as she looked up into his eyes.

Usagi smiled while her dancing partner nimbly led her across the ballroom.

She thought Aaku Mantere must have had a lot of experience as a dancer.

Luckily, she had become a better dancer than she used to be.

"It's been a while since I danced to this waltz," Mephistopheles chuckled. "I remember what I was doing afterwards. Hahaha."

"It has been while since I last danced to waltz," Usagi said. "You seem in your element on dance floor, Mr. Mantere."

"I won't deny I'm a great dancer. Hahaha. I actually remembered dancing at your parents' wedding now you told me about them."

"What?! That surprise! What a coincidence."

"I know. I was surprised too when I remembered," Mephistopheles grinned. "How I wish I could go back in time."

"And how did end up at parents' wedding? Were you friend of my father?" Usagi asked.

"I was acquainted with a friend of your father's."

"What his name? Maybe know him."

"No. I'm afraid the man passed away from alcohol-related problems."

"How sad."

"Yes. But he was a good soul," Mephistopheles said with a shake of his head as the music stopped. "A very good soul."

"Why music stopped?" Usagi asked. "The song did not sound finished."

"I think Mr. Edwards is going to make a speech," Raymond said as he moved closer to the duo while balancing a large shrimp on a small spoon.

"Good evening, everyone!" Ebeneezer Edwards said through a microphone on a stand.

Usagi clapped her hands in time with the man's other guests. She looked around the ballroom for Mamoru. Then gazed at Ebeneezer Edwards, who stood on the platform in front of the orchestra.

"I see some faces who have been to my mansion before, but I see many new faces as well. You are all equally welcome here.

I have long invited talented young people here to make acquaintances with each other. This is the only way we can create the future! So many great young minds are developing around the world, but they so rarely meet.

It is imperative to me to bring those great minds together. They should meet. They should mingle. They should talk about lots of things and agree and disagree on lots of topics."

"Such a noble sentiment," Mephistopheles whispered to Usagi as he saw Christopher Wagner dip his hand into his right pocket.

"That is why when my friend, Chiba-san, told me his American friends were coming over to visit, I just had to host an evening in their honor.

I spent many years of my life in the United States, so I know they do things differently over there. There are huge buildings. There are vast spaces. There is a variety of cultures. There is limitless imagination.

Here in Japan too, we have our own way of doing things. We have deeply rooted traditions. We have a talent for building vast wealth out of limited resources. We have passionate ambitions. We have unbridled curiosity.

From ocean to ocean, we can work together to merge these talents into a bright new future modelled after the virtuous youngsters who are gathered here today."

Ebeneezer Edwards bowed and smiled at the applause he received.

"Elitism is an ugly sin," Christopher Wagner said as he pulled his golem from his pocket and pretended to squash the creature between his hands. "Please help us to eradicate it, Großtuer."

As the applause died down, Christopher hurled the ball of clay at the stage on which Edwards was standing.

"But all of these amazing young minds would be all without direction if not for…"

The members of the orchestra behind Ebeneezer Edwards recoiled in horror as the ball of clay grew into a large humanoid shape.

"I'm sorry," Edwards said while turning around with surprise at their reaction. "What is going… Ooooon!"

Großtuer embraced the Brit and swallowed him whole.
The creature grew in size and changed its appearance.
It became the image of a stereotypical Victorian aristocrat, complete with monocle and walking cane.

"Only those who are worthy deserve to live in the future," Großtuer growled.

The members of the orchestra and many of the guests ran towards the stairs. Others stood frozen in fear.
Usagi ran towards the restroom with some other people.

Faust and Mephistopheles casually walked towards the stairs behind the mass of frightened people.

But a few dozen people were trapped in their escape by Großtuer.
The golem loomed threateningly over them and raised his walking cane.

"Those who are not worthy await another fate," The monster continued its speech.

Until a single rose, thrown like a dart, cut its cane in half.

When the creature in the black tuxedo turned to face its attacker, it saw a similarly clad young man and a woman in a green-and-white outfit.

"Even though there are those who try to fight the future and those who try to deny it to others, I do believe that everyone is worthy of that future," The young man suavely spoke.

"The future is something we all create together," Sailor Pluto sternly spoke. "Even though some contribute more than others, the future is everyone's child."

"We'll see if there will be a future for you!" Großtuer exclaimed.

Tuxedo Mask and Super Sailor Pluto quickly jumped aside when the golem extended its cane and struck the ballroom floor where they had stood an instant before.

"Let's split up," Tuxedo Mask told Pluto while the people the monster had besieged ran down the stairs. "I'll keep it busy while you use your attack."

With a nod, Pluto jumped up towards the balcony.

But the moment she did, she saw a gentleman with a caramel-blonde marquisetto beard dressed in the yellow gown of a mathematics teacher at Heidelberg University appear beside Großtuer.

"On the contrary, my lovebirds!" Wagner mockingly exclaimed. "I think the two of you should stick together."

The man launched a blue orb at Pluto and another at Tuxedo Mask. Before they knew it, they were hurled towards each other.

As they landed on the floor and attempted to part from each other, they found they could not.

"Aw…" Pluto whined. "This can't be happening! Do they know about us? How?"

"Watch out!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed.

The couple jumped out of harm's way just in time as Großtuer whacked its cane towards them.

"We can't let this go on much longer!" Sailor Pluto said while staring at the red 17 on Großtuer's forehead. "If our enemy's power is magnetism, we will be in serious trouble if we do."

"Agreed," Tuxedo Mask said. "So let's use an altered version of my plan."

"It's like you read my mind," Pluto grinned.

Großtuer once more slammed his cane towards the duo. As he did, Tuxedo Mask launched a hundred red roses towards the golem's face to mess up his aim.

The plan worked, and the golem missed.

The Garnet Rod lighted up and enveloped Sailor Pluto in a nebula of smoke.

"Dead Scream," Came casually from the lips of the tall greenette.

An orb of blinding light with a bright red ring appeared around the Garnet Rod as Sailor Pluto directed it towards her opponent.

The greenette turned around her axis and launched the projectile at her enemy.

In an instant, Großtuer melted away from Ebeneezer Edwards and fell to the floor in the form of a beautifully crafted ceramic figurine beside the man's unconscious form.

"Blasted!" Christopher Wagner exclaimed while he saw Sailor Moon leaving the restrooms. "Well then, it doesn't serve any purpose to stand around here anymore."

In the blink of an eye, the man turned incorporeal and went outside to join the rest of the invitees.

"It was great seeing you again, Mamoru-kun," Raymond said when he, Rick, and Cindy were leaving the party and said goodbye to Mamoru and his friends outside. "I look forward to our restaurant visit tomorrow."

"As do I," Cindy grinned. "Japan, let your weird and wonderful food culture come to me! Gyōza, soba, sashimi, sushi, and everything I don't know yet. I can hardly wait to taste all of it!"

"You speak my language, Cindy!" Usagi jumped up and down in time with the brunette. "I ask mother if can come eat with us Wednesday."

"I don't think…" Mamoru panicked for Ikuko's sake.

"A homemade Japanese meal?!" Cindy exclaimed while taking Usagi's hands in hers. "Oh, yes! Please do."

"Are you sure your mother will be okay hosting three strangers, though, Usagi-chan?" Rick politely inquired.

"Yes," Mamoru gently smiled. "Let's not make any promises yet and ask your mother before we invite people."

"Haha! You right, of course," Usagi grinned. "Was too enthusiastic."

"We're very excited about our guided tour of Minato Ward in any case," Raymond said. "It'll be fun to see all the places that are important to you both."

"Don't forget to show them where you buy your clothes," Setsuna couldn't help mentioning. "This man wouldn't be nearly as handsome without the help of Sparkles."

Rick burst out in laughter as he saw the young woman pointing at Mamoru.

"Setsuna-chan's bias is showing," The young man laughed.

"You know her inside and out already," Mamoru laughed. "So, I'm not handsome without Sparkles, huh?"

"I never said you would be entirely devoid of charm without Sparkles," Setsuna flirted without restraint.

"But Setsuna-chan is right," Usagi smiled. "Mamo-chan looks more handsome since buys at Sparkles."

The innocent comment made Mamoru feel guilty about his shameless flirting earlier, and with a shock, he turned his back on both young women.

"Let's head to our hotel, guys," Raymond finally said. "Mamoru is getting embarrassed. See you tomorrow, Mamoru-kun, Usagi-chan. And maybe we'll see you again too, Setsuna-chan. It was nice meeting you."

"Thank you," Setsuna said with a glance at Mamoru that, to her regret, told her Mamoru's heart wasn't hers yet. "It was nice meeting you too."

"See you later, Setsuna-chan!" Rick and Cindy said in unison as they waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Usagi-chan and Mamoru-kun!"

A smile appeared on Mamoru's face as he watched his American friends walk off into the darkness.
They had lots of friends visiting Japan right now. It was a good thing they were so careful to mention Senshi topics among each other, or they might have goofed up quite a few times by now.

"Anyway," The young man said without looking at the two women who split his heart. "Let's go home too. It's been a long and eventful evening."

"If it isn't Chiba-san and his friends," An older male voice called out from the right. "Let's say hi, George."

Usagi smiled at seeing George Twardowski and Aaku Mantere walking towards them.

"It nice to see again," She said. "Did you enjoy the rest of party?"

"I did," Mephistopheles grinned as he nodded to the young woman. "I missed a chance to gain something that I desired, but it wasn't very important. I did have a few very interesting conversations and witnessed some amusing scenes. The human soul and its antics keep entertaining me."

"In that case, I glad," Usagi said. "I had lots of fun conversations and new friends. But am tired because of English conversations."

"Oh, but you are doing very well," Faust said. "Your English is very good for a non-European. But I can imagine it is exhausting having heavy intellectual conversations in a foreign language."

"I'm glad you were able to do so well," Mamoru smiled while embracing his girlfriend. "Raymond and the others were also complimenting you on your English.
Nagahasu-sensei is a very able English teacher."

An amused Mephistopheles glanced at Setsuna, whom he expected to look bothered by the affectionate scene. To his surprise, he found the greenette staring straight at him.

"I have to agree," The devil smiled at Usagi. "Your English is very good. And your dancing is better than you give yourself credit for. I remember a worse dancing partner in my youth. You remember Helen, don't you, George?"

Faust remained stoic under his owner's amused look.

"I do," He said. "And wish I could forget."

"Sounds troublesome," Mamoru chuckled.

"She was a troublesome lady, indeed," Mephistopheles laughed with him. "She caused trouble for quite a few people. But that is another story entirely. Let's head home, George. I have things to do. It was nice having your last dance, Tsukino-san. Nice meeting you all."

With a polite bow, Faust followed the devil to his apartment. Leaving Mamoru and Usagi to ponder his words.

"In any case," Mamoru said when the duo disappeared into the distance. "They are two puzzling men. As a teacher, Twardowski-san… "

"That... man…!" A greatly agitated Setsuna stuttered. "That man is our enemy."

Mamoru turned around with a shock.

"What?!"

"I am sure of it!" Setsuna said in an agitated whisper while Usagi looked on in alarm. "The malevolent energy coming from this Mantere-San is overwhelming. As true as I'm standing here, I am certain he is Mephistopheles."

Chapter Text

"Classical music is the language of romance. It is the language of deep often conflicting emotions…"
"Erm, Michiru… Haven't we done this kind of intro yet?"
"I also think it lacks originality."
"Oh sush, Rei. Classical music is the music of… See? Now you've thrown me off."
"I think what you meant to say was something like: Classical music is the language of broken hearts who yearn for their best friend."
"Yeah. That's right, Haruka-kun. Laugh it up."
"Hahaha. Sorry, Rei-chan."

"Rei-chan is at her wit's end and seeks the advice of friends! Fight on, Michiru-chan and Haruka-kun! Save the maiden's heart!"

They were all floating up from the surface of the planet. Hundreds of thousands of them. Millions of them.
Together, the souls of men and women floated up through the sky. Higher and higher into the exosphere and finally into outer space.

Michiru felt an increasing dread as her vision revealed the goal of the exodus.
A huge, angelic being floated in the stillness of space, located high above the Japanese archipelago.
She observed with fright how the first few million human souls reached the blue, androgynous being and were slowly being absorbed.

More and more human souls floated up from the Earth as it turned, rising like vapors towards the huge being which itself showed no sign of movement.

Michiru saw the awe-inspiring creature's form hovering in space, its position fixed above Japan.
With its palms pressed together as if in prayer, it tirelessly assimilated the enormous flocks of souls without growing in size.

The spectacle of this drama very slowly shifted while the Earth turned.
The eerie blue shape of the angelic form filling the upper right portion of Michiru's vision, the greenette started to perceive a similar scenery on the opposite side of the planet.

High above the southernmost province of Brazil, a similar gray angel was floating.
Hundreds of millions of human souls from all over the world rose like vapor towards the sinister shape.

As the blue angel was slowly being obscured from view by the rotating Earth, Michiru saw the gray angel move closer to her field of vision.

Like the other creature, this being also had androgynous features, the finer details of which she could not make out due to the lack of light.
Its motionless form assumed the same pose as its blue counterpart.

But while the blue angel was absorbing the souls of previously living humans, this angel was enveloped by the souls of people who had died. Souls from the very first humans that walked the Earth were being absorbed into the awe-inspiring creature, as well as the souls of the recently departed.

Souls that had been stuck on Earth because they could not find peace after their demise gathered around the gray angel and were swallowed by its motionless form.
As if it were a repository for the damned and the oppressed, the gray angel absorbed all of the unclean souls that floated towards it.

And still, the Earth turned. Michiru saw it turn and slowly bring the blue angel into view again.
It was still only the same size as before, despite all the souls it had taken into itself.
A blue androgynous humanoid shape with wings, that was absorbing the souls of the living into itself without pause.

Without pause, the Earth continued to turn while this dramatic scene unfolded.
Michiru saw it happen with a growing acceptance. While at first she had been apprehensive about what was happening, the greenette gradually lost the sense of dread with which she had regarded the scene.

Hours went by, and Michiru fell into a complacent lull. She watched the two creatures go about their business and wondered what it all meant. She wondered what was happening. She wondered what the purpose was of the two angels. Were they allies or adversaries? Why were they taking Earth's inhabitants into themselves? Were they benevolent to humanity, or did they mean to harm?

There came no answer to any of these questions and reflections. There was only the seemingly never-ending procession of souls towards the two angels.

In the dim stillness of space, Michiru saw the entire population of Earth - living and dead - floating up towards the two immovable angels who were positioned on opposite sides of the planet.

Until it all just stopped.

Earth was now devoid of human life. It was also free of dead souls.
Michiru observed the two angels who had absorbed all the souls of Earth.
As long as the process had taken, it had stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and Michiru was left wondering if the purpose of the two creatures would finally be revealed.

Her musings were violently disturbed when a giant spear suddenly came out of nowhere and pierced the blue angel before stabbing through the Earth and piercing the gray angel.

"Nooo!" Michiru screamed in horror. "I beg you, please have mercy on them!"

"It's alright! It's alright! Michiru. Please calm down," The greenette heard a familiar voice say as she turned around in her bed. "I'm here. I'm Haruka. I'm here."

"Ha… Haruka…" Michiru breathed. "I had another vision."

"So it seems," Haruka soberly stated while leaning over her lover with a concerned look on her face.

"They are becoming more harrowing," Michiru sighed as she pushed herself up on her elbows. "I've never before seen what I did this time."

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked. "You were speaking in tongues."

"In tongues?" Michiru frowned as she observed her lover's face in the light of the lamp above.

"More like screaming," Haruka nodded. "Something something something arb… ha… haaz erm veedro. I didn't quite catch it all."

"It was scary, Haruka," Michiru nervously spoke. "I saw the angels absorb everyone on Earth. And in the end, we and they were all destroyed by the wrath of some unseen force."

Haruka blinked at the revelation. She hadn't expected their predicament to be so serious. But she tried to remain calm in order to help Michiru calm down. Especially since she knew the greenette had to perform at her best that evening.

"Alright," The blonde tomboy said. "It's seven o'clock. Let's get up. I'll make us breakfast."

"Yes," Michiru nodded warily. "I could use some coffee

Touki Urawa watched the ripples as if hypnotized. He gently tapped the paper cup of coffee in his hand to the rhythm of the music playing over the radio in the waiting room.

His weekly visit to his psychiatrist was upon him.

Touki's psychiatrist was a member of a community health center involving three general practitioners, an optician, and two kinesitherapists.

The man in the beige vest over a white shirt and blue jeans often dreaded the monthly visit.
Today was one of those days. Touki was sure that what was bothering him would be misinterpreted by his psychiatrist. His psychiatrist generally claimed that Touki was misinterpreting reality. Touki felt that if you don't trust the judgement of your client, there is no basis for a therapy. That is why sessions typically ended with Touki having no better insight in his situation than when he entered the practice.

Touki had considered switching psychiatrists, but fear of change was one of his problems, and, in his experience, one psychiatrist wasn't much better than the last.

What he was currently struggling with was his relationship with Eri Honda, who was still very much mourning her dead husband.
It was challenging for Touki to see how deeply Eri was suffering over the death of the man who had stalked him.

Sometimes, Touki felt as if Eri blamed him for what had happened. There were a few occasions when Eri had acted out against him. Touki expected his psychiatrist to pretend it was all in his mind, but there was that time when Eri had said she imagined certain men might think they had a chance with her now.

Truth be told, Touki might have imagined himself indicted by that statement because he generally held the idea that all women considered him to be a pervert. He held this notion because he was lonely and had a tendency to let his eye wander a little too much over the image of any woman he found attractive.

Like the elegant thirty-something in the green blouse and blue short skirt who entered the waiting room right now.

Touki looked up on hearing the door close to his right, and his pupils dilated immediately upon sight of the woman.
He loved her magenta eyes and the long black bob the woman sported. She had a confident look about her, which Touki liked immensely.
She had large breasts and long, shapely, smooth legs, and she knew how to dress to maximum effect.

Touki lowered his eyes, but tried to glance at the woman from the corner of his eye as she seated herself and regarded the magazines lying on the small table beside her seat.

She was gorgeous. Glorious.

If only he could make up an excuse to talk to her before his session began.

"That was the young prodigy Kaioh Michiru marvelously performing the Chaconne from Bach's Partita N2," The radio jockey said. "Kaioh will perform with the Minato Ensemble at Oji Hall this evening. They will bring us a youthful version of Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto, Op. 14. Tickets are still available for the event, and we at Ottava FM have three times 2 tickets for the fastest callers."

Touki saw the woman he admired quickly fumble for her cellphone in her purse.
With hope in his eyes, he balled his fist and prayed that she would win.

The woman caught her cellphone and pressed a key.

Touki was impressed that she had the station's number on speed dial. Talk about being a devoted fan of classical music.

She brought her phone to her ear and waited.

"Oh. Hello, honey," The woman quietly said.

'Honey?' Touki frowned in disgust.

"Yes. Are you still home?"

And with that, Touki's hopes were utterly crushed.

"I left the house without thinking to take the garbage out," The woman shamefacedly smiled. "Can you do it before you leave, please?"

'Of course, she'd have a husband or a boyfriend, you moron,' Touki berated himself. 'That'll teach you to constantly fall for women who are way out of your league.'

"Oh, thank you. I'll make it up to you by cooking your favorite dish tonight," The woman shamelessly continued before ending the phone call.

'I'd like someone to cook me my favorite dish too,' Touki sadly reflected. 'Oh well… It's not like I have the confidence to start a conversation with her even if she didn't have a husband.'

The man with the youthful face glanced at the handsome black-bobbed woman while the radio played an interview with Michiru.

"And you will be performing under the direction of the enigmatic Takahashi Ren," The interviewer said. "Which is an amazing achievement in itself. How did that come about?"

"Takahashi-san doesn't work with just anyone. That much is true," Michiru said. "He had us audition for him three times before he decided to direct our performance. Out of the blue we got the call that he would take the job…"

Touki sadly tapped his cup of water while he dwelled on the fact that the version of his ideal type who sat two chairs distant from him would walk out of his life like the previous one had.

The fact that he had been alone practically since he started his career and that he had no private life to speak of began to weigh on the lonely store manager.

'Maybe Ami-chan will make my favorite dish if I ask her,' Touki sadly chuckled. 'Oh, Ami. Thank heavens for your kindness. If only you were 20 years older and more my type, maybe I'd have a chance at romance.'

"Is it true that Takahashi-sensei always wears his sunglasses and boonie hat?" The interviewer from Ottava FM asked Michiru.

"Hahaha. Yes, blue sunglasses and a yellow boonie hat were always present while we practiced under Sensei's direction. It does seem a little eccentric, but Takahashi-sensei is pretty ordinary otherwise."

"Be careful, Meioh-san. You might be accused of sacrilege by calling our hero ordinary," The interviewer quipped. "Besides… There are those rumors."

"It is true that Takahashi-sensei is not a very sociable person. But I cannot say that he is a difficult person to work with," Michiru replied. "Perhaps the rumors originate from him having had some difficulties in his private life at that time. I wouldn't know anything about that. I just feel privileged to learn from such a musical genius who is always able to draw top performances from any ensemble he works with."

"Kawaguchi Yoko-san?" The doctor's secretary called out as she got up from her desk.

Touki's ideal woman promptly left her seat and walked over to the orangette. After a brief exchange, the young woman in the white uniform pointed the woman in the green blouse and blue short skirt to a door further down the hallway.

'Goodbye, my lovely Yoko-chan,' Touki wistfully thought as he admired the woman's athletic thighs. 'What a beautiful name you have. I wish I could use it every day.'

At that moment two young men, who had met in the waiting room after their respective doctor's appointments and sessions with the psychiatrist ended, burst into laughter, while a sad fear started to take hold of Touki.

'I'm never going to find a woman who loves me, am I?' He thought to himself. 'I'm in my forties already. What woman is going to want to be with a boring, weak man who is barely awake after work? I don't even have the time or the energy for a wife. How would I even meet one?'

Touki saw one of the doctors talking to the secretary who was looking at the two young men sitting in two chairs from him.

An ordinary person would probably not be able to tell that they were men with a psychiatric history, but Touki saw the telltale signs: Cigarette-stained fingers and smell, random stains on their cheap shirts and trousers, early wrinkles in their faces…

He could easily deduce that these were men living on welfare because their disability made it impossible for them to keep up with the pace and demands of normal employment.

"Don't you think you've had enough fun in here?!" The doctor suddenly asked the two young men in a humiliating tone of voice.

The two men looked up at him in consternation.

"This is a place for sick people to receive treatment. Real sick people who don't need to be subjected to your rowdy behavior. It is time for you to leave."

Touki didn't know what he was hearing. Compared to the group of young men who had been making a drunken row in the train a week ago, those men weren't told by personnel to leave the train. The doctor and the nurse knew the young men in the waiting room were patients of his psychiatrists. They had both visited several times before. This was obvious discrimination.

The young men themselves kept staring at the doctor and then at each other. They hadn't been making a row, nor had any of the other patients in the waiting room seemed to be disturbed by their talk and laughter.

"Alright. Let's go then, Fumio-kun," The most obese of the two young men timidly spoke.

Clearly affronted, the two young men quietly got up and walked out of the waiting room under the scrutiny of Touki and the doctor.

When they closed the door behind them, the doctor walked back to the secretary's desk.

"Are those guys supposed to have depressions?" The nurse whined. "You wouldn't think it, the way they were laughing it up."

'They were hardly laughing it up,' Touki thought to himself with a roll of his eyes. 'Besides… Are people with depression not permitted to get better anymore? You should applaud them for feeling good.'

"You never know what you're gonna get with Yamakawa-sensei's lot," The doctor chuckled. "These guys thought they could just sit here as if the place were a bar. Someone else might start to scream and shout. Maybe some woman would start cutting herself in here while someone's children are present. You never know with those crazies."

"Yeah," The secretary said with a roll of her eyes. "Imagine sitting here and having a laugh after your doctor's visit. Those lazy bums should go out and get a job."

'Except if they manage to get someone to hire them,' Touki reflected. 'Your lot would only treat them the same way after they get a nervous breakdown because they can't work at the pace you set for them. So don't act like you'd treat them with respect if they got a job, you bitch. You'd always have some excuse to discriminate against us.'

"Can you imagine those basketcases working here, though?" The doctor said while moving with his finger to his head.

'What even is a basket case?' Touki reflected. 'What are you? A crate situation?'

"Hahaha!" The nurse laughed. "Nobody would pay those nutjobs to muck up on the job as you can expect them to do."

"Then I'll pay them!" An infuriated Touki exclaimed. "Why not? I have money that I never use because I'm always asleep after work. I can use a helping hand now that Honda-san is always busy with her family. You lot seem to think we deserve to live in the gutter of society while you humiliate us. I can at least try to keep one person from such a fate."

Touki braced himself for the reaction from the doctor and nurse. He knew they might utterly ridicule him after what he said.

But he meant what he said. He did need some help. Help, Ami nor Ryo could give him. And if a high-functioning person with a psychiatric past could get that help from another person with a psychiatric past, it might be just the solution both needed for their lives. One person might get a slightly more tolerable life and a Sunday in which he could get some proper rest without having to do his housework. Another person might be able to earn some much-needed extra income by working a few hours a week for someone who understands and respects their weaknesses and limitations. It was a definite win-win.

The humiliating reaction Touki feared did not come, however. Not because the doctor or nurse managed to earn his respect by suddenly realizing that they should treat weaker people as they would want to be treated themselves. Nor because they gained the ability to show some restraint in the way they treated weaker people.

The doctor and nurse were on the verge of commenting on Touki's tirade, but decided otherwise when a person in a blue T-shirt and white trousers sortied from the hallway where the psychiatrist was located.

The pair joined Touki in staring at the person with the blue sunglasses and yellow boonie hat who silently passed them by like a ghost.

Touki, despite his melancholy musings from earlier, had paid attention to the interview Michiru Meioh had with the DJ from Ottava FM, and recognised the celebrated conductor Takahashi Ren.

The majority of people with a psychological disability live on welfare because they are unable to work a full-time or even a part-time job. Many aren't even able to take care of themselves, their brain having so deteriorated by the onslaught of several psychotic attacks. Some people with a psychological disability were able to do volunteer work. A minority were able to manage a paid job despite the cost to their personal lives. Touki was among this group. An exception, in that he wasn't merely able to work a paid job, but a highly demanding one at that.

And then there were people like Takahashi Ren. A tiny minority who were able to earn a slightly above average income by working the odd well-paid job they were highly sought for due to their innate talent.

Those people lived the life most people with a psychological disability wished nature and society allowed them to live. To earn a modest income in a way that didn't trigger their disease.

Touki wasn't jealous of Ren, though. He just wanted his old job back.
Something his bosses would never allow, since his age and talent for organisation worked in tandem to earn him a place as store manager, where he still proved himself to be of solid use to them, despite his occasional temper tantrums.

Haruka wrung her hands and shoved her textbook over her desk in the study.

The mind of the blonde tomboy found marine biology hard fare to digest at the best of times, but now, while she was worrying about her lover, it was just too much to bear.

Michiru was supposed to deliver a top performance that evening. She couldn't very well be worrying about angels and spears right now. You couldn't work for Takahashi-sensei and deliver a subpar performance. Michiru would be disgraced if she weren't able to give it her all.

Thinking confusedly, Haruka tried to find a way in which she might calm down her lover and get her to focus on her responsibility at hand.
Maybe a back rub would help? Or preparing her a smooth cocktail and staring at the sea together?

Haruka heaved a sigh and stared at her textbook in the study. It couldn't be true, could it? That they were facing the possible end of the world again? Two angels absorbing all of mankind, only to be struck down by a spear from the heavens. Could it mean anything but some apocalyptic catastrophe?

The Sailor Senshi prevented armageddon before of course. But that doesn't mean it was easy. It doesn't mean that dealing with the new threat was going to be easy. Haruka knew this better than most, having tried to prevent the apocalypse only to end up facilitating it. Luckily, Sailor Saturn and Sailor Moon were able to prevent the catastrophe back then. But things could have ended up very different.

"Haruka?" The blonde tomboy in the blue jeans and light-green frilled shirt heard the voice of her lover call out to her from the kitchen.

Haruka left her seat and traversed the hallway with framed photographs of Michiru performing at various events and photographs of her at several races.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw Michiru standing at the large American refrigerator they recently bought with her pointer finger to her lips.

"What do you fancy for lunch today?" The greenette in the white shirt and yellow trousers asked. "I think that cantaloupe is ripe now. We could eat it with some salmon sashimi and rice. What do you think?"

A picture of a dissected male salmon urged itself onto Haruka's mind, and she had to shake her head to dispel it.

"Sounds about right," The famous racecar driver finally nodded. "I'm hungry already."

"Then I'll get everything ready," Michiru said as she got the cantaloupe and the salmon out of the refrigerator.

"Got any studying done?" Haruka asked the greenette.

Michiru emitted a short: "Oh…"

Her companion watched the woman pour rice into the rice cooker.

Michiru turned the device on and smiled grimly.

"Let's just say I passed the morning in wondrous musings that at times involved the themes I was supposed to study. I hope my brain will be less muddled once I'm at the venue and start practicing with my colleagues."

"Did your parents say they would be among the spectators?"

Michiru's lips curled into a smile.

"Thanks," She chuckled. "I needed a laugh."

"You never know," Haruka said. "They might have bought tickets."

"It's nice of you to think so, Haru-kun," Michiru smiled as she sliced the cantaloupe. "But I haven't started to become of more than tertiary importance to my parents yet. I am a creature that is to be fed, clothed, and reared, and sent forth to make its way in the world. Nothing more."

Haruka turned to the living room when she heard the doorbell.

"Seems we have a visitor," the blonde said.

"If so, I will serve them a plate of salmon and cantaloupe as well," Michiru dryly commented. "We have rather a lot here for two people."

Haruka nodded and walked over to the front door.

Seeing the form of a young woman with long black hair through the window in the door, she opened it without pause and welcomed Rei Hino.

"Hey, Haruka-kun," Rei said, standing before her friend dressed in a blue T-shirt over a pair of black trousers. "I need to talk with you. Do you have time?"

"Sure," Haruka smiled. "Are you up for rice with cantaloupe and salmon?"

"Ah. I'm not disturbing your lunch, am I?" Rei said in a fatigued tone.

"Not at all. But there's more than enough food."

"Oh, okay. Very well then. Thank you," Rei decided.

"Come in," Haruka smiled while extending her right arm to the side. "Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-kun are out at the beach with the golems, so we can talk and eat in peace."

Rei accepted the invitation and calmly entered the house, feeling relieved even before she had her talk with Haruka.
She had met Setsuna and Hotaru on their way to the beach and decided to be spontaneous, taking advantage of the situation.

Imagine her slight annoyance, then, when, upon entering the living room, she saw Michiru seated at the coffee table, which the greenette had dressed as a luncheon table.

"Oh? You haven't left for rehearsals yet, Michiru-chan?" The blackette hopefully asked.

"I'll be leaving within a half hour," Michiru smiled while sipping a cup of tea. "I wanted to have lunch at home before I did. Won't you join us?"

"Thank you both," Rei grinned in annoyance. "I'd love to join you for lunch."

"Well then, let's dig in!" Haruka said upon seating herself. "This looks delicious, my darling."

"Thank you, my darling," Michiru smiled.

Rei seated herself on the sofa with Haruka, opposite the fauteuil occupied by Michiru.
The miko picked up her chopsticks and started eating, fuming inside at the bad luck of finding Michiru still at home.

'It can't be helped,' The tense young woman reflected. 'I decided to go for it today. I'm not putting it off any longer. It has to be said.'

"The cantaloupe is superb," Michiru said. "I feel inspired."

"I trust you will do well, my love," Haruka smiled.

"Minako-chan, Ami-chan, Queen Kakyuu and Seiya-kun, and Yuine-chan will be at the venue to listen to your ensemble," Rei smiled. "I wish I could go to, but I have training and miko duties."

"That is the way of life," Michiru said. "But I am happy with the delegation of Inner Senshi and Kinmoku Senshi. I promise to provide them with a wonderful show on my part."

"So, Rei-chan?" Haruka said after having swallowed a piece of cantaloupe. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Rei turned her eyes on Haruka. Then on Michiru. Then on Haruka again.

The sporty young woman with the long black hair heaved a sigh and decisively parted her lips.

"We have a huge problem," The miko said. "Over the past few years, this has only gotten worse. I have tried to deny it, but I cannot deny it any longer. I hope that with your help, I can get past this situation: I am in love with Usagi."

While Michiru sat serenely with her cup of tea in her right hand, Haruka immediately began to laugh hysterically.

"Haaahahahaha! Hahahahahaaa!"

Rei pinched her eyes closed and smiled grimly while the blonde tomboy left her seat and stumbled into the hallway and up the stairs to the two women's bedroom.

"Haaahahahaha!" Rei and Michiru heard from the other end of the house when, after a short break, Haruka returned through the hallway and back into the living room.

Rei opened her eyes again and saw Michiru holding up her palm in which Haruka deposited a 10.000 Yen note before her laughter died down into a giggle.

"I hope you both had your fun now," Rei dryly commented while sitting back with her left arm on the armrest of the sofa. "I come here to open my heart and find that you have placed bets on my misery."

"I'm sorry, Rei-chan," Haruka coughed. "That was inappropriate."

"I'm not," Michiru said. "I invited you to open up to me long before this, but you refused to confide in me."

"Rather than refusing to confide," Rei grimaced. "I think I was still in denial back then. You see, while I have had fantasies about being with other girls and exchanging kisses, I never thought my first love could be Usagi."

"Haha," Haruka giggled. "That's what makes it funny."

"I'm sure it is," Rei curtly reacted. "But this love I feel poses a serious problem."

"I don't see why," Michiru said. "You are free to pursue Usagi-chan. Your friendship with Mamoru-kun can't take that right away from you. And if you do, you never know what might happen. Usagi-chan might even return your feelings."

"Now wait a minute," Haruka muttered.

"See? That's why I hoped you would have left for the venue already," Rei grinned. "Usagi can never know about this. You understand how this knowledge might threaten the future, I hope? There is nothing to pursue. We can't allow this. Usagi must marry Mamoru-kun and become Queen of Crystal Tokyo."

"I agree with that," Haruka nodded. "I think Rei-chan is perhaps taking this too seriously, but I do think we should keep it a secret."

"Oh, bah," Michiru waved. "Both of you are taking this too seriously. Why shouldn't Rei-chan confess to Usagi and see what happens? You're not going to convince me that this love is enough to destroy the future. People fall in love all the time. Crystal Tokyo is hundreds of years in the future. Time enough for Usagi-chan to fall in love with Rei-chan and leave her for Mamoru-kun a hundred years later."

"Thanks for having so much faith in our ability to remain faithful to each other," Rei smirked.

"More than that, you seem to have a lot of faith in your ability to make our kitten fall for you at will," Haruka chuckled.

"Well, I've been told nobody can resist the Hino charm," Rei seriously commented.

"Rather than charm, I think it's an acquired taste," Haruka muttered.

"Obviously, I don't believe I will make Usagi fall for me the minute I confess my love to her," Rei deadpanned. "But you never know with Usagi. That is why we absolutely have to keep this a secret from her."

"But Haruka!" Michiru gasped - completely ignoring what Rei was saying. "Hasn't Rei-chan been working out?

The greenette couldn't help giggling.

"For the sake of being better able to protect our Princess!" Haruka gasped in mock-surprise. "Now we know the real motivation for Rei-chan's Muah Thai training. She wanted to impress Usagi-chan with her fit body."

"To hell with your nonsense!" Rei bellowed at both of them. "If you don't want to help me, I'll find some lesbian club by myself and go wild!"

"Please don't get angry, Rei-chan," Michiru sniggered. "It's just that we needed a good laugh after our rude awakening this morning."

"Yes," Haruka nodded. "And don't try to drown your heartbreak in meaningless sex. That's a bad idea."

Haruka sipped from her cup of tea before she realized both Rei and Michiru were giving her a quizzical look.

"Well, so I've heard anyway," The blonde hand-waved their unspoken question.

"Right," Rei curtly dismissed the reflections of the young woman who had been living a life of bliss with the love of her life since her sexual awakening. "What happened this morning then?"

"I had a complete vision about the angels for the first time," Michiru said.

"I take it things didn't go well in your vision?" Rei spoke haltingly. "Good thing I came here before you left, so we can exchange information early."

Michiru grinned shortly at her friend's change of opinion.

"I saw the blue angel floating over Japan again," She said. "Millions of human souls were floating towards it. The souls of living humans. But now there was a gray angel who also had souls floating up towards it. In short, they both absorbed all of the souls residing on Earth. The souls of deceased people were absorbed by the gray angel, and the souls of living people were absorbed by the blue angel."

"Which tells us what their goal is," Rei pondered. "What we don't know is their motivation. And what did they do once they absorbed all of our souls?"

"They were slain," Michiru said.

Rei observed the violinist in shock.

"Both angels were slain by a giant spear from heaven as soon as they absorbed the last of men's souls."

"Which means that even if their motivation is benevolent and they planned to eventually liberate their victims," Haruka said. "We have good reason for not wanting those angels to absorb our souls."

"What we are sadly missing is any hint at a link between the angels and Faust," Rei pondered. "Or, if there is one in your vision, maybe Ami will find it. Do you see a link, Michiru?"

Michiru racked her brain, but could ultimately not get more out of it than that it was time to leave. So that's what she eventually told Rei.

"I'm sorry," The greenette said as she left her seat. "I planned to tell you all of this tomorrow. It's just that I really need to go now or I will miss the start of rehearsals."

"I understand," Rei nodded. "Thank you for staying and sharing what you did. I will do a fire-reading on the matter this evening."

"After your miko duties and Muay Thai training?" Haruka asked while raising an eyebrow. "You really are overworking yourself."

"This is important."

"You are important too, Rei-chan," Michiru said while she pulled on her beige summer jacket. "So take my advice on the matter of Usagi-chan instead of trying to change your heart with Haruka's help."

"Do you have everything?" Haruka asked when her lover stood at the front door. "You're not taking the dinner I made for you?"

"My friends will expect me to eat dinner with them at the venue, silly," Michiru laughed before they shared a kiss. "But I appreciate you going to the trouble. I will eat it as breakfast tomorrow."

"That'll be a heavy breakfast," Haruka grinned as she caressed the violinist's hair. "I know you'll be great. I'll be there with our friends at eight. I can hardly wait to hear you perform."

"Thank you. I will expect a grand applause from you after the performance."

"Expect nothing less," Haruka smiled.

"Bye, Michiru," Rei said as she left her seat. "I'm truly sorry to miss your performance. I know you will do great."

"Thank you, Rei-chan," Michiru smiled. "Have a nice afternoon together and don't expect a quick solution to matters of the heart. Bye now."

When Michiru left the house, Rei immediately went back to the living room.

"Shall we start washing those?" She asked Haruka while pointing at the dishes they used for their meal.

"How about you just sit down and let Setsuna-chan do the dishes tomorrow?" Haruka sighed. "Imagine wanting to wash the dishes in someone else's house."

"So, now that Michiru-chan left, we can discuss the matter I came here for: Getting me a girlfriend who can make me forget all about Usagi's cuteness and annoying charm. You can't tell me the two of you didn't make any lesbian friends over the years."

"We made a ton of lesbian friends over the years. Many of whom are in a happy relationship," Haruka smiled.

"Oh…" A dejected Rei reacted.

"That doesn't mean I don't know the perfect girl for you," Her friend said while sitting with her left leg over her right knee and her hands folded on her stomach. "She's definitely single for the time being. She's got bright red hair that's tied into a ponytail on the top of her head and has the annoying habit of hitting her on the nose when she nods…"

Rei looked up eagerly as Haruka continued.

Her name is Shinobu Nagayami. She's a first-year student at Tokyo Dagaiku Sakana. Likes include sealife, sparkly anime, and Eri Fukatsu movies. Dislikes include strawberries, pushy people, and robots.

"I can see why you'd think we'd be a match," Rei deadpanned.

"Well, I can't say any of this correlates with you in any meaningful way, but trust me on this: The two of you are going to get along."

"Can I meet her?"

"What? You mean now?"

Rei nodded.

"I was recently stalking Usagi while dressed in a clown suit," The miko sighed. "I want to say I was acting as her bodyguard, but I know very well that's not the full story."

Haruka listened quietly to the confession.

"I want to kiss Usagi so badly, Haruka-kun," Rei said in a miserable tone of voice. "I feel so connected to her. Fighting with her. Laughing with her. It's all so equally joyful and painful. I love her so much. It's too dangerous. I need someone to save me. I need someone to steal my heart away from my dearest friend whom I shouldn't love."

Something in Rei's voice made Haruka's hand linger over her address book after she pulled it from the drawer of the telephone rest.

She heard a quality she recognized from the way she would sometimes talk about Michiru. But urged on by Rei's words, she decided to open the address book at the letter N.

"I'll call her and see if she has time," The blonde tomboy quietly said.

Rei saw her friend pushing in a few buttons of the telephone.

Once again, she wondered if she had made the right decision. Maybe. Just maybe… If she could tell Usagi, she would feel so relieved that she might find the strength to carry on. Maybe after she confessed, she could move on, and her love for Usagi would slowly burn out.

This was the safer choice, though. Haruka would introduce her to a nice friend of hers. Even if it didn't work out, Haruka would have more friends she might introduce Rei to. Rei might go to the lesbian club after all and find the love of her life there. Now she had made the first step; the possibilities of drowning her love for Usagi were endless.

"You're in luck, Rei-chan!" Haruka spoke up. "Shinobu is taking a rest in a coffeehouse not far from here. We can go and meet with her."

"That's great news," Rei smiled wrily. "Let's go.

Not five minutes later, the pair was walking the streets outside the Outer's house. The sun shining down on the quiet streets of an upscale Azabu neighborhood.

Haruka was dreamily looking at the absurdly expensive two-storey houses around her until her distant blue eyes saw how preoccupied Rei seemed.

"It's okay to be nervous," The blonde amicably smiled. "But I'll stay with the two of you until I see you getting along… If that's what you want, at least. I won't overstay my welcome, obviously."

"I wasn't thinking about that," Rei told a stupidly grinning Haruka. "I was thinking something doesn't add up between the angels and Faust. There's something we're missing. We need another meeting ASAP."

"Just admit it, Rei-chan. You really enjoy having people over, don't you?"

Rei narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"I know some of you think we're having a lot of meetings lately," She said as they passed by an older couple. "But I make no excuses for reorganizing the way we process and share information."

"I don't see what was wrong with the way we used to do things," Haruka shrugged before putting her hands in her pockets.

"Our group simply became too large to continue like that," Rei shot back. "Plus, we needed to exploit our clairvoyant powers more effectively. The way we do things now, any information we gather is discussed ASAP… "

"You like that abbreviation, huh?"

"... So that everyone receives the information and we can brainstorm about the matter without wasting time. Effective processing and distribution of information is vital in warfare."

"You've really been digging into those strategy books. Not that I don't agree. But I think things would be easier if we shared information between our different groups instead of having one big meeting every time. The reason people complain is that everyone has to make a free spot in their often busy schedule to attend the meetings."

"And you think I don't get that?!" Rei fumed. "Those people have an easy time complaining. Apart from Minako-chan and the Three Lights, I am the one who has the most trouble freeing up time to attend the meetings. But I do it because it's important to our fight to protect the people of Earth."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Haruka pleaded while holding her hands in front of her in a defensive gesture. "I appreciate the sacrifice you bring. I just think things would be easier on everyone if…"

"If it isn't my little Haruka," A melodious female voice called out behind them.

Rei had never in her life observed the nervous speed with which Haruka's entire body tensed up.

"What… What the heck are you doing here?!" Haruka gasped with a voice somewhere between terror and rage. "You're supposed to be in the U.S."

Rei saw the young woman walk up behind a downcast Haruka.

She was extremely beautiful. An elegant, athletic body. Long, wavy black hair. Sharp dark-blue eyes. A cute and youthful face. The woman was dressed in a long white shirt over a short green skirt.

The young woman continued walking until she stopped right next to Haruka.

She was about Michiru's height. A little shorter than Rei had become.

"I thought I'd spend my summer break at home," She said in splendid English without a hint of an accent, before continuing in Japanese. "I rent an apartment nearby. I'm sorry if that inconveniences you."

"When did you ever care about what bothers me?" Haruka asked while slowly looking up at the young woman.

"Hahaha! I think I have enough consideration for your wishes."

"Then why. Are. You. Here?" Haruka almost hissed.

"Because I want to be close to you. But how impolite you are, Haruka. Is this one of your special friends?"

The tone in which this was said made Rei turn a pair of confused amethyst eyes on Haruka.

Her friend looked away.

"My name is Hino Rei," She said.

"My name is Miru," Miru told Rei. "Has Haruka been treating you well? She can be a handful, can't she? Has some hardheaded ideas that rule her life, which she likes to impose on others."

"Enough!" Haruka yelled. "I know why you're really here. But you can forget about it. I won't let her anywhere near you. Listen to me: The two of you will never meet. No matter what machinations you use. I will make sure to protect her against your trickery."

"What trickery?!" Miru venomously laughed. "What are you even talking about? You're making me sound like some kind of stalker to your friend. All I want is to meet your girlfriend."

"I knew it! I knew it."

"So what? What's so strange about that?"

"Oh, there's nothing at all strange about that," Haruka spat. "Except for all the venomous tricks we both know you'll use to take her away from me!"

Rei was shocked at the tears in her friend's eyes.

"I'm always the villain, aren't I, Haruka?" Miru hissed. "Well, forget about you. Who needs this pain? Goodbye, Hino-san."

Without a word, Haruka let the young woman walk away.

Rei stood watching her with open mouth.

"Ha… Haruka-kun," She gasped.

"Rei-chan," Haruka sighed while she wiped her tears.

"What is it?" Her friend asked. "Are you alright?"

"No," The blonde said. "I'm definitely not alright. Can I ask you to do one thing for me, please?"

Rei nodded. Even before knowing what would be asked of her.

"Can you promise to keep the existence of Miru a secret even from Usagi-chan?"

The miko knew this was important to Haruka. She had heard her talking about protecting Michiru. She didn't know about the history between Haruka and Miru, but she understood that history was painful to both women.

Rei considered for a few seconds whether telling Michiru might help her overcome this problem. But something told her that Haruka wasn't ready to take this step yet.

In a strange state of self-reflection, Rei understood that just like when she tried to help Kaon, there was a talent she possessed that was at work in guiding her decisions. A talent which - for the first time in her life - she felt like exploring.

"I promise," The miko said.

Chapter Text

"What tricks do you use to relax before a performance, Michiru-chan."
"Michiru massages her temples. This helps her to relax."
"I was asking Michiru-chan, Haruka-kun. Not you."
"Well, I'm telling you, Seiya-kun. She massages her temples."
"Which I'm doing right now to relax while the two of you bicker."

"This might not be a theater, but there is drama on stage! Takahashi-Sensei, please calm down and save the show!"

Oji Hall was bathed in sunlight by the time Michiru and her friend and fellow violinist, Kaori Sato, arrived at the venue.
The tall, white office building in which the concert hall was located looked resplendent against the clear blue summer sky.

"Here we are again," Kaori smiled. "No matter how many times we perform here, it always feels special."

"I agree," Michiru nodded. "The acoustics at Oji are of a higher caliber, and the venue is classy and cozy. Makes you feel right at home."

"You certainly looked at home when you fell asleep after the show last time." Her friend laughed.

"Oh… Give me a break," Michiru laughed. I was tired after a busy day. "It's not like I sat myself down in that chair intending to sleep. I had been waiting for you and Aburaya-san to go and have dinner."

"Can you hear yourself?" Her companion in the forest-green summer dress, who wore a pair of sunglasses on her shoulder-length light-brown scalp, giggled. "A busy day? What kinds of responsibilities does a student have?"

Michiru rolled her eyes at the comment. Kaori was four years older than her and an assistant manager at an up-and-coming mobile phone company.
The recently single brunette was always teasing Michiru about what she imagined her debauched student life to be.

Michiru had to laugh whenever she imagined what Haruka would have to say about the exploits in Kaori's fantasies.

"Studying, for one," The greenette in the white flower print dress and the knitted bolero jacket said. "And attending classes. Didn't you do the same when you were a student? By the way, I never hear you talk about your debauched student life."

"Oh, but there really isn't much to talk about," Kaori played coy. "I was a serious student staying at home and studying for much of the year."

"Like I believe that," Michiru smiled as the duo entered the concert hall building via the large glass revolving door. "What did you do for the rest of the year then?"

"Learning to play the violin, of course!" Her companion brightly exclaimed until she saw on Michiru's face that her friend wouldn't be satisfied with that excuse this time.

"There might have been a boy or two, three," Kaori quietly conceded.

In the bright, beautiful lobby, they were greeted by a cleaner who was wet-mopping the floor while they passed him by.

"He was happy to see you," Kaori teased. "Did you see that big smile on his face?"

"What smile? He was just being friendly."

"I remember him from the previous times we played here. He definitely remembers you. He must be smitten with the beautiful and mysterious Kaiou Michiru. Haruka should be careful."

"Don't you dare tell her that or I won't hear the end of it," Michiru stated while holding her pointer finger at her friend's nose. "But now you're just trying to change the subject, aren't you? We were talking about your frivolous love affairs…"

"Frivolous," Kaori giggled. "What are you talking about?"

"Who's being frivolous?"

The two young women looked around to find a young man with a big blonde hairdo and a blue tuxedo walking up to them.

"Aburaya-san!" Kaori exclaimed. "You're already here."

"Most of us are, Sato-san," Ichiro Aburaya laughed. "The two of you are just late as usual."

"I knew you'd make us late, Sato-san," Michiru sighed.

"By being frivolous?" Ichiro asked with a tilt of his head.

"Michiru was just wondering about my student life," Kaori smiled. "She would like to find out about my past boyfriends."

"So, me."

"What?!" Michiru exclaimed. "The two of you never said anything about that. When did you… Oh, I see."

"Hahaha!" Ichiro laughed at the blushing greenette. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist seeing the look on your face. No, Sato-san and I were never in a relationship. For one thing, I'm too young."

"Would that really be a problem?" Michiru inquired of her friend while the trio entered the concert hall and saw the rest of the band checking out their instruments.

"You know I like older men," Kaori said. "So, yes."

"But if love came into the picture, wouldn't that shake up your preferences?" Michiru said, thinking of Rei and Usagi.

"Hmm… It might," Kaori pondered. "But I'd really have to fall head over heels for that."

"I don't see how I could fall in love or even like someone I detested," Valentin darkly spoke as he and Marthe Schwerdtlein observed Michiru and her friends while incorporeal. "I find it hard enough to have to work with someone I despise."

"Is that supposed to refer to me?" A fuming Marthe inquired.

"One thing I have to compliment you on, though," Her companion in the beige trousers and orange shirt sneered while he turned his face towards her. "You have an excellent understanding."

"Well, you are going to have to learn and work together this time. Neither your sister nor Christopher was available, and you'd hate working with Faust even more than you do with me."

"Very true. You say some sensible things, woman."

"Puh!" Marthe huffed before observing how Michiru and her friends found their instruments and started to inspect them. "I remember the orchestral performances I attended with my husband. He seemed almost a different man when we were among others. A master of deceit."

Valentin listened to the reminiscent redhead. He remembered what Wagner had told him about Marthe's husband, how he used to beat her, how she was used and deceived by him, no less than by Mephistopheles.

"To think so much beautiful music would be composed after our deaths," Marthe continued. "There are so many singers whose songs I love to sing. In Japan alone, there are so many wonderful songs that I like to sing. And then there is the oeuvre of the world's other pop divas. Whitney Houston, Maria Callas, Marlene Dietrich… It sometimes makes me cry to know how large life is and how, in some ways, we are blessed to know all that we learned of modern society."

"Blessed?!" Valentin erupted. "After the hell we went through?! We were raped and tortured in more ways than I care to remember."

"I know," Marthe glared while Michiru and her friends engaged in conversation with the rest of the members of the Minato Ensemble. "I survived the same ordeal. I'm just saying that what we have now is a blessing after the horrors we endured. And when we defeat the Sailor Senshi…"

"When we defeat the Sailor Senshi, Mephistopheles will bring hell to earth," Valentin stated mercilessly while crossing his arms and looking at the redhead in the light-yellow summer dress. "We will endure the same horrors, but we will be able to share them with the rest of humanity."

"What are you saying?" A suddenly apprehensive Marthe questioned. "Mephistopheles promised us he would release us from hell."

"You can't be this naive!" Her companion derisively laughed. "This is the devil we're talking about. He's not going to keep his promises. You should know this by now."

Marthe gazed at Valentin as if an utterly new notion just struck her.

"Cursed villain!" The woman screamed. "You're right! Why didn't I realize that?! He's just been dangling us a carrot on a stick!"

"Of course he has!" Valentin coldly stated.

The behavior of his companion took aback the dashing infantry soldier. He always believed Marthe Schwerdtlein to be a promiscuous woman who threw herself at the devil, knowing the human shape he had assumed to be some sort of villain. Wagner had been trying to convince him that his image of Martha was completely wrong and that the redhead was instead a paragon of womanly virtue.

To his shock, Valentin now wondered whether his friend might not be right.

"Wait a minute…" Marthe stated with a hesitating voice. "But if that is true. If what that monster has planned for us is just more of the same horror, and you know that to be true… Why are you still going along with his plans instead of trying to undermine him like Faust is trying to do?"

Valentin stared hard at the woman in the pale yellow dress.

"The only thing I can hope for as recompense for my cooperation is to be tortured somewhat less extremely than we have been," He quietly spoke. "It is the only thing we can hope for from this most evil of creatures."

Marthe's eyes didn't waver from Valentin's.

Valentin had expected her to scream or drop into the chair behind her. But Marthe did none of those things.

Valentin looked into Marthe's green eyes and wondered what was going on in her brain.
He saw Kaori Sato walk through the redhead's incorporeal form and shudder.

"What's wrong, Sato-san?" Michiru asked.

"No… Nothing," Kaori said with a shake of her head. "Heavens! Some disturbing imagery suddenly slipped into my head. Must have been inspired by that horror movie I watched a few weeks ago."

Hearing those words, Michiru was immediately on edge, and her eyes scanned the environment while Ichiro Aburaya teased his older friend with her choice of movies.

But Marthe kept staring at Valentin.

"You liar," The woman finally said. "You do it because you believe you don't deserve any better than the women you raped and the men you murdered."

"Shut it, woman!" Valentin flared up. "That has nothing to do with this!"

"I think it has," Marthe stated. "I think you feel damned by the horrors you committed under orders and want to punish yourself."

Valentin was shuddering with anger. He wanted to run. He wanted to fight.

"You've been talking to Faust, haven't you?!" He exclaimed. "I know he thinks he knows what I'm about. But let me tell you…"

"Why would I talk to Faust about these things?" An annoyed Marthe said. "You know I can't stand the man. Well… At least not what he did."

"Then why do you bring this up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about it, that's all," Marthe muttered.

"What? Why?!"

"Because, undeserving as you may be because of your antagonistic behavior towards me, I wish to grant you too the gift of empathy. It is a great gift indeed, Herr Meijer."

"Oh, is it? And how will you share it with me?" Valentin said, his emotions rising again.

Marthe kept quiet for a moment.

"Tell me, Frau Schwerdtlein," Valentin continued. "How is empathy going to save the woman I pushed onto her bed and fucked while two of my friends stood watching after we killed her husband and son? How is empathy going to redeem me after we pulled a man from his cellar and beat him half-dead with a piece of wood so we could rape his two daughters? Why would empathy save a man who whipped two boys into obedience while stealing the jewelry of their murdered parents?"

Martha's lips parted and closed tremulously as Valentin started to weep.

"Don't tell me I will be saved, you naive woman!" The man shrieked. "I have done things so evil I might as well be a demon myself!

That was the moment when Michiru passed through his incorporeal form and saw the things Valentin had done in a vision.

"I must excuse myself for a minute," The greenette sheepishly smiled at her friends.

The next moment, she hurried to the restrooms to call Ami on her Sailor Communicator.

"Of course you can't be redeemed, Valentin," Marthe said in a tremulous tone. "None of us can be redeemed. Only Faust hopes against hope that God will redeem us. But we can be absolved. We have suffered rape and torture for hundreds of years. As horrible as the things you did were, they pale in comparison with the horrors you have been subjected to."

Valentin felt something explode within him. He felt a tingling, buzzing sensation inside. It was as if he was being raised from the ground, though when he looked down, he found he was still firmly standing in the downstage area of the theatre.

"No matter what we did," Marthe whispered. "We didn't deserve what was done to us. What you did to those men and women was sinful and horrible and shouldn't easily be forgiven. But you suffered a hundredfold what those people suffered at your hands. It is time to forgive yourself, Valentin."

"No…" Valentin wept. "You can't just say something like that and…"

"Your victims are long gone. You can't help them now. You can't gain their forgiveness. But you can forgive yourself."

It was as if a light shot from Marthe's eyes. It lit Valentin's soul.

"Of all people for it to be you to show me this kindness," He muttered.

"Don't misunderstand me, Valentin," Marthe said. "I cannot forgive rape or murder. They are horrible sins. But I think you have suffered enough rape and torture yourself to be absolved from the sins you committed."

Overcome by emotions of gratitude and relief, Valentin seated himself next to a cellist. He didn't notice the person sitting on his other side. But that person noticed him and silently feared he was hallucinating again on the day when he had to deliver his best performance. That person was wearing blue sunglasses and a yellow boonie hat and had come to start the repetition for the performance of Barber's Violin Concerto Op. 14

Touki Urawa sat in his office chair with the telephone in his hand, ready to call Ami. He felt like he was doing something rash and stupid. But he really wanted to follow through on his earlier decision. Only now that his therapy session was behind him and he had been able to think things through on the way to work, doubt began to sink into the man.

For one thing, there was the problem that he couldn't very well investigate if potential applicants for the job he would be offering truly had a psychiatric past.
Some applicants might just be looking for an easy job. They might come to the interview with fake stories. Touki was fairly confident that he would be able to filter those applicants, but it would still be a hassle to have to deal with those people. But then it was a hassle for Touki to have to deal with people at all.

Then there was the question of how to ensure the quality and quantity of the work performed. Touki was planning to assume a protective role over his employee. This meant that he would take responsibility for the fact that his employee wouldn't be able to perform at a desired level for the duration of the employment. The employee might not arrive at the job on time, he/she might not arrive at all on some days, he/she might not be able to perform well or at all after arriving on the job.

Touki decided that the nature of the work was light enough that he could demand adequate punctuality. But he might not find someone capable of adequate punctuality, and even if he could, there could still be days when absenteeism would occur.
On such days, Touki supposed he could try to get himself home by public transportation like he did now, with all the dangers of falling or missing his stop that entailed.

But problems with punctuality and absenteeism were not the only questions to consider. The employee might struggle with other things the job demanded of him/her.

No matter how generous Touki wanted to be, he offered the job because he required a service to be performed for him. Not purely because he wanted to employ someone. Touki had to face the reality that he couldn't hire anyone who wasn't at least partly up to the job.

What the job required was taking him home from work and doing light household chores, like doing the dishes and the laundry.
Basically, the things Eri Honda used to do for him and Ami was still doing for him out of kindness.

The household chores were a convenient extra. Taking him home from work was essential.

Touki found that he had already stumbled onto a seat in the bus or had an outright fall on several occasions. He had already missed his stop or gotten off early on several occasions, too. He had to find someone who could protect him on the way home, or sooner or later, something more serious could occur.

If only he could work part-time and get full-time pay on account of his disability. He wouldn't have to struggle with the near-constant and often dangerous fatigue he struggled with now. Sadly, society didn't take responsibility for allowing people to be born with a disability.

Touki knew he was lucky and was grateful for the support and protection he had received from Eri, Ami, and Ryo. If not for them, he wouldn't have been able to keep performing at his job. Protective as his employers were of him for their own sakes, health or performance-related issues might have forced them to let Touki go. In that case, Touki might not have been able to find a new job that easily on account of his psychiatric past, and he might have ended up on welfare, as so many of his brethren.

One of whom, he was now resolved to liberate from poverty with a handsome salary for an easy job.

The only real problem now was that Touki was afraid of change.
That is why he was about to call Ami Mizuno in the hopes that she might push him over the edge to start the search for the right applicant.

Touki feared that Ami might disapprove of the project and submit that he might never find a suitable applicant. The man with the youthful face feared this reaction because this was his own doubt. What's more, Touki feared that Ami and Ryo could desert him entirely if he said he was going to look for someone to replace them with. He didn't want to miss having his nephew and his girlfriend over so frequently.

So Touki, in his apprehension, sat at his desk with his hand on the phone, being indecisive. Until a knock on the glass door of his office made him look to the side.

Without waiting for his reply, Eric Honda walked in.

"Hello, Manager-san," the woman with the brown ponytail said.

Touki left the phone to itself and looked at his green-uniformed employee.

"Honda-san," He nodded. "Everything okay?"

Eri awkwardly stood before his desk, wringing her hands.

"There's a customer who is angry about the recalled bad eggs," The woman said.

Touki heaved a deep sigh and hung his head.

"He wants to talk to the manager," Eri continued without mercy.

"Do I have to?" Touki said in a deep, drained voice. "Can't someone else do it?"

"You are the manager, Manager-san," Eri smiled.

Touki slowly looked up at his employee.

"You do it, Honda-san," He joked. "I'll give you money."

"You already are giving me money, Manager-san. And the customer wasn't content to talk to me. He wanted to see you.'

"Typical customer," Touki mumbled. "I suppose I have no other choice, then."

An idea occurred to him, and he smiled at Eri.

"Are your children ready for returning to school, Honda-san?"

"As ready as they'll ever be," Eri chuckled. "But they'll be fine. Our… The oldest is eager for the school's cultural festival."

"Is he now?" Touki said as he got up and felt his head spin.

"Careful now, Manager-san," Eri said as she supported her boss. "Be steady on your feet."

"Thank you, Honda-san. I'm alright. Getting a little tired. That's all. Now let's go and see what this customer wants," Touki grinned - relieved that he hadn't yet taken a step into the unknown future - as he opened the door of his office and walked out.

Rei followed Haruka onto the beautiful terrace of the dog cafe they just walked into.

The terrace overlooked a fenced garden where a handful of dogs were walking around, accompanied by about three people.

There were about five small tables on the terrace with four chairs each. One table was occupied by a mother and daughter who were having a drink and were talking about the dog the child had just been playing with.
The other table was occupied by a girl in a short light-green dress who wore her red hair in a ponytail on the top of her head.

Rei remarked that the ponytail was split in two as if it formed the propeller of a helicopter. Somehow, the image was offensive to her.

"Hey, Hello, Nagayami-san!" Haruka greeted the girl in the light-green dress.

"Tenoh-san!" The girl smiled as she turned to face her visitors. "The two of you are here so quickly. Did you drive over here?"

"I think Rei-chan here was just eager to meet you, that's all," Haruka laughed while Rei approached Shinobu Nagayami.

"Nice to meet you," The miko smiled. "I am Hino Rei. Please take care of me."

"Likewise. My name is Nagayami Shinobu. Please take care of me," Shinobu smiled with a bow of her head.

"Let's order drinks first," Haruka said. "I'm thirsty after that forced march you put us through, Rei-chan."

"Ignore her," Rei grinned coldly. "She's been having a go at me all day. I'll hail the waitress, Haruka-kun, so you can have your drink."

Shinobu giggled as Rei held up her hand for the waitress to notice. The woman had already spotted the new customers, though, and was coming their way.

"Sorry for the teasing, Rei-chan," Haruka chuckled. "I'm simply amused by your fervor in wanting to meet Nagayami-san. I think I'll start styling myself as a matchmaker from now on."

"You mean you'll be even more annoying than Usagi when it comes to the love life of your friends? Please, make other plans. Hello, miss, I'll have a glass of ginger ale," Rei said to the waitress.

"I'll have a glass of soda water," Haruka said.

"Another Coca-Cola for me," Shinobu concluded their order.

"Alright. Thank you for your orders, Okyaku-sama. I'll be right back."

"So, you like dogs, Nagayami-san?" Rei inquired as she leaned over the table.

Shinobu looked into the blackette's honest amethyst eyes and smiled.

"Yes. I come here regularly."

"Haruka-kun didn't tell me about this."

"I thought I'd leave enough of Nagayami-san for you to discover on your own," Haruka dryly commented. "I thought I was doing you a favor."

"Don't you like dogs, Hino-chan?" Shinobu asked Rei with a pair of hopeful puppy eyes.

"I like dogs very much," Rei said. "I just never had a dog myself."

"My family had a golden retriever when I was young," Shinobu said. "I'd like to get a dog, but I can't keep one at the moment with the rules in the room I rent."

"That's too bad," Rei grimaced. "So you come and enjoy the company of the dogs here?"

"Yes. I just had a walk with one of the dogs in the garden, and I served him his water, and now I'm having my own drink."

"Here is your Coca-Cola," The waitress said as she arrived with the drinks the trio ordered. "Your soda water. And your ginger ale. Please enjoy, Okyaku-sama."

"You're a miko, Hino-chan? What is that like? Do you have fair wages?"

"I work for my grandfather, so I receive my boarding and food. But I get an allowance from my parents. I'm quite thrifty, though, so I have a lot of money saved."

"I didn't know about that," Haruka remarked after swallowing a good portion of her water. "So you might say you're a good catch, Rei-chan."

"You might say the same about you, Haruka-kun," Rei grinned. "What with you renting such a large house and all."

"Is Tenoh-san rich?" Shinobu whispered.

"Oh yeah," Rei nodded sagely. "She and Michiru-chan are loaded."

"Rei-chan exaggerates," A slightly uncomfortable Haruka countered. "We have a wealthy maecenas. But we're not rich ourselves."

"So you are kept by a rich maecenas," Shinobu concluded.

"Erm… That's not it exactly," Haruka protested hastily.

"Nagayami-san?" Rei began, in order to come to her friend's rescue. "Something's been bothering me since we met. I'm sorry if I seem crude, but what is up with your hairstyle?"

"What?" Shinobu giggled while touching the little propeller at the top of her head. "You don't like it?"

"Rather than not liking it," Rei said while trying to restrain her exasperation with the hairstyle. "I would like to know why you keep your hair that way."

"I just decided to wear my hair like this because otherwise the dogs would try to catch my ponytail."

Rei breathed in and breathed out in a controlled motion. Yet, she could not restrain her frustration.

"Shinobu…" The miko sighed. "That is a ridiculous reason. That is a ridiculous reason for wearing your hair in such a ridiculous fashion. You look like a helicopter-head."

"Whaa! You called me a helicopter-head! I can wear my hair any way I want!"

"But why would you want to wear it like this?!" Rei firmly demanded while slamming her hand on the table. "It looks ridiculous!"

"It's not ridiculous, you big bully! I think it's cute!"

"I see the two of you are already getting along wonderfully," Haruka smiled. "I'll just take my leave and let you girls at it."

Ami stared up at the tip of the Tokyo Tower with apprehension. Somehow it seemed to her that she had overlooked something.
It might have had something to do with the half-hour-long talk she had with Usagi a few hours back. Something bothered her that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Hey, you alright?" Ryo asked his girlfriend. "You look so serious."

"The bus is here, everyone!" Minako exclaimed as a big green bus came to a standstill at the crowded stop, the gang was hovering about.

"Yes. We can see that much, Minako-chan," Yaten growled. "You don't have to point it out."

"Oh my. Look who's in a bad mood," The blonde giggled together with Queen Kakyuu.

"I think Yaten-kun is just bitter because he hasn't gotten his catnap today," The latter commented.

"Apparently, there are two people who aren't in the best of moods then," Seiya playfully suggested with a look at Ami and Ryo.

"No, sorry," Ami said with a shake of her head. "I'm alright. Just a feeling of apprehension I'm having."

"You don't think there are enemies nearby, do you? Taiki asked as he got onto the bus..

"From what I heard you guys say during the last meeting," Yuine said while following him. "I'd say that's a given wherever you go."

"That's true," Ryo said. "Since the enemy seems to be targeting you personally via people you know, I think we should expect them to be attacking at any time."

"Which means the two of us should get used to looking for a safe exit wherever we go with them," Yuine said with a look at the diminutive young man in the light-blue shirt and black trousers.

Ryo paid the bus driver and turned to the violette in the yellow summer dress. He couldn't help chuckling at the contents of her backpack.
A pair of eyes, guarded by a leather mask with two cutouts, were returning his gaze.

"Oh my, Yubi!" Yuine whispered as she walked through the hallway to the end of the bus. "Hide!"

Ami giggled quietly while the creature obeyed the voice of its mistress and hid inside the backpack. The bluette didn't notice the muscular man with the short-cropped black hair who stepped into the bus after her and who had been following her and her group since she left the house that afternoon.

The man wisely took a seat in the middle of the bus while Ami sat next to her boyfriend at the back of the conveyance.

"You know what is bothering me?" The bluette told Ryo. "I wish Usagi-chan would stop using the Sailor Communicators as mobile telephones."

"You told me this," Ryo grinned.

"She was talking for an entire half hour," Ami sulked. "I can't help it that she and her colleagues don't get to take breaks together. And I can't help it that she forgot her mobile phone at home either."

"If it bothers you that much, you should have told her on the ph… communicator this afternoon," Ryo smiled. "You're only bothering yourself this way."

"Well, I'll tell her when I see her next," Ami sternly spoke. "Oh, Yuine-chan! Yubi is taking a peek again."

"I'll push him back into the backpack," Queen Kakyuu stated as she did so. "There we go."

"Thank you, my Queen," Yuine bowed. "Honestly, I take this risk so he gets to spend time with me instead of having his walk in the garden, but what a bother he makes of it."

"He's just excited to be out and about in a strange environment," Seiya - who sat next to his girlfriend - said while caressing Yubi. "You shouldn't have taken him with us, but we'll have to deal with it now."

"Yes. I know you're right. I was feeling sorry for him, but I should have used my sense."

"The mask is supposed to be a reminder for him to stay inside the backpack," Taiki told Minako. "They are very intelligent creatures, and can be trained into obedience and to perform tasks, but they are also very playful."

"And they are very sweet," Yuine smiled up at Seiya.

"That's true," The latter agreed. "Yubi is very gentle and understanding. I remember how he comforted you after your grandfather passed away."

"That restaurant was excellent," Queen Kakyuu told Taiki. "The plate of cheese was absolutely delicious. I have to thank Mako-chan for recommending the place, Ami-chan."

"Mako-chan was all too happy to share her wisdom when she heard how much you love cheese, Kakyuu-chan," Ami smiled. "It's not often that she gets to talk cheese with someone."

"Yes, it's so sad that Japanese people don't appreciate this delicacy more. You are really missing out."

"I agree," Taiki said. "I'm not as obsessed with cheese as my Queen, but I do find it odd that you can't buy it in every grocery store in Japan, while in the rest of the world it often appears on breakfast tables."

"There are several reasons for this," Ami said. "Firstly, Japan is not just slow in putting cheese on the menu; for a long time, it was an oddity to eat beef here as well."

"I read about that," A suddenly absorbed Taiki cut in. "It makes sense then that…"

Queen Kakyuu fondly looked at the tall redheaded young man in the white tuxedo and the grey shirt.

Taiki was so passionate about knowledge. He would devour an encyclopedia if he could.
Kakyuu sometimes felt overwhelmed by Taiki's wisdom, but she knew if he heard her say so, he would claim that she was the wisest person he knew.

Kakyuu didn't quite know why he considered her to be so wise. Her country was still fighting the Jînsè Yumi. That hadn't changed. Sure, the economy was doing well. But that wasn't her merit alone.

Queen Kakyuu stared out of the window of the bus and sighed. Perhaps the Jînsè Yumi could be brought to peace talks if she married one of the magnates who supported the moderate portion of the Jînsè Yumi. Duke Warau seemed to be a tolerable match for her. He was honest and amiable. He only really differed from her in his political views. But he might concede to abandon all political power if they got married. His standing as King consort would more than make up for the loss.

Kakyuu wished more than anything for the war to be finally over. She didn't seek revenge for what was done to her parents. She didn't seek power. She simply wanted her people to be at peace.
If a political marriage could make that happen, even if it might upset some of her military and political advisors, wouldn't that be a huge win?

Duke Warau wasn't the most handsome man, but he was honest, attentive, lively, and kind to servants. He was a very likable young man who might make her very happy. He just wasn't…

"It's time to wake up, my Queen."

Kakyuu opened her eyes. She was resting against somebody's warm body. Minako was standing in the hallway of the bus and smiling at her.

"Are you okay, my Queen?" Kakyuu heard Taiki's voice close to her left ear. "We're almost at the bus stop."

It was then that she realized she had been sleeping on Taiki's shoulder.

This was too embarrassing. Kakyuu blushed, but she tried to hide it.

The bus stopped. Kakyuu realized she should get up and get off the bus with the others.

"Yes. I'm alright," She mumbled. "I'm fine."

Without drawing more attention to herself, Queen Kakyuu got up. She saw Minako, Seiya, Yuine, Ami, and Ryo get off the bus in front of her.

"Taiki-kun?" She said.

"Yes, my Queen?" She heard behind her.

"Sorry for sleeping on your shoulder."

"That much is fine, my Queen," Taiki smiled at her. "You may do so whenever you feel the need arise. I suppose all that cheese was a little heavy on your stomach?"

"Yes, Taiki-kun," Kakyuu giggled. "Yes. That's exactly it."

Michiru was nervous. Not for her performance, she felt completely in sync with the other members of the orchestra and lay all of her trust readily in the capable hands of Ren Takahashi. The dress rehearsal for the piece had gone off without a flaw.

That is to say, the conductor did find a few flaws in the performances of several members. Minor flaws to be sure, but everyone was aware that Ren Takahashi kept a high standard. That was what they hired him for.

Ren had gone over these flaws with every "guilty" party until, to some at least, a certain fatigue became apparent in him.
The conductor at last began to talk more curtly to everyone, which urged anyone who had a question to lay that question to rest until he seemed more at ease.

Michiru had also had a talking-to, but she wasn't nervous about that. Ren had thoroughly explained what was wrong with her performance, and she knew exactly how to fix it.

What had Michiru worried was the fact that she hadn't been able to reach Ami.
She could have tried to contact Minako or the Three Lights, of course, but she had been busy with the ensemble, and the one attempt to contact Ami was all the time she had had.

There were members of the Soul Merchants in Oji Hall. Of that much, the greenette was sure. When they would strike was anyone's guess. Luckily, they hadn't struck during repetition, but Michiru had hoped she could slip away unnoticed and sound a general alarm via her Sailor Communicator if that had happened.

However, the villains would obviously wait for the spectators to arrive in order to make as many victims as possible before, as they hoped, they could take their price.
Michiru did wonder why the Soul Merchants had their golem attack the general public, though. Wouldn't it be wiser not to attract the attention of the Sailor Senshi?

"Say, Valentin," Marthe asked her companion. "Since you fancy yourself a great commander…"

"I don't fancy myself a great commander. I fancy Mephistopheles and Faust incompetent commanders."

"Well, yes, but why do we target the victims of our golems at moments when they are among lots of people whom the golem can attack? Isn't it smarter to catch our souls when they are alone without attracting the attention of the Sailor Senshi?"

"Ah… You see, there isn't such a thing as letting the golems catch their souls without them attacking other people. Believe me, I asked Faust. Apparently, it is the golem's nature to go on the hunt after they have taken over a human body. The golems have a drive to dominate and to make themselves noticed. This is because Mephistopheles believes that if the golems attack a lot of people and attract the attention of the Sailor Senshi, the latter might be affected when things go badly for them."

"Hmm… I guess he does have a point then," Marthe pondered. "Back when Gretchen took those two souls, it left Sailor Mercury devastated."

"Yes, but it ended up inspiring her to reorganise the Senshi and improve the way they hunt us."

"That is also true," Marthe admitted with her pointer finger to her lower lip.

"I keep telling you people," Valentin reacted. "What we need to do is target the Senshi individually. We need to kill them off one by one, and then we can go soul hunting."

"I don't know about killing them," Marthe weakly protested while she saw Ren Takahashi approach Michiru.

"You can talk yourself into believing anything you want," Her companion snarled. "If we do get our release from hell as you thought we would, it will be after Mephistopheles massacred every last one of them. Which is probably why he doesn't want us to do it: He hates them, after having been defeated by them so many times. But hush. Let's see what our target is up to."

Michiru and Ren had no clue how close to them the two Soul Merchants were while they eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Are…!" Ren said in too loud a tone due to his nervousness. "Are you ready for the performance, Kaiou-san? I enjoyed your solo immensely during the general repetition. You understand the violin. You talk its language. It truly is your instrument."

"Thank you, Takahashi-san," Michiru smiled as she saw Kaori and Ichiro smiling at her behind Ren's back. "I was also satisfied with my performance. I think we are going to deliver a wonderful performance thanks to you."

"And thanks to all of you," Ren smiled while a sharp sound back in the audience - which was starting to enter the hall - made his eye twitch. "You have all exceeded my expectations. I am very happy with the way you allowed me to guide you through our musical journey."

"It was a very interesting journey," Michiru replied. "You made me learn things I didn't know I was able to do."

"We are always capable of learning more, Kaiou-san," Ren sagely nodded. "Or so at least someone I know keeps telling me. Ah! That racket!"

Michiru frowned at the exclamation that came after someone in the audience laughed rather loudly.

"Is everything okay, Takahashi-san?" The greenette asked.

"Yes. I always get nervous before a performance. I'm sorry. I should take some time alone for a minute. We're almost starting the performance. I should go backstage for a minute. Now I still can."

"Alright. Get well," Michiru said.

"Thank you, Kaiou-san," Ren nodded. "Success, and remember: not too fast at the beginning."

"Yes. Thank you."

"Time to get bösen Friedrich ready for work," Valentin grinned.

Back in the auditorium, Ami and Minako were finding their seats with their friends. The muscular man with the short-cropped hair was also there.

"Say, Minako," Queen Kakyuu turned to the blonde. "How is work on your movie going?"

"Oh? Well, we are almost done shooting the scenes."

"Really?" Yaten frowned. "That's fast."

"They managed to squeeze most of the filming into summer break out of obligations towards the record company," Minako explained. "But honestly, what a packed schedule I've had. I've been working non-stop this summer. This is the first evening I get some time to myself."

"We told you you'd be working hard as an idol," Seiya winked. "You're busy the entire time. There's no choice in the matter. If you want to follow your dreams, you have to be prepared to put in the time."

"Don't I know it," Minako dryly commented. "But I'm really living the dream. I get to learn so much about the movie business, and I get to work with a big celebrity like Mu… Akito Akai."

"Haven't gotten the chance to meet him," Taiki said. "How is he?"

"Complicated," Minako sighed. "But a nice guy."

"I don't like his music," Queen Kakyuu piped up.

"No! I don't have time to discuss that right now!" A voice on the still veiled stage exclaimed to the audience's surprise. "I need to have some time to myself. Can I please get some time to myself?!"

The woman who sparked Ren's outburst stood aghast as the conductor walked off backstage.

"I don't know what I did," The woman said. "I don't know what I said."

Michiru and her friends watched the drama unfold. Their eyes followed Ren Takahashi as he sought the balm of loneliness to combat the burn of nervousness.

Ren sat on a chair against the wall and buried his face in his hands.

"Why couldn't she let me pass?" He muttered. "I only needed a moment to relax. Now there'll be more rumors spreading."

"Golem."

"All I want is to help people play beautiful music. That's all I'm aiming to do. I want to be courteous and friendly and help people play beautiful music."

"Golem."

"What?'

As he parted his hands, Ren Takahashi saw a large humanoid creature without a face standing right before him.

The high-strung man screamed in terror. A scream so loud it was even heard by the audience.

"I think we need to powder our noses," Ami said to her friends. "Let's go, gang."

"Yes," Yaten deadpanned. "Let's powder our noses, Seiya."

After they passed him by, the muscular man with the short-cropped hair quietly got up and found the emergency exit, where he hid behind the door while he got a miniature camera out of his pocket.

Sure enough, Michiru and her colleagues had to run for cover as a four-meter-high giant came running from the backstage area and tore the veil down that seperated the stage from the auditorium.

"Why isn't anyone playing music?!" Bösen Friedrich bellowed. "I want to hear music!"

"Maybe if you hadn't swallowed our conductor, we might have been able to play some music!" Michiru yelled at the golem while it stomped on the stage floor.

The audience, however, stood frozen to the floor, as did Michiru's colleagues. A fact which she only noticed as the golem did.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Bösen Friedrich threateningly growled. "You should definitely be afraid of me."

"I'm not too afraid of someone who lets himself be used to destroy others," Michiru countered as she slowly moved towards the backstage area.

The golem was onto her, though, and moved quickly to bar her way.

"Oh no, you don't!" The creature bellowed. "You're not going anywhere. You are going to explain to me why I can't listen to any music?!"

"Space Sword!"

Super Sailor Uranus raised her hand up high. Her glowing Space Sword appeared in her right hand.

In an instant, the blonde brandished the sword in the direction of her target. A ball of bright glowing energy was shot from the point of the blade.

Before he could move, Bösen Friedrich was hit by the blast. The golem was baked into a beautiful piece of ornamental pottery, which fumed on the stage while the unconscious body of Ren Takahashi lay beside it.

By the time Sailor Mercury and her friends arrived, Ren woke up in the arms of Michiru.

"What happened?"

"A monster took over your body, Takahashi-sensei," Michiru smiled down at the man.

"What?!" Ren exclaimed as he got up. "Nobody got hurt, did they?"

"No," Michiru said as she looked around at the members of the ensemble and at the audience. "Nobody got hurt. We just got a bit of a scare."

"Then I can only apologize for yelling at you, Ishikawa-san," Ren told the woman he had yelled at before. "I'm sorry. I was nervous and…"

"It's alright, Sensei," Nanako Ishikawa smiled. "We have bigger fish to fry."

"That's right," Ren grinned. "Thank you for reminding us, Ishikawa-san. We do have bigger fish to fry."

"We do?" Michiru frowned.

"Why yes," The conductor with the yellow boonie hat proclaimed. "Because no matter what happened on stage: The show must go on!"

Chapter Text

"Lies can cause so much pain, don't they?"
"You're right, Usagi-chan. I wish I could just tell the truth about everything. It's so much easier."
"I agree, Hotaru-kun. It's much better to tell the truth, indeed. Like, what really happened to Mamoru's favorite novel when we had that sleepover."
"Ah… yes. Maybe let's not tell him that, Shingo-kun."
"Yeah. Let's not.

"Usagi and Mamoru go to the cinema to hide from the velociraptors! Quick, Hotaru-chan! Save your boyfriend!"

It was late in August when, for the occasion of spending their last hours of summer break together, Amy and Ryo sat drinking at a low table with Usagi and Mamoru in the spacious springtidal restaurant Haru No Ike, run by celebrated chef Hifumi Ebihara.

After this extended lunch, both couples would go their separate ways, with Ami and Ryo bidding each other adieu on the platform of the bullet train to Hiroshima.

Usagi had prepared something else for Mamoru to spend the afternoon with than a bittersweet parting. Although she wasn't quite ready to disclose what exactly that occupation was.

"This is the prerogative set aside to the person who funds the activity," Usagi proudly spoke. "Thanks to the summer job Luna forced me into, I now have money to treat Mamo-chan with."

"So you use that money to lord it over him," Ryo teased. "How regal of you."

"Quiet, beggar," Usagi huffed. "Anyway, I know Mamo-chan will love my treat for him. He has mentioned several times how much he loves it, so I know I'm onto a winner."

"I'm honestly at a loss," Mamoru said while scratching his hair. "It's something I mentioned several times lately that I love."

"Not lately," Usagi said after drinking from her glass of iced yasmine tea. "You just told me several times that you love it."

"Maybe it's Usagi herself," Ami joked. "Did you make an android version of yourself so that Mamo-kun never has to feel alone? That's so sweet.
Can you teach me how to do that? I want a second Ryo-kun to keep me company while the real one is studying in Hiroshima."

"Héhéhé," Ryo laughed sourly. "I'm afraid I'll have to be the bad boyfriend who wants to study in Hiroshima."

"Not a bad boyfriend," Ami pouted while she lay her head on her arms, which rested on the table. Just a bit of a misguided one."

"I really don't think Ryo-kun can go against the wishes of his family at this point, Ami-chan," Mamoru tried to be the voice of reason. "Maybe he can come and study in Tokyo when he enters his second or third year of university."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Ami sulked. "But I fear the truth is that he loves his freedom a little too much."

"Just enough," Ryo chuckled while pinching the air between his fingers.

"The problem is that I have his mother against me, since she fears Ryo will be helping his uncle out whenever he has spare time if he went to a university in Tokyo," Ami sighed before emptying her glass of Coca-Cola.

"I wish my mother would just understand that I'm concerned about Uncle," Ryo commented. "Uncle doesn't talk about it much, but I know he still has nightmares from what those students put him through. He wakes up several times in the middle of the night and often can't get back to sleep. That's part of why he's always tired during the day and exhausted in the evening."

Mamoru frowned at the matter. He didn't really understand what the problem was, but he wanted to be supportive of Ryo.

"Couldn't your uncle be helped with some sleeping drugs?" The young man in the blue jeans and red sleeveless shirt suggested. "Or maybe even some chamomile tea would help him go to sleep?"

Ryo was rather irked by the same suggestion his mother had uncaringly shared with him before. He couldn't feel justified in reacting to Mamoru the way he had reacted to her then.

"He already takes sleeping drugs on the advice of his psychiatrist," The young man in the black trousers and light-blue shirt said. "They help him get back to sleep, but he still wakes up in the middle of the night, and he still gets tired in the day. His brain just had a shock from getting bullied by those students all the time at night.
Now he always wakes up at the times when those guys and girls used to knock on the walls and play their sound system."

"Hey, guys," Makoto said as the brunette in the white cook's outfit seated herself at the head of the table. "Had a good meal?"

"Yes, thank you, Mako-chan," Usagi smiled up at her friend. "The sashimi and scented rice were delicious."

"We had a very satisfying lunch, Mako-chan," Ami nodded. "You guys outdid yourselves."

"You have to teach me how to make that Fukujinzuke," Ryo laughed. "I've never eaten such good tsukemono in my life."

"Maybe next time you come to Tokyo, Ryo-kun," Makoto winked after sipping her yuzu tea. "And you know I only disclose restaurant secrets to close friends."

"Got you," Ryo winked back. "I'll chew your ear until you give in next time I'm here."

That got a laugh from the assembled company, and they merrily discussed the food they had for lunch, not noticing the couple Marthe Schwerdtlein was serving a few tables further in the restaurant. A couple that had been carefully observing Usagi and Mamoru for a while.

"It is kind of cute how they still have no idea," Gretchen muttered while her fingers slid over the edge of her glass of barley tea.

"He has an idea," Christopher Wagner said. "But you're right. Somehow, she's still totally clueless. One wonders why. Maybe she doesn't want to know."

"No. I think she has no idea," Gretchen shook her head. "She just doesn't notice things like this."

"I think it's a bit mean of them not to tell her," Marthe said. "They're supposed to be family. You're supposed to share these kinds of things. Joy and tears are things to be shared naturally in a family."

"That's what I love about you, Marthe," Christopher smiled up at his lover with a mesmerized look. "You're so homely. Such an example of pure womanhood.
You're right. They should share their joy with her. And the fact that they are keeping it to themselves is a sin."

"I heartily agree with that," Gretchen muttered quietly.

"Anyway, it seems I got hailed," Marthe said with a glance at Usagi and Mamoru's table. "Let me go and serve them. I'll see the two of you later. Good luck."

"Thank you," Christopher smiled as he saw the woman he loves walk to the table of their enemies.

"Hey," The man with the caramel-colored marquisetto beard said, making Gretchen look up. "What were you saying earlier?"

"Earlier?" Gretchen asked.

"Before Martha came to bring our drinks."

"What?" A puzzled Gretchen wondered while she looked left and right.

Then the girl in the gray shirt and black skirt remembered she had been talking about the church of Saint Maria Magdalena and how she hoped Faust wouldn't get Mephistopheles's wrath turned upon him if his plans there failed.

"I just don't want him to get hurt," Gretchen said while looking down.

Wagner looked intently at the beautiful girl with the long blonde hair.

"That sounds a lot different from the talk I heard some months ago," He said.

"Huh?" Gretchen reacted while looking up at him. "I suppose so."

"So you don't resent him anymore?"

Gretchen blushed and tried to hide it.

"No," She said. "I realized that he was also just a tool of Mephistopheles. Just like you said. And I appreciate how he continually appeals to God. I don't believe that he'll succeed. But I like that he doesn't give up."

Gretchen realized how her lips curled up into a smile as she said this. Could it be that she was feeling proud of Faust? Could she be proud of the fact that the man who loves her is that relentless in his defiance of the devil?

"I see," Christopher Wagner said. "That is quite wonderful. I always hoped for this."

"I know you did," Gretchen said. "But it is mainly due to Heinrich's chivalrous behavior that I realised he wasn't a completely bad person after all. I do appreciate how you kept trying to convince me on his behalf."

"You do?"

"Yes," Gretchen smiled. "Faust has a good friend. I'm glad of that."

"Well… I might not have been such a good friend to him before," Wagner smiled sadly. "But I try to be so now."

"But you…" The man in the beige shirt and blue trousers said in looking up. "What I've been wondering… Could it be that there is still hope for you two?"

"What do you mean?" Gretchen blushed.

"I mean, is it possible that there is still so much retained of soft and gentle feelings between you and Faust that it transcended the horrors of hell and stirs your hearts whenever you think of each other, even now? Could it be that even when you despised him, there were still remnants of those feelings working against that resentment?"

"I don't know, Christopher," Gretchen demurely spoke. "You might be asking for too much if you hope that Faust and I can ever trust each other again.
Much has happened. Mephistopheles succeeded in sowing the seeds of doubt in our hearts through his evil deeds.
The death of my mother lies at both Faust's and mine feet. We are both guilty of having condemned her to an early grave, no less so than Mephistopheles."

"I think that might be an exaggeration," Christopher Wagner said while taking the younger girl's hand.

Gretchen pulled back her hand, though.

"No, Christopher. As usual, you think too kindly of us. I am guilty of my mother's death, not because I fed her the poison I wasn't aware of, but because I fed her what I believed to be a sleeping drug. Because I wanted to be rid of her for the time that I wanted to spend with Faust. There lies my fault. Not in the deed, but in the intention."

"Look who we have here," Hifumi Ebihare said as, with a dashing smile on his face, the man in the white cook's uniform approached the table where Ami and Usagi sat with his employee. "I trust you kids had a nice meal? My staff and I worked hard enough to prepare it."

"Yes," Ryo smiled warmly. "Our lunch was only fit to be discussed in superlatives, as usual. We were just discussing how Makoto-chan would divulge your trade secrets to us."

"Don't you dare drop one ounce of the secret techniques and recipes I teach you, young lady," Hifumi joked. "I'll turn you into udon noodles if you do."

"In udon noodles no less," Makoto laughed. "I expected to become a ground meat patty at least. So you don't think there's enough meat on my bones, Sensei?"

"I think there's plenty of meat on your bones. You didn't let me finish. I'll turn your bones into udon noodles and your flesh into meatballs. That way I can serve our customers a Japanese-style Spaghetti and meatballs for an entire week."

"How the heck did we find ourselves in this horror scenario?" Mamoru laughed.

"It's still officially summer, Mamo-kun," Ami smiled. "Horror scenarios can still happen."

"And they sadly still do," Ryo muttered.

"Hey, hey! Let's not get downhearted here," Hifomu laughed. "I was just joking. Look, I'm even letting my employee extend her break here to make up for the bad news she came to me with this morning."

"Oh!" Makoto exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I'll get back to work."

Hifumi reached to restrain the taller girl.

"Stay, Kino-san. Like I said: I was joking. You can go back to work when I do. It's almost closing time anyway."

"Oh? What bad news did you have for your employer, Mako-chan?' Ryo asked.

Makoto rolled her eyes and sighed. Then the young woman in the white uniform sat down again.

"I had an argument with my father," The brunette confessed. "Well, it was a bit of a row, rather than an argument. He used some choice words to explain to me that he wouldn't allow me to waste my time here much longer, in his words."

The spirits at the table immediately sank as everyone gathered listened to their friend's problem.

"Well, as I told you before," Hifumi Ebihara said. "I can't argue with your father. I can have a talk with him if you want, and if he'll allow me. But the man is responsible for your well-being. If he thinks he knows best, there's no point arguing against that."

"You see," Makoto said after drinking her yuzu tea. "I always loved to cook. Cooking is my passion. Home ec is my favorite class.
When I got the chance to start working here on the weekend, I was the happiest girl alive. I finally decided that I wanted to become a chef and work in the restaurant business for maybe my entire life. I'm pretty sure I won't ever get bored with the work. I love cooking. I love working here. I had a talk with Ebihara-sensei, and he told me there would be a place for me here after I graduate next year.
So I called my father and explained things to him. But he exploded. He wants me to go to university. He says I'll be throwing away my future if I don't get a university degree."

"I don't know about dealing with strict parents, but life is a lot easier generally if you have a university degree," Mamoru grimaced. "I guess that's what your father is thinking about."

"I know where he's coming from," Makoto said. "Grandfather doesn't have a university degree. He and my grandmother worked very hard so that my father could get to university. If he couldn't go to university, he wouldn't have met my mother. He wouldn't have had all the breaks he did, which led to him starting his construction business. Meaning I wouldn't have the life I have. Because of his upbringing, Father thinks you can't get anywhere without a university degree."

"But you have to follow your dreams, Mako-chan!" Usagi piped up. "You can't give in! Your father may mean well, but you know what's right for you!"

"Thank you, Usagi-chan," Makoto smiled. "I do know what's right for me, and I'll fight for what I believe in. You know me. I just never thought I'd have to fight my father for it. Honestly, it's kind of depressing. I understand where he's coming from, but I didn't expect him to react this way before I shared my decision with him. It is a bit of a blow, to be honest."

"I trust you can convince your father to reconsider, Mako-chan," Ryo spoke up. "A cook's university is the kitchen after all. Making you go to university would only make you sit through lectures without motivation. If cooking is where your heart is, continuing your studies would be the real waste of your future."

"I don't know about that, Ryo-kun," Mamoru counterposed. "There would be sound reasons for Mako-chan to go to university. She might study chemistry and learn a lot of background information about cooking. Once she starts school, she might find herself more interested than you make out. And like I said: A university degree does make life easier generally."

"You bring up good points, Kokyaku-sama," Hifumi said. "However, Kino-san also has to consider that if she wants to grow into the restaurant business at Haru No Ike, I might not have a vacancy for her here after she graduates from university.
Right now, Kino-san has her foot in the door for a full-time job once she graduates from high school. As much as I want her in my kitchen, I cannot guarantee I will have a spot for her in a few years. Although I will do what I can to get her a job in a colleague's restaurant if I can. There are plenty of restaurants in Tokyo where she can get a great education if she decides to go to university first."

"You say I think too kindly of you, Gretchen," Christopher Wagner said. "If only this were true."

Gretchen frowned at the remark.

"What are you talking about, Christopher?" She asked. "Haven't you always supported us after we left hell? Haven't you always tried to give us sound advice?"

"I did that," The blonde's companion said. "But all through that time, I harbored feelings which I did not share with you. I'm afraid I unjustly blamed you for having caused Faust to become enamored with you."

Gretchen bowed her head and stared at her cup of coffee. She didn't know how it could be, but it was as if Wagner was looking into her soul.

"I'm sorry," She heard Christopher say. "I felt that you should have refused him. I was wrong. Your love is beautiful, and even though you are rather young for Faust, your love has a right to exist. The devil was wrong to have interfered with it."

"Do you mean that?" Gretchen sobbed. "Because I always felt that I should have acted more demurely. If I had behaved with more modesty, perhaps Faust wouldn't have wanted me. We would have been saved. My poor mother wouldn't have died."

"Gretchen," Christopher said as he caressed the girl's scalp. "Look around you. We are in the 20th century. What you are talking about are ancient ideas. Faust was responsible for falling in love with you as much as you were."

It was as if a light exploded inside Gretchen. She felt washed over by a wave of kindness.

"I was wrong for thinking in that old-fashioned way," Christopher continued. "And so were you. You are not an immodest woman. You are a kind young woman who fell in love with an older man and was manipulated for someone else's evil goals."

"Thank you, Christopher," Gretchen smiled as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. Are you alright?"

Gretchen nodded and added a big smile to reassure her friend.

"Good. So if you understand what I've been saying and you still love Heinrich, I think you should talk to him.

"I will," Gretchen smiled. "I will talk to him so that we can hopefully be together in peace in this world before this ordeal is over. But first, let's leave the restaurant before they do so that we can capture this soul."

"So…" Shingo started as he was walking in the city with Hotaru. "Do… erm… Do you want to do it again this weekend?"

"Huh?!" Hotaru reacted as she turned her eyes to her boyfriend. "You suddenly drop this on me while we're walking by the side of the road?!"

"Hahaha!" Shingo awkwardly laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't think of a better time to ask. I've been waiting to ask since you came to our house to get me, and I just blurted it out. I couldn't stop thinking about you in that gorgeous lingerie these past days. You looked so cool and beautiful."

"Hahaha!" Hotaru blushed in equal measure. "Thank you, Shin Shin. I'm glad I was able to bedazzle you like that. You looked really handsome too in your underwear."

"Haha. Thank you, Teruko. I don't know about being complimented about my underpants, but I'm glad you think I look cool."

"Not cool though," Hotaru chuckled before she kissed her boyfriend on the lips. "But you are handsome."

"Not cool?" Proud Shingo pouted a little. "Be careful kissing me like that. Usagi might be just around the corner."

"Just kidding," Hotaru said while bumping her thigh into Shingo's. "Don't be so obsessive about Usagi-chan. I want to tell her about us."

"I know," Shingo sighed. "I want to tell her too, but I don't know when might be a good time."

"What is a good time? Tomorrow could be a good time."

"So soon?" Shingo whined while they stopped at a crossroads. "I need time to prepare mentally."

"Well, I'm not going to have that much free time to join you for telling her these next weeks, you know?" Hotaru raised her voice. "Tournaments kind of swallow your free time."

"I know. I know. Congratulations again on winning the All-Japan Inter-High tournament, by the way."

Hotaru smiled and crossed over with Shingo as the light turned green.

"You congratulated me already," The girl in the short black skirt and green baseball jersey laughed at the insinuating comment.

"And I want to congratulate you again," Shingo grinned and blushed.

"Yes. Yes. I heard you the first time," Hotaru blushed. "Let me check my schedule when we arrive at my place. I'm sure we can find an evening when I'm not preparing for the Osaka Mayor's Cup."

"You look so sexy in your Pink Pika's uniform on the tennis court," Shingo grinned.

"Hahaha!" Hotaru laughed as Shingo's right hand "accidentally" stroked her left hand. "Alright, you flirt."

Shingo smiled happily when she took his hand and pressed it for a few seconds before releasing her hold.

"Your match against Suzuki Miki-san was amazing. I sat at the edge of my seat."

"Yeah. Suzuki-san was tough," Hotaru remembered. "I had a hard time getting past her."

"But then you reached the final and that was much easier," Shingo said. "I expected the final to be the climax, but it wasn't such a tough match. Agawa-san did her best to give you a hard time, but it was nothing you couldn't handle."

"Agawa-san is fast, though," Hotaru said. "She's small and moves like lightning. I asked Sensei to help me train to adapt to such players.
If I come up against a fast player like that who is technically more skilled than Agawa-san, I'd be in big trouble. And Agawa-san just might have had a bad day.
If I come up against her on a good day, I might lose the match."

"Still, Suzuki-san gave you the hardest time," Shingo concluded. "I remember that shot to the right-back corner of the court. You nearly missed it, but you reached it on time and won the last set with a 6 - 4 difference."

"Yeah. That was so cool," Hotaru laughed. "I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. And then I jumped up and hit the ball. Suzuki-san never expected me to be able to send it back."

"Yes, it was cool," Shingo smiled. "A very intense match."

"The only trouble is that people are even more on my case now about going to Yokohama Tennis International," His girlfriend sighed with an annoyed grimace. "Hikari-chan said I should ask if I can train at YTI after school, but I don't think they'll allow that. Emi-chan says she'll come and watch us train whenever she can find the time if I join. Haruka sometimes stares at me, and when I turn to look at her, she turns away and sighs. Agawa-san called me to say I belong with her at Yokohama Tennis International and she'll talk to Ito-Sensei to see how they can convince me to join. Even Yaten-kun tells me I'm pigheaded and that I should go to YTI because I'm too good for the Pink Pikas."

Shingo frowned. He didn't like how close that Three Lights guy was to Hotaru. And he could tell that Yaten didn't like him either. He wasn't going to do anything to come between the friendship, but if Yaten ever tried anything, he was sure to put his foot down with Hotaru.

"I'm not pigheaded, am I, Shingo-kun?"

"Hotaru-chan, you're the least pigheaded person I know," Shingo said as they arrived at the cinema, happy to be able to give his girlfriend advice that contradicted what Yaten said.

As they stood by the entrance door, the dark-blonde boy in the brown trousers and white shirt with a picture of a jumping salmon on the shoulder and the right breast rested his hands on his girlfriend's hard shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"As far as I'm concerned - and I stand by your side no matter what you decide - you are simply standing up for what you want. Sometimes it's good to follow the advice of your friends, but sometimes you have to stand your ground no matter what anyone else says. If you don't want to join Yokohama Tennis International because you think you'll miss your friends from Juuban High, then I think you should stand by your decision."

Hotaru smiled brightly as she observed her boyfriend talking into her. He looked so cute, trying to look cool.
Didn't she have the best boyfriend ever? He was so hardworking, yet also modest about it, and he was proud yet kind.

"Thank you, Shingo-kun," Hotaru said before she embraced the boy she loved and pulled him close to her heart.

"Are you nervous about the Osaka Mayor's Cup? Shingo asked as they separated.

"It's going to be a lot harder than the All-Japan tournament," Hotaru whistled. "I managed to hold my own against the best of Japan, but I don't know how I'll do against all those international athletes."

"Is the difference in ability that high?"

"That depends," Hotaru shrugged. "But you have to take into account that the best of the youth from several different countries will come. Some of those countries have an incredibly strong tradition in tennis. It stands to reason that there will be athletes who are a few levels above the vast majority of Japanese athletes."

"I don't care what you say," Shingo smirked as he walked towards the entrance of the cinema. "I know you'll beat them all."

Hotaru chased her boyfriend to talk some sense into him.

"You don't understand, Shingo-kun," The black-bobbed athlete said. "I'm not saying I won't give it my all, but girls like Ekaterina Ivanova and Victorine Masson will be there. You don't just win a match against Victorine Masson."

Shingo turned around and smiled.

"Of course you do, because they'll underestimate you," The boy said.

"Shingo-kun," Hotaru sighed.

'How can he be so supportive and convinced of my superiority?' She thought to herself. 'I am so lucky with Shingo-kun. He's so cute and adoring.'

"Shingo-kun… Alright," Hotaru chuckled at last. "I'll win the Osaka Mayor's Cup for you."

"I know you will."

"I won't. But I'll try. Now is this the movie you wanted to see?" Hotaru asked while they eyed the posters in the lobby.

"Yeah. Is it still all right for you? I know you said you didn't think much of it."

"Yes. It's fine," Hotaru said as she leaned her head against Shingo's. "I just want to watch a movie with my boyfriend and snuggle up close together with a bucket of popcorn between us. Any movie will do."

"Alright then," Shingo smiled. "And I'll be the one feeding you that popcorn while we cuddle in the darkness."

"Hello," Hotaru greeted the cashier. "We would like to buy two tickets for…"

"You like Ryo-kun, don't you?" Usagi asked while she and Mamoru were walking at some distance from the cinema.

"I think he's a very nice person with whom I find myself frequently at odds when it comes to his opinions," Mamoru replied.

"But you do like him. I can tell from the way you try to reason with him. You enjoy his gentle defiance."

"How well you know me," Mamoru smiled at his girlfriend. "Yes. Ryo-kun is a dear friend of mine. I enjoy our little discussions. For example, regarding his uncle, I disagree with the way he keeps pampering him and the reasons he brings up for doing so. But I respect Ryo-kun's kindness and dedication in doing so. In this situation, we have the naivety of reasoning that so often makes me disagree with Ryo-kun, but also the virtues that make me like him so much."

"I agree with you on that situation," Usagi sighed. "A grown man shouldn't have children doing his household chores. Children should spend their time studying and playing."

"You've done very little playing this summer," Mamoru laughed. "At our age, we are hardly children anymore. But you are the only one of us, apart from Rei-chan, who has worked a real down-to-earth job. Tell me, what did you think of your summer job at the Fruits Parlor Crown? Was Unazuki-chan a good boss?"

"I thought it was fun, actually," Usagi smiled. Hm… I mean, Hina-chan was a fun colleague who explained everything I needed to know five times if she had to. And we chatted and joked around while working. The work was fun too. I got to take orders, and sometimes I had to fry some burgers. Unazuki-chan helped me out, too, whenever she could. She was mostly busy among the tables, serving the customers. Rei-chan was also there once. Rei-chan is very funny as a clown."

"Rei-chan was there?" Mamoru asked as he reflected that Rei was probably keeping an eye on Usagi so that the enemy wouldn't threaten her.

"Rei-chan is a good friend, isn't she?" The young man in the red shirt and blue jeans concluded.

"Hm-hm," Usagi nodded. "It was nice of her to try working at the Fruits Parlor Crown to keep me company. But she's too busy already, so I understand that she quit.
Even though she's a very talented clown."

"Now I wish I could have seen her at work," Mamoru pondered.

"Do you miss Motoki-kun?"

Mamoru looked his girlfriend in the eyes as they stopped at the red light.

"I do miss him, yes. But I know his happiness is with Reika-Chan in England."

"I sometimes wish you had more close male friends here in Tokyo, Mamo-chan," Usagi said while gazing pityingly at her boyfriend.

"We have to walk," Mamoru said when the light turned green.

"You're not serious, surely?" He laughed awkwardly as they crossed the street. "I have plenty of male friends."

"Yes, but there are few guys you're as close with as you were with Motoki-kun. And you mostly hang out with my friends. After a while, you just started to hang out with us more than with your own friends."

"Why, yes," Mamoru shrugged. "For obvious reasons. Since we associate in a, shall we say, professional capacity, it's natural that I got closer and closer to your friends.
Does that bother you?"

"No, it doesn't bother me," Usagi smiled. "But I do sometimes wish you had more close male friends. That's why I'm happy you have Ryo-kun."

"Ryo-kun's not often in Tokyo, though."

"You can deplore that with Ami-chan," Usagi grimaced. "But he is connected to us in a, shall we say, professional manner, now more than ever. So he is someone you can naturally grow closer to in time. I'm glad about that."

"And I'm close to Shingo-kun like a good boyfriend would be," Mamoru smiled at his girlfriend. "So I do have a close male friend here in Tokyo."

"Don't smirk like that," Usagi complained. "It's annoying."

"What?" Mamoru laughed. "I don't smirk. I never smirk."

"Yes, you do. You and Rei-chan are smirkers. You always smirk when you're full of yourselves."

"Hahaha! If you say so."

Usagi smiled warmly and hugged Mamoru's right arm closely.

"Yes. You are a good boyfriend," She said. "And I'm happy you get along with Shingo. Even though I wish you'd take my side against him more often when he makes fun of me."

Mamoru smiled as if to say: "No comment."

"I love it when you come over and Shingo and Chibi-Usa have Hotaru-chan over," Usagi smiled. "It's so fun and cozy. Especially when Mama cooks dinner for us all and we watch television together."

"Like one big happy family," Mamoru said.

"Well, yes, apart from Hotaru-chan, then," Usagi frowned. "And Chibi-Usa hangs out with her senpai from school so often lately."

Mamoru sweatdropped knowingly.

"I just think it's nice when you and Hotaru-chan hang out at our place," Usagi smiled.

"I hope your homeroom teacher won't be so weird anymore," Shingo told Hotaru when they occupied their seats in the cinema theatre where the movie would be played.

"She's all right," Hotaru said while taking her boyfriend's hand in hers. "She's very nice, actually. It's just that it's a bit strange that so many of the texts she selects for reading are so weirdly philosophical or theological. And that I keep getting these strange panic attacks around her. I think that's just me, though. Perhaps I'm just straining myself lately, and it just so happens that my body reacts to that when I'm around her."

"Hmm… I guess… Maybe it's just that. Doesn't mean it's not weird to tutor your student in English by making her read texts about the good God problem."

"I think Nagahasu-sensei just missed her calling and should be teaching English at T. A. Girls Academy," Hotaru chuckled. "I asked her about that before, but she jokes about it and denies it."

"Hmm," Shingo smiled. Only to turn serious a second later when he asked: "Do you have the feeling that you're straining yourself? You talked about being burdened by chronic illness when you were in middle school."

"I don't feel strained, really. But I know I have a packed schedule. Although probably not as packed as Rei-chan's. After school, I work out, I go to tennis club, and on top of that, I get tutored by Sensei."

Hotaru left out the part where she and Ami occasionally get tutored by Yaten in Kinmokuan anatomy. As far as Shingo knew they just hung out occasionally because they knew each other from walking together to cram school.

"It's a packed schedule," The black-bobbed stoic said. "But I don't particularly feel that I'm overwhelmed. I just think that's the logical conclusion to the panic attacks I sometimes experience near Nagahasu-sensei."

"Hmm…" Shingo frowned as the door to the theatre opened some rows behind them. "I don't know about that. Maybe it's your subconscious warning you about your teacher. Tell me if she does something wrong, huh?"

Just as Hotaru reflected on how cute this overprotective side of Shingo was or how strange it was that he would hint at her brain sending her subconscious warnings, the duo was startled by a familiar male voice behind them.

"I can't believe you spotted this small cinema doing a special summer screening of Jurassic Park! That is so cool!"

"That's Mamoru-kun!" Hotaru and Shingo whispered in unison.

"Héhéhé. I have to admit, I'm a little proud to have discovered this. I knew you'd be happy!"

"That's Usagi," Shingo whispered.

"And they're coming this way, from the sound of it," His girlfriend added. "We should say hi."

"We can't!" Shingo whispered fiercely. "I want to tell Usagi the truth too, but this is not the right time. If she sees us sitting together here, she'll be onto us in no time and she'll be sad having discovered we lied to her. If we want to tell her, we have to organize the moment carefully."

"I… I guess you're right. I don't want to make Usagi-chan weep. Let's wait."

"Here are a few good seats, Mamo-chan," Usagi called out to Mamoru in the darkness as the film was about to begin. "They're right in the middle of the theatre."

"Oh, right. Another great find, beautiful girlfriend of mine," Mamoru joked as he came closer and kissed Usagi.

Hotaru and Shingo parted their joined hands and nervously sweatdropped as their friends took their places in the seats behind them.

"Beautiful and smart," Usagi smirked. "Just like doctor Ellie Sattler."

"Or like Ami-chan," Mamoru joked.

"Ugh. Ami's got me beat on intelligence, that's for sure. But I'm for sure cuter than her."

Hotaru carefully watched Shingo's face.

"What?" Her boyfriend whispered. "I'm not saying anything."

"I'm not saying anything either," Hotaru amusedly smiled.

Three rows behind the two couples, another pair was sitting and observing the four friends.

Gretchen and Wagner - turned incorporeal - quietly minded their own business while the velociraptors in the movie made their first victim.

The blonde watched her companion caress the clay orb inside his vest pocket.

"Shall we let Doktor Alwissend attack?" She asked Christopher Wagner.

"No," The handsome man with the caramel-blonde marquisetto beard muttered. "Let's watch the movie first."

"What?!" Gretchen reacted while leaning closer to Wagner with a comical expression on her face. "The four of them are right here. Why wait? Don't you know the expression, strike when the iron's hot?"

"Relax," Christopher smiled at his younger friend. "They'll still be here in two hours. Martha taught me to enjoy this world now we can still walk around in it unmolested.
Think about it, Gretchen: No religious wars, no famine, no rape, no torture. We can just sit around and watch a fantasy world unfold before us. Let's enjoy this for as long as Mephistopheles lets us. We'd be dumb not to."

"I… I suppose you're right. And it does seem like an interesting movie. I'm curious as to these creatures that supposedly lived on Earth before us."

"That's right," Wagner smiled as he relaxed his body. "Let's just sit back and enjoy ourselves before we take action."

While in Jurassic Park, father and son Hammon made deals, and Dr Grant, Dr Sattler, and Dr Malcolm explored Isla Nublar and its facilities, exchanged strangely conservative views on science, and met John Hammond's grandchildren, in reality, Hotaru and Shingo unconsciously started to lean closer to one another, their heads resting against each other by the time the main characters of the movie got into the touring cars.

"Look, Mamo-chan," Usagi whispered while seeing how in the storm-showered movie, the lawyer in the car with Lex Murphy and her little brother started hearing thuds. "There's another couple in front of us. I didn't think people would come to see this movie to have a romantic time."

"For some people, any movie can be romantic, I suppose," Mamoru whispered back while watching Tim Murphy, who noticed the goat in the T. rex enclosure was gone. "But let's not be outdone."

To Usagi's slight surprise, her boyfriend took her hand in his and caressed it before bringing the appendage to his lips.

The romantic gesture enraptured the blonde.

"Where's the goat?" Lex Murphy inquired while her brother and the lawyer who sat in the touring car with her tensed their nerves.

Mamoru himself was satisfied with the romantic moment. He had been fantasizing about Setsuna again lately and was frustrated with himself. Often purposefully masturbating while thinking of Usagi while alone, he nevertheless caught himself thinking of Setsuna too by the time he climaxed.

This time they were alone in a cinema theatre, so they could kiss without being bothered by others. Mamoru readied himself for a serious bout of lovemaking.

To his disappointment, nature called, so the young man with the neatly brushed black hair excused himself to his girlfriend.

"He left us! He left us!" Lex Murphy exclaimed in the movie as the lawyer who visited John Hammond on his island ran to hide from the T. rex.

A little annoyed by the event, Usagi gazed at the couple in front of her as Mamoru headed to the exit. Her eyes landed on a picture of a jumping salmon on the boy's left shoulder just when Mamoru closed the door to the hallway behind him.

"Where does he think he's going?" Dr grant asked.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go," Dr Malcolm replied.

"Wait a minute," Usagi pondered out loud as she loomed over Hotaru and Shingo. "I know that T-shirt."

The couple moved apart in fright as they heard the blonde.

Usagi wriggled from the left to the right in her seat to catch a glimpse of the couple's faces.

"Keep absolutely still," Dr Grant said as Hotaru and Shingo sweatdropped in fear. "Its vision is based on movement."

"I'd recognize that T-shirt anywhere," Usagi seethed. "Shingo?"

To her shock, she saw Hotaru turn a guilty expression to her. Followed by the equally downcast face of her little brother.

"Hotaru-chan?" Usagi muttered as tears started to sting her eyes.

The trio soon found themselves in the hallway outside the theatre with a confounded Usagi staring at her brother and friend.

"You… You're a couple?" The blonde stammered. "You're in love with each other? When….?"

"We started dating last summer," Hotaru said. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, Usagi-chan."

"Yes. I'm sorry too," Shingo added. "We wanted some privacy at the time…"

"Last year?" Usagi asked. "You've been hiding this for an entire year? Do mother and father know?"

"Nobody knows, except Chibi-Usa-chan," Shingo repentantly replied.

"And Setsuna-chan," Hotaru added.

"I don't understand?" Usagi shook her head. "Why would you keep such happiness from the people who love you? Why couldn't you tell us?"

"Well, you see…" Hotaru started.

"You're just too annoying when people you know are romantically involved, Usagi," Shingo blurted out. "We wanted some private time before we told everyone.
Only, that private time turned out rather long because we were afraid of your reaction if we told you the truth."

"I'm too annoying?" Usagi repeated as she started to weep.

"Usagi-chan, we're sorry," Hotaru said. "We made some stupid decisions, and we wanted to tell you so many times, but…"

"You were afraid of my reaction?" Usagi sobbed. "You were afraid I'd be hurt because you lied to me?"

"Usagi…" Shingo started as he reached for his sister's shoulder.

At that moment, Usagi ran away. She passed by Mamoru as she did so.

The latter observed his friends and his crying girlfriend and could only come to one conclusion.

"So, you told her, did you?"

"You knew?!" Shingo exclaimed.

"I had my suspicions," Mamoru said.

"That's great, Teruko," Shingo sadly commented. "Perhaps things had gone better if we waited…"

But then, Shingo saw something he had never seen before. Something he didn't think he'd ever see: A weeping Hotaru.

"Usagi-chan, wait!" The black-bobbed athlete exclaimed before she ran after her friend.

Not for the first time in his life, Shingo felt incredibly guilty about his treatment of his sister. Most times, he would just wash away the guilt by playing a game on his Nintendo or lately by playing his guitar.

Now, however, he felt that he had done something worse than usual. And his feelings of self-reproach weren't exactly helped by the T. rex-shaped golem who loomed over the young man to Mamoru's alarm.

"Sh… Shingo!"

With one bite, the golem swallowed Mamoru's future brother-in-law whole and started to transform.

"A monster!" Mamoru exclaimed to alert Hotaru and Usagi without raising suspicion. "There's a monster here!"

As the golem completed its transformation, Mamoru ran into the theatre where other people had still been watching Jurassic Park.

To his surprise, the movie had ended and the lights were on, with Doktor Alwissend's huge body standing before the screen.

Mamoru took place in one of the seats and listened to the golem with the large head who was wearing black trousers and black jacket over a light-blue shirt.

"I am Doktor Alwissend," The monster spoke. "They who want lies to be revealed, ask me what you want to know."

To the monster's annoyance, the door opened once more to let Eternal Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Saturn in.

"Latecomers to class? Please take your seats. I am Doktor Alwissend. They who want lies to be revealed, ask me what you want to know."

"Yes, over here, herr Doktor!" A gentleman in a seventeenth-century academical tunic who sat next to a young noblewoman dressed in a long salmon-red dress and a green bodice called out while raising his hand.

"Yes, sir," Doktor Alwissend nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know if there is a young man among us who is cheating on his girlfriend while telling her he loves her," Wagner said.

Mamoru glanced at Sailor Moon while sweatdropping heavily.

"There is at present nobody among us like that," Doktor Alwissend said to his relief.

"Then, is there a young man among us who loves two women at the same time while lying about it to one of them?" Gretchen asked.

"There is at present somebody among us like that," Doktor Alwissend spoke.

"He really does know everything!" Gretchen exclaimed in mock surprise while Mamoru tried to hide in his seat.

"What is the name of this man?" An indignant Sailor Saturn called out.

"His name is Shingo Tsukino."

Mamoru and Sailor Saturn blinked.

"Then what are the names of the two women he loves?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Their names are Tsukino Usagi and Tomoe Hotaru," Doktor Alwissend stated.

"So he does love me," Usagi whispered happily.

"Now… after I answered your questions," Doktor Alwissend growled. "It's time for that dinner I was promised. And you are all on the menu!"

"Submarine!"

Sailor Neptune jumped through the double doors into the theatre, holding the Deep Aqua Mirror with both hands.

"Reflection!"

A flash of blinding light radiated from the mirror, melting the golem until it became a small porcelain sculpture that landed on the floor of the cinema theatre.

"Luckily, we were patrolling this area," Sailor Uranus said after she walked into the theatre.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn ran to Shingo to check if he was alright.

"Are you alright there?" Uranus asked Mamoru. "You're looking a little pale."

"Y… Yes," The young man muttered and smiled. "I'll take care of this young man. We were here to watch a movie with our girlfriends. I don't know where they might have gone."

"Hahaha," Moon and Saturn laughed comically while they sat by a reviving Shingo. "We'll go look for them now that everything is safe here."

A few days later, on a cosy Sunday evening, Ikuko was standing at the dinner table, apportioning everyone their share of rice.

"Remember to give Shingo a big portion of rice," Usagi nudged her mother. "He'll need to get in good shape now that he's dating an athlete."

"Aw, man…" Shingo sighed to Mamoru and Hotaru's amusement.

"I know, Usagi," Ikuko said. "Don't nudge me when I'm handling food."

"For that matter, how about giving me an extra-large portion?" Kenji spoke up. "I have a full day's work tomorrow."

"You'll do with what everyone's getting!" His wife exclaimed. "Unless you're bringing home an extra-large paycheck tomorrow."

"Pipe it down, will you, Usagi?" Chibi-Usa complained as she held up her bowl. "You've been hugging and bothering poor Hotaru-kun and Shingo all day. "

"It's only because I'm so happy for them!" Usagi whined. "Besides, don't you think it's time you brought your girlfriend home?"

"Usagiiii! I'll invite Carolina-senpai when I'm ready for it. Not when you want me to."

"Yes," Ikuko said. "Don't pressure your niece like that. How long didn't it take before you invited Mamoru-kun to our home?"

"That took quite some time," Mamoru remembered.

"Due to circumstances," Usagi muttered. "Why aren't you feeding Hotaru your fried mackerel, Shingo? Be a little more romantic."

"It might be a little annoying," Hotaru said. "But I prefer an Usagi-chan who is a little annoying to an Usagi-chan who is unhappy."

"Yes. Yes. So do I," Shingo smiled.

From that moment on, a part of Shingo started to wait for something. And although he couldn't have said what it was he was waiting for, Shingo waited still.