Sailor Moon: Generation Gap Side Story 8 - Students quickly got out of the way as Hikaru ran through the corridors. Hikaru turned the corner, then tried to stop. She slid on the waxed floors, colliding with Ginny. The American staggered backwards from the force, while Hikaru bounced back and fell. "Ow," Hikaru said. "Ginny-chan, watch where you're going." "I wasn't the one racing through the halls, Hikaru-chan," Ginny retorted. "If you weren't always late, I wouldn't have to dodge. What happened this time? You took the wrong left again?" Hikaru picked herself up from the floor and dusted off her skirt. "Meiou-sensei wanted to talk to me." "What about, Hikaru-chan?" Arimi asked softly, stepping out from behind Ginny. "Arimi-chan! When did you get here?" Hikaru asked. "She's been with me all this time we were waiting for you," Ginny answered. "Sorry, Arimi-chan," Hikaru said. "I didn't see you." "You didn't see me, either," Ginny grumbled. "Ginny-chan . . .." "Hikaru-chan?" Arimi prompted. "Oh! Right, Meiou-sensei. She wanted to talk to me about the shadow attacks over the weekend." "Can you tell us while we go to the cafeteria?" Ginny asked. "You haven't eaten yet?" "Th-that, too," Arimi said, her cheeks tinged with red. "She wants to see Eiji-kun," Ginny explained. "G-G-Ginny-chan!" Arimi blushed furiously. Ginny took Arimi's and Hikaru's arms and gently pulled them. "You were beaming when we saw you yesterday." "B-beaming?" "You haven't said anything about your date, Arimi-chan," Hikaru said. "What did you do? Tell, tell!" "W-we went to dinner at Cafe Shingari, then to a movie, then to the park where the shadow was. What did Meiou-sensei say about that?" "There was another shadow at the Crown Arcade." "Another?" Ginny exclaimed. "That's why the arcade was closed yesterday," Hikaru said. "Sailor Moon and her Senshi took care of it." "I - I shouldn't have gone on that date," Arimi said. "We could have found the Crystal Princess." "What about that shadow at the park?" Ginny asked. "You said you defeated it. You helped everyone there." "Without you, all those people at the park would have suffered," Hikaru added. "You saved their lives." "Don't worry about it, Arimi-chan. We'll find the Crystal Princess." "I wish I had your confidence," Arimi said. "You got through your first date," Hikaru said. Ginny opened the door to the cafeteria and stopped short. She felt Hikaru run into her and heard Arimi gasp. Inside the cafeteria, Ginny saw Eiji talking to Aino-chan, Juuban's flirt. Why was she talking to Eiji? "Ginny-chan," Hikaru whined. "Tell me when you're going to do that. I can't see around you." She stepped around the tall American and saw at what her friends were staring. Eiji waved at Arimi, who timidly waved back. He finished talking to Aino-chan, then ran over to the three girls. "Hi, everyone. Hi, Arimi-chan." Eiji grinned. "What did Aino-chan want with you?" Ginny asked. She stretched to her full six-foot height. "She asked me about the shadow I saw in the park with Arimi-chan." "That's all?" Arimi moved between Ginny and Eiji. "Wh-what did she w-want to know?" "The name of the Sailor Senshi at the park - Sailor Draco." "Arimi-chan said something about that," Hikaru said. "It was something to see her looking at me. She was so concerned about me. Her face was so sad until I talked to her." Eiji sighed. "She didn't stay long. She became sad again before she left." "I'm sure she's happy that you're safe," Ginny said. "I just can't stop thinking about her. I'll probably never see her again." Eiji shrugged. "Arimi-chan, I really enjoyed our date, even before the shadow-thing. Would you like to go out again?" "A-Again?" Arimi stammered. "Hikaru smiled. "Of cou-mmph!" Ginny clamped her hand over Hikaru's mouth. The American leaned down to whisper in Hikaru's ear, "Let Arimi-chan answer." Standing straight, Ginny said, "Hikaru and I haven't eaten. We'll leave you two alone." Arimi's eyes went wide. "G-Ginny-chan! H-H-Hikaru-chan!" "You'll be okay, Arimi-chan." Ginny pulled Hikaru away, her hand still over Hikaru's mouth. Hikaru pulled Ginny's hand away. "You really think that she'll be okay?" "She has to do this for herself sometime." "What if she says no?" "Does Arimi-chan look like she wants to say no?" Ginny and Hikaru watched Arimi and Eiji talk. Arimi's cheeks were rosy, but she listened to Eiji closely. "I guess not," Hikaru admitted. "Now what was that about a second shadow at the Crown Arcade?" Ginny asked. "That's what Meiou-sensei said. She was watching the news last night. The other Senshi showed up." "That's odd." "Muerte has sent more than one shadow before." "Usually on the same mission. Did Meiou-sensei say what happened to the people at the arcade?" "Only that the other Senshi saved them." "We'll have to talk to her after school," Ginny said. "How's Arimi-chan doing?" "I can't tell. She still hasn't said anything." "She looks happy enough. You think they want to kiss each other?" "Ginny-chan! Not in public!" Hikaru said, shocked. "Why not? Richard and I did lots of kissing in public." "Is there anything you and your boyfriend haven't done?" "We're saving that for when I go back home." "Saving what? Ginny-chan, saving what?" "It's not for someone who can't stand people kissing in public. Ginny grinned mischievously. "Ginny-chan!" "Hi," Arimi said softly as she joined her friends. "Where's Eiji-kun?" Ginny asked. "He had to meet some club members." "Well?" Hikaru asked. "Hikaru-chan? "Are you going out with him again?" Arimi nodded. "I am. He wants me to decide on wh-what w-we d-d-do. I d-don't know what w-we sh-should d-do." "I'll loan you some of my magazines, Arimi-chan," Hikaru offered. "There's lots of ideas in them." The bell rang, ending the lunch break. "We better go, Hikaru-chan. Our English teacher doesn't want to see us late again," Arimi said. "We'll meet at Meiou-sensei's classroom after class, okay?" Ginny suggested. "Okay," Hikaru agreed. "See you then." -**- Darkness roiled in the distance, slowly covering the landscape. Building after building was smothered as the darkness expanded. Soon, the entire city was covered. Five figures stood together against the dark. Four women made from the elements surrounded the fifth. The woman in the centre burned - no, not burned, but glowed - brightly, holding back the relentless dark. "Emiko-chan? Are you listening?" Emiko blinked. "Yes, Sensei," she said automatically. Emiko's teacher gave the girl a dubious look, then checked her watch. "We'll stop here for today. I want you to reread the chapter, then answer the questions at the end for tomorrow. I also want you to do the problems on page one-thirty-seven in your math book." "I will, Sensei," Emiko said, jotting down her assignments. "Are you feeling well, Emiko-chan?" her tutor asked, concerned. "I'm fine," Emiko said. She smile what she called her "interview smile", a smile that hid her true feelings. She escorted her tutor to the front door, where they said their good-byes. After the tutor left, Emiko returned to her room. 'That was the third time today for that vision,' she thought. 'What does it mean?' -**- Hikaru zoomed out of the classroom as soon as the last bell rang. She didn't want to be late to see Setsuna. Deftly avoiding other students, Hikaru made her way to her homeroom. She knocked on the door lightly before entering. Setsuna looked up from her marking and smiled. "Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "I wasn't expecting you." "Meiou-sensei, about the shadows and the Crystal Princess and Saturday . . . " Hikaru started. "I didn't know that a second would appear." "You knew about the one in the park, then?" "Um . . . well," Hikaru hesitated. "Hikaru-chan, what were you doing at the park?" "I wanted to make sure Arimi-chan was okay, Sensei. I lost her after the movie and then Ginny-chan heard nothing from the park - " "Fuoca-chan was with you, too? Hikaru-chan, that's why you missed the other shadow." "But Arimi-chan - " "Arimi-chan was also ignoring her duties as a Sailor Senshi." "But she found the shadow in the park." "I realize that. That's when she and you and Ginny-chan fought it." "Well . . .." "Well, what?" "Ginny-chan and I were going to help, but Emiko-chan stopped us." "Emiko-chan? Did she also go with you to spy on Arimi-chan?" Hikaru shook her head. "No, Sensei. She wanted to make sure Ginny-chan and I didn't get into trouble." "Why did Emiko-chan stop you from helping?" "She said it was for Arimi-chan's confidence. We would have helped if Arimi-chan needed it." "Gin'no-chan defeated the shadow by herself?" A tone of surprise crept into Setsuna's question. "She did." Hikaru nodded. "You should have seen her, Sensei." "Did her date see her defeat the shadow?" "Sort of. I mean, he saw Sailor Draco win, but he was kinda unconscious when Arimi-chan transformed. And she disappeared before she transformed back." "Good. It's too dangerous to let anyone know who you are, that you are Sailor Senshi. Muerte will use anyone as a pawn." A knock came from the door, then Ginny entered the room. She looked surprised when Hikaru waved to her. "Hi, Hikaru-chan, Sensei," she said. "Is everyone coming here now?" Setsuna asked. "I thought you wanted to talk to use about Saturday night," Hikaru said. "I did. I do, Hikaru-chan, but a teachers' meeting came up. I told almost everything already. Could you tell the others?" "Sure, Sensei!" "Thank you, Hikaru-chan. Come in, Ginny-chan." Setsuna waved to Ginny as she entered. Ginny looked at Hikaru. "What's wrong, Ginny-chan," Hikaru asked. "Sensei, where's the real Hikaru-chan?" Ginny asked. "I am the real me, Ginny-chan," Hikaru said. "Can't be. The real Hikaru-chan is always late." "I am *not* always late!" "Girls, please, not now," Setsuna scolded. "Where is Arimi-chan?" "She has auto mechanics, right Ginny-chan?" Hikaru answered. "Arimi-chan is never late," Ginny said. "She could be talking to Eiji-kun. Or maybe she's getting her first kiss? Wouldn't that be romantic?" "When she arrives, let her know that I'm in a meeting," Setsuna said. "We'll all talk later tonight." She gathered her papers, got up from behind her desk, then left. Arimi burst into the room shortly after Setsuna left. She joined Ginny and Hikaru at Setsuna's desk. "Where is Meiou-sensei?" she asked. "She has a meeting," Hikaru answered. "Where were you?" Ginny added. "Hikaru-chan got here first and now you're late." "Sorry," Arimi said. "I was talking with E-Eiji-kun." "Just talking?" Ginny asked slyly. Arimi blushed. "You got your first kiss!" Hikaru exclaimed, smiling. Arimi's blush deepened. "You have to tell us!" "Not here, though," Ginny said. "We'll get some coffee at the Shingari." The three girls left the classroom, then the school, with Hikaru chattering happily all the way. Outside, a warm breeze blew, fluttering the girls' skirts and hair. "I can't believe it's this nice out," Ginny said. "Do you know what I'd be doing back home, instead of going to school?" "You'd be skipping class with Richard to go do something scandalous at the zoo?" Hikaru suggested. Ginny glowered at Hikaru. "We wouldn't *have* to skip class, Hikaru-chan. We don't have classes in the summer back home. And what do you mean scandalous? Richard and I would never do anything like that at the zoo." "What would you be doing, Ginny-chan?" Arimi asked. "I mean on a day like this?" Shooting Hikaru one last dirty look, Ginny answered, "Kat and I, we'd be planning a camping trip." "Why not here?" Hikaru asked. "We could leave some Friday and get back in time for school." Ginny blinked. "You'd do that? You'd go camping with me?" "Why wouldn't we? We'll find Muerte, defeat her, then go camping." "I'd love to go, Ginny-chan," Arimi added. The girls left the school grounds. Turning the corner, they heard Emiko call, "Arimi-chan! Hikaru-chan! Ginny-chan!" "Emiko-chan? We weren't supposed to meet you, were we?" Hikaru asked. "No, I just need to talk to someone." "It can wait until we get to the Shingari," Hikaru said. "Emiko-chan, you look tense. Let's get some tea in you first." The walk to the Cafe Shingari was quiet, as Emiko's friends kept an eye on her. At the cafe, the girls easily found a table despite the after-school crowd. Emiko remained quiet and brooding, even after she and her friends sat. "It's okay," Hikaru soothed. "Wait until we get some tea. It's been a strange days for others, too." "Yeah," Ginny said. "Hikaru-chan was the first to reach Meiou-sensei's classroom, and Arimi-chan was late." "She was getting her first kiss," Hikaru added. "It's just so romantic." "It wasn't my --" Arimi cut off the rest of her sentence. "That wasn't your first kiss?" Hikaru asked. "Then what were - Arimi-chan! At school? You're too young!" "She wasn't *that* late, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "It just wasn't her first kiss." Arimi blushed deep red. "I-it w-w-was j-just a k-k-k-kiss." "'Just a kiss'? 'Just a kiss'?!" Hikaru repeated. "You have absolutely no romance in you." Miyako approached the girls' table. "I can't believe you, Hikaru-chan. Gin'no-chan doesn't have to tell anyone of every little detail of her love life." "But her first kiss - " "Is her first kiss, to savour as she wants," Miyako finished for Hikaru. "Gin'no-chan isn't like Ginny-chan." "I suppose," Hikaru mumbled. "When Gin'no-chan is ready to tell you, she will, eh, Gin'no-chan? Do you ladies want your usuals?" The girls nodded. "Do you have any honey, Miyako-san?" Emiko asked. "For my tea?" "I'll look," Miyako said. She left to get the girls their drinks. Hikaru watched Miyako leave. "Honey, Emiko-chan?" she asked when Miyako returned behind the counter. "Are things that bad?" "I had a vision," Emiko said. "A bad one?" Ginny asked. "Obviously," Hikaru said. "Wait until your tea comes, Emiko-chan." Miyako returned with their drinks. She set a small bowl beside Emiko's tea. "We do have honey, Koorino-chan. You girls take it easy with her." Miyako left to help her other customers. "How bad was your vision, Emiko-chan?" Ginny asked in a low voice, pointedly ignoring Hikaru. "She's coming," Emiko said. "Muerte?" Arimi asked. "When? Where?" Hikaru added. "I don't know," Emiko said. "There's a darkness covering everything except five women. One of them glows, holding back the darkness, but that's where it ends." "Are those women us?" Ginny asked. "No. I think one is the Crystal Princess. She's the one holding back the darkness. The others are protecting her." "What about us? What happens to us?" Hikaru asked. "I wish I knew, Hikaru-chan. I really do, but I don't know what happens to the Princess or the darkness. All I know is Muerte is coming." "Maybe she'll do the same thing as when she destroyed Crystal Tokyo," Hikaru said. "You think she'll attack the entire city?" Ginny asked. "That work for her once before," Arimi said. "We've stopped her generals enough times that she doesn't have much of a choice left." "So how do we prevent her from attacking?" "We can't," Hikaru said. "We don't know where she is." "Hikaru-chan is right," Emiko said. "We can't go charging without a plan." "We can't wait for Muerte to attack," Ginny said. "You saw what happened to Crystal Tokyo." "You saw what happened to us," Hikaru countered. "That was then. We know what to expect." "So will Muerte, Ginny-chan." "All we're going to do is sit back and wait?" "We don't have a choice. Tokyo is a large city. We haven't even found the Crystal Princess. We have to find her." "We know she's here - I've seen her myself. Sailor Moon is in the city. She's got to be near by." "We've searched, Ginny-chan," Hikaru said. "We've searched all over. We have to wait for her to show up." "Hikaru-chan is right," Emiko said. "We have no choice but to wait." "What about your vision, Emiko-chan?" Ginny asked. "What about Muerte and her shadows? What about everyone in Tokyo?" Ginny threw her hands into the air. "I suppose you're with them, huh, Arimi-chan?" "S-s-sorry, G-Ginny-chan," Arimi said. "How do we know Sailor Moon is going to show up again?" Ginny asked, her voice rising. "Ginny-chan, not so loud," Emiko said. "I th-th-think I kn-kn-know," Arimi stammered. Ginny, Hikaru, and Emiko stared at Arimi, who blushed. "Well?" Ginny prompted. "I-i-if E-Em-Emiko-chan's v-v-v-vision m-m-means th-that M-M-Muerte is c-c-c-coming . . . " "I don't know, Arimi-chan," Emiko said. "Maybe." "It's okay, Arimi-chan," Hikaru said. "Take your time." She smiled reassuringly. Arimi smiled slightly. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "M-M-Muerte w-w-w-will w-want to f-f-find the P-Pr-Princess and u-u-use her sh-sh-shadows t-to dr-draw h-her out." The tiny girl collapsed backward in her seat. "More waiting?" Ginny asked, annoyed. "No, Ginny-chan. I think I understand," Emiko said. "Yes, we wait, but we let Muerte's shadows do the hard part - getting the Princess to become Sailor Moon. We keep checking the news until we hear about a shadow attack, then we go to where the attack is and meet the Princess there. Right, Arimi-chan?" Arimi nodded. "C-c-close enough." "Wait a minute," Ginny said. "Let's say there is a shadow attack, and we go and defeat the shadow. What if there's a second attack? We're not going to know about the second attack until long afterwards. What if Sailor Moon shows up at the second attack? Or the third? Or the fourth? Emiko-chan saw an all-out attack. What then?" "What if one of us goes to each shadow attack," Hikaru suggested. "One of us watches the news and tells the others where the shadows are." "One shadow, one Senshi, huh?" Ginny said. "Tokyo's still a big city. How are supposed to get to all the attacks?" "We d-don't," Arimi said softly. "Arimi-chan?" Hikaru said. "I've tracked Senshi appearances," Arimi explained. "Most of the appearances were in the Juuban prefecture." "Some of those appearances were us, though," Ginny said. "Yes, and I've t-taken our appearances into a-account," Arimi said, calmer. "There were three appearances outside Juuban - us at Emiko-chan's concert, me at the p-park Friday," - Arimi blushed - "and the Princess on the subway. That subway passes through Juuban, so it's possible that the Princess got on at the Juuban stop." "Unless she drives," Ginny pointed out. "The Princess looked our age at Meiou-sensei's," Hikaru said. "That was another lifetime," Ginny said. "How old did Sailor Moon look when you saw her, Ginny-chan?" Emiko asked. "About our age." "Then she's too young to drive," Hikaru said. "We'll only go to shadow attacks in Juuban, then," Arimi said. "What about the rest of Tokyo, Arimi-chan?" Hikaru asked. "We can't leave them to Muerte." "We might not," Emiko said. "Muerte may be thinking the same way we are." "I don't like that thought," Hikaru said. "Me neither, Hikaru-chan," Ginny agreed. Emiko checked her watch. "I better get home. My parents don't know I'm out." "I should go, too," Arimi said. "Papa's home tonight." "Alright, guys," Ginny said. "Just keep an eye on the news." "Bye," Hikaru said. "Call me later. I'll need help with math tonight." Emiko stood up. "Thanks for listening to me. I really needed it." -**- Hikaru walked down the street, heading home. The discussion bothered her still. Emiko's vision was far too similar to the one she had in the past, in Crystal Tokyo. Ginny just wanted to strike first, even without knowing where Muerte was. Arimi was willing to let the rest of Tokyo suffer just to find the Princess. Everything was going wrong. She arrived at her home to find a strange car parked outside. The car was an older model, but looked like it was kept in good shape. Curious, she entered her house. "Hikaru, there you are," her mother said. "One of your teachers is here." 'One of my teachers?' Hikaru wondered. 'What trouble am I in now?' She entered the living room and saw Setsuna sitting, sipping tea. "Sensei?" Hikaru asked, confused. "Hikaru, you never told me your history mark was that high," her mother said. "Meiou-sensei was just telling me how much you've improved." "Thank you, Sensei," Hikaru said, puzzled. "Seishin'no-chan is now one of the best students in the class," Setsuna said. "She is truly interested in history." "I had help," Hikaru said modestly. "Hikaru must enjoy your class, Meiou-sensei," Hikaru's mom said. "She's been making an effort to get to school on time." "May I speak to Seishin'no-chan privately?" Setsuna asked. "Of course. Hikaru, your room is clean, isn't it?" "It is, Mom" Hikaru said. She led Setsuna upstairs to her room. Setsuna looked around. Hikaru's room was as much as she pictured it, with stuffed animals on Hikaru's bed, desk, and shelves. Hikaru flounced on to the bed, letting Setsuna sit on the room's only chair. "Is it true that I'm one of your best students?" Hikaru asked. "You've improved a lot since school started, Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "If you had put as much effort into your schoolwork at the start of the year as you do now, you'd be one of the top students in the class." "I would?" "Gin'no-chan would still be top student," Setsuna said, "but not by much." "I'd be doing as well as Arimi-chan?" Hikaru's eyes brightened. "And Mizuno-chan, too." "Really?" "Really, Hikaru-chan. I've never seen such an improvement before." "I'll keep studying, Sensei. Promise." "Good. What did you want to talk to me about at school?" "Finding the Princess. I know we messed up, Sensei, but Muerte never sent her shadows out on different missions before." "I know you care about your friends, Hikaru-chan. That's what made you a good leader in Crystal Tokyo." "I don't feel like I'm being a good leader now, Sensei." "Why do you say that?" Hikaru sighed. "I can't get anyone to agree on how to find the Princess, Sensei. Ginny-chan wants to charge out and tear up the city. Arimi-chan wants to ignore the rest of the city and focus on Juuban." "On Juuban?" Setsuna repeated. "Did she say why?" "She tracked all the sighting s of shadows and Sailor Senshi, and most were here in Juuban. I kinda agree with her, but she doesn't want to go to any shadow attack outside Juuban. I can't let people get hurt, Sensei." "I understand, Hikaru-chan. These are not happy times, though." "I know," Hikaru said, casting her eyes to the floor. "Did you come up with any ideas?" "Sorta. Emiko-chan had a vision of Muerte attacking, so what we're going to do is wait until she attacks, then go and see if the Princess shows up." "Sounds good. What if Muerte has her shadows attack many areas?" "One of us will stay behind and tell the rest of us what's going on." "See Hikaru-chan? You are a good leader." "I had help, Sensei." "I have something that will help you and the others stay in touch." Setsuna opened her purse and brought out four devices. She gave them to Hikaru. "These are communicators. There's one for each of you. Can you make sure that everyone gets hers?" "Sure, Sensei. Thanks." -**- Arimi arrived to an empty home. She looked in the closet, trying to find her father's jacket. Not finding the jacket, she continued into the house. "Papa?" she called as she entered the living room. She noticed the message light flash on the answering machine. Arimi's heart fell - her father was still at work. The phone rang, startling the silver-haired girl. Cautiously, she picked up the receiver. "H-h-hello?" she said timidly. "Arimi, there you are," her father said. "Papa!" Arimi exclaimed. "Papa, where are you?" "I'm still at work, honey. I tried to call earlier, but you weren't home." "S-Sorry, Papa. I was with s-some friends." "That's okay, Arimi. I thought you would be." "Are you going to be long?" "I am. We had a problem come up and I'll be here late. I'm sorry honey. Are you disappointed?" "No," Arimi lied, more to herself than to her father. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow, okay? I know you were looking forward to tonight." "Okay, Papa." "And you don't have to wait up for me." "I know, Papa." "I have to go, Arimi. I'll try to leave as soon as I can. Bye, sweetie." "Bye, Papa," Arimi said before hanging up the phone. She sighed, and looked around the room. Arimi never realized how big, how empty the house was. Gathering her books, she went up to her room. Arimi placed her books in a tidy stack on her desk. She glanced at her dresser, where her new cosmetics sat beside her Mecha Academy models. Absently, she picked up one of her models. 'Ginny-chan is right,' Arimi thought. 'My room does look like it belongs to a boy.' She put the model down, then sat heavily on her bed. 'What does Eiji-kun see in me?' She let herself fall back on the bed. Arimi stared at the ceiling for a while before she made herself get up and change out of her school uniform. Arimi glanced at her cosmetics again. Standing up, she smoothed out her T-shirt and jeans. Again, she looked at her make-up. Shrugging, she walked over to her dresser and gingerly picked up a tube of lipstick. She started to put it back down, then decided against it. Instead, Arimi took off the top of the tube. She twisted a length out of the tube and hesitantly brought the lipstick to her lips. Slowly, Arimi applied the lipstick just as Emiko taught her. When she was done, she appraised herself in the mirror. The red of the lipstick added colour to her face. Arimi allowed herself a smile, then looked at her clothes. Her T-shirt seemed drab. With a scowl, Arimi turned away from her mirror and opened her closet. With a sigh, Arimi went through her clothes. She ignored her extra school uniforms, her jackets, a few blouses that she finally outgrew, and some of her good T-shirts before finding bright violet blouse. She had bought the blouse before moving to Tokyo. Feeling the material, Arimi decided to try it on, to see if it still fit. She quickly took off her T-shirt and put on the blouse. With a twirl, she modelled for herself in front of the mirror and was pleased with her new look. 'Wait 'til Papa sees me,' she thought. She frowned, remembering that her father was working late. Sighing, she left her room and returned downstairs. -**- Emiko ran up the front walkway. Her father's car wasn't in the driveway, so she couldn't be too late. She slipped in the front door, took off her shoes, and started to sneak upstairs. "Emiko, there you are," her mother said before Emiko could even get a quarter of the way upstairs. "Emiko, where were you? Your father's out looking for you." "Sorry," Emiko mumbled. "Where were you? I went upstairs looking for you an hour ago and you weren't." "I went for a walk, Mom. I guess I lost track of time." "You know how your father and I feel about you going out alone." "Sorry, Mom," Emiko said, dropping her head. "We worry so much about you, Emiko. You should have told someone. Why couldn't you have taken your walk in the backyard?" "I needed some exercise, Mom. I didn't mean to be out so long." "What if somebody saw you? You could have been mobbed, or worse." "Nobody saw me, Mom," Emiko said. Her should slumped as she heard a car pull into the driveway. "That'll be your father," Emiko's mother said. "Don't slouch." Emiko stood up straight as her father entered. She bowed formally to him. "Emiko, honey, where have you been?" he said. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" "Sorry, Dad," Emiko mumbled. "Your mother and I worry about you," her father continued. "It's dangerous out there." "I know. I was safe, though." "Were you with those girls Ichiwari-san saw you with before your concert?" Emiko's mother asked. Emiko blinked. 'They know?' "They're my friends, Mom." "They're perfect strangers, Emiko." "Mom, they're not strangers. Remember Gin'no-chan? Gin'no Arimi?" Her mother thought for a moment, then shook her head. Emiko looked over to her father, who only shrugged. "Tiny girl, silver hair? Looks younger than she really is? Very shy but very smart?" Emiko said. "She was the top student at Junior High." "She was the valedictorian?" Emiko's mother asked. "No, that was someone else. Gin'no-chan had troubles speaking to people." "The little girl with the stutter?" Emiko's father asked. "That's her," Emiko confirmed. "She lives here in Tokyo, now." "She asked you for backstage passes?" "No, Dad. I gave them to her and her friends. She never asked for them." "You never gave her the chance," Emiko's mother said. "Gin'no-chan isn't like that, Mom." "Is that who you were with today? This Gin'no-chan and her friends?" "All we did was talk, Mom." "You know I don't like it when you go out like that." "Yes, Mom," Emiko said, giving up. "May I go to my room?" -**- Ginny arrived at the Tsukino home. She knocked on the door as she entered, letting her hosts know she was coming in. Mrs. Tsukino appeared in the foyer wiping her hands on a dishcloth. "Oh, Ginny-chan, it's you," she said. "Usagi isn't with you?" "No, Mrs. Tsukino," Ginny said. "She's probably with her friends." "She should be with you, showing you around." "Usagi-chan has been. I just had to talk with a teacher after school." "Talk with a teacher? Something wrong, Ginny-chan?" "No, I just needed help with history," Ginny said. "Oh, okay." Mrs. Tsukino started to walk away, then stopped. "Ginny-chan, I almost forgot. There's some mail for you, from America. I left it on the table." 'From America?' "Thanks." Ginny slipped off her shoes and put on her slippers. She walked into the living room, picking up her mail along the way. Sitting, she sorted through the letters. 'Mom and Dad. Dom. The twins. Kat.' Ginny smiled. She shuffled through the envelopes a second time. 'Nothing from Richard?' she wondered. She tore open one of the envelopes and started reading. "Something wrong back home, Ginny-chan?" Mrs. Tsukino asked, interrupting Ginny's reading. "No. Everything's going well back home," Ginny answered. "Why?" "You just looked so sad for a moment." "Sad? I guess. I didn't realize how homesick I am. It's so quiet around here." "You miss your family, don't you?" "I didn't think I'd miss them this much. I always fought with Dom, and I thought I would love not hearing the twins practicing their violins. But I miss it all." "If you want, I could talk to the school for you and see if they'll let you go home early." "I can't," Ginny said vehemently. "You can't go home?" "I can't go back to my old school. Not early." "Why not? No one will blame you for being homesick." "It's not that." Ginny sighed. "I'm on the verge of being expelled back home. I can't go back early, or I'll be kicked out for good." "Expelled? Your marks are excellent, Ginny-chan." "It wasn't my marks. I used to get into a lot of trouble. Fighting, mainly." "You haven't been in a fight here, though." "I know. I haven't lost my temper like I usually do. But another part of it is that no one's really wanted to be near me." "They just don't know you well enough." "I think they're scared of me. I don't blame them, either. I'm bigger than most of my teachers back home. I tower over almost everybody here." "You're being hard on yourself. You must have made other friends besides Usagi." "I have, but some of them are still afraid of me. I think only Makoto-chan really knows what it's like being my size." "Makoto-chan is one of Usagi's friends, too?" Mrs. Tsukino asked. "She is," Ginny answered. "She can't be the only one not afraid of you." "She isn't. There's also Hikaru-chan." Ginny smiled. "Hikaru-chan offered to take me camping, just because I said my best friend and I usually go during summer vacation." "That was nice of her." "I guess that's why I miss everyone back home right now." Ginny sighed again. "Thanks, Tsukino-san. I feel much better now." "You're welcome, dear. Why don't you go upstairs and freshen up while I get supper started." "Okay. Do you mind if I grab a bath?" "Go ahead, Ginny-chan." "Thanks." Ginny gathered her letters and dashed upstairs. After making a quick stop in Usagi's room to get a change of clothes, she entered the bathroom. She undressed as she ran the water for her bath. She tested the water, then slowly lowered herself into the steamy bath. Ginny sighed with relief, then began to read her letters. -**- Setsuna said her good-byes to the Seishin'no family. As she drove away, she watched the family in her rearview mirror. Hikaru was the last to go back into her house. Setsuna drove through Tokyo aimlessly before deciding to go to the Cafe Shingari. A short drive later, she parked her car near the cafe and walked in. Miyako waved to her as she took a seat. Setsuna leaned back in her chair, stretching. Miyako arrived with a menu in hand. "Setsuna-sensei," Miyako greeted. "I didn't expect to see you here this late. You look troubled." "Miyako-chan," Setsuna said, smiling. "Tea, please." Miyako left to pour Setsuna's tea, then quickly returned. Setting the tea in front of Setsuna, Miyako asked, "Hard day at school?" "Something like that," Setsuna said. "It's been like that for everyone who comes in here, it seems. See those girls over there?" Miyako pointed at to girls in their mid-teens sharing a booth. "Twins. The one with the long hair is depressed. An upperclassman she has a crush on asked somebody else out. Takao is worried about his insurance covering the damage to the arcade over the weekend. Then there were your students. Koorino-chan was upset about something and Hikaru-chan tried to find out about Gin'no-chan's love life." "Gin'no-chan's love life?" Setsuna repeated, curious. "Don't sound so surprised. She and her date came here Saturday night. Gin'no-chan is a very capable girl around people when she lets herself. Anyways, her date wasn't complaining. So, Sensei, what problem do you have?" Setsuna sipped her tea as she thought about her reply. "Have you ever have to get a student to do something she doesn't want when you agree with her reasons?" she asked. "Not really. Something bothering you at school?" Setsuna took another sip of her tea. "It's not the first time this has happened to me, but I've never felt like this before." She snorted in disgust. "Old age catching up to me, I guess." Miyako sat down across from Setsuna. "Setsuna, you're only thirty-five-ish. You're not that old." "I'm going grey," Setsuna said, fingering a lock of hair. "You have Seishin'no-chan as a student. If I spent as much time with her as you do, I'd be completely grey." Forcing a smile, Setsuna said, "She's not that bad. Seishin'no-chan has a lot of energy." "Good thing she doesn't like coffee. She'd be bouncing off the walls." Setsuna laughed. "You're probably right. How is Takao-kun taking what happened to the arcade?" "Better than I expected. He's more worried about me, though." "He's afraid the Shingari could be next?" "A little. More because of the memory losses I've been having." "Memory loss? Still? Miyako, have you seen a doctor?" "Don't get started on me, too, Setsuna," Miyako said. "They're not serious." "They could be, Miyako." "I've made an appointment with my doctor for next week. Takao insisted. I'm perfectly healthy," Miyako insisted. Setsuna finished her tea. "I better get going," she said. "I have a stack of marking to do for tomorrow." "Thanks for stopping by, Sensei. Takao and I are having a dinner party this Saturday and we would love to have you as our guest." "Thanks, but --" Setsuna stopped herself. 'Maybe Hikaru is right. We all need a break. The girls can keep searching without me for one evening.' "I'd love to, Miyako." "But?" "Nothing important. I'd love to join you and Takao-kun." "This Saturday, seven o'clock. Don't worry about dressing up too much." "Thanks, Miyako. I'll be there." -**- Arimi out her used dinner dishes in the sink. She entered the living room and curled up on the couch, her school bag on the floor in front of her. She pulled out her physics text, then settled back. Flipping through the pages, she scanned the text then tossed the book aside. Arimi fished through her school bag and found the magazine Hikaru insisted she read. It was a fashion magazine, one that Arimi usually ignored when she saw it on the newsstands. Now, she was curious about what was in between the covers. She flipped past the ads, wondering if there was anything else in the magazine. She eventually found an article and started reading. Arimi read through the article twice, trying to figure out the point to it. Shrugging, she kept flipping through the pages. Finally, she found an article she found interesting - survey results, from a questionnaire for girls Arimi's age. Arimi studied the results, trying to find something she and Eiji could do on their next date. Arimi looked up from the article to check the time. She had lost track while imagining what would happen if she used the survey results. Grabbing the remote, she turned on the TV and switched channels. She caught the trail end of the previews of her favourite show. Arimi breathed a sigh of relief. As the "Mecha Academy" theme played, she stretched out on the couch. As Arimi expected, her least favourite character was acquitted of murder. Arimi stifled a wave of anger as the character, Dusty, walked out of the courtroom alone. The scene switched to an observation lounge on the carrier. Dusty stared out into the stars. Arimi caught herself being moved by the look on Dusty's face and by the background music. Off screen a door slid open. Without turning around, Dusty said, "I've been expecting you." Arimi sat up and leaned forward. The commander's killer had arrived, she was sure. The mystery would soon be over. On TV, the station's logo appeared. The view then cut to the station's newsroom. Arimi sat back, annoyed at the interruption. The annoyance faded when the TV newsroom was replaced by a live video feed from downtown Tokyo, the skies filled with shadows. Arimi dashed to the garage, and returned with a map of the city. " . . . eyewitnesses report seeing these creatures as early as shortly after six this evening," Arimi heard the reporter say. "Police have cordoned off several blocks downtown, and are asking citizens to remain inside." The image cut to the station's newsroom. "Thank you, Enoto-san, for the report," the anchorman said. "More reports are coming into our newsroom from across the city. There have been confirmed sightings of these creatures. Police are asking residents of the following areas to stay inside their homes tonight: Nishi-Ginza, Juuban, Tsukiji, . . . " The phone rang, startling Arimi. Gathering herself, she answered it. "H-h-hello?" "Arimi-chan, it's Emiko. Did you see the news?" "I did. I haven't been outside yet," Arimi said. "Stay there," Emiko said. "I'll get to your place and wait for the others." "Okay. I'll start tracking the shadows' movements. They're looking for the Princess." "Are you sure?" "The shadows aren't attacking. They're just waiting." "I'll be right over." -**- "Thank you, Takeuchi-san," the news anchor said. Hikaru sat in shock as she stared at the television. Emiko's vision was becoming real - Muerte's shadows swarmed over the city. Hikaru forced herself to look away from the news report. She had to tell somebody. Who, she just didn't know. The phone rang. Hikaru quickly answered it. "Hikaru-chan! It's Ginny. Are you watching the news?" "I am," Hikaru said. "Emiko was right." "What do we do now?" "We have to get everyone together, Ginny-chan. Meiou-sensei gave me something to give to all of you." "We better meet at your home, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "Usagi-chan might find out what's really going on." "Sounds good," Hikaru agreed. "I'll call the others . . . uh, oh." "'Uh, oh' what?" "I don't have Emiko-chan's phone number, Ginny-chan." "She'll call you, Hikaru-chan. I'm coming over." Ginny hung up. Hikaru quickly dialed Arimi's number. Arimi picked up during the first ring, answering timidly. "Arimi-chan, it's me, Hikaru," Hikaru said. "The shadows are attacking." "I know," Arimi said. "When can you come over? Meiou-sensei left me something for us." "Not right away. Emiko-chan is coming here." "She called you?" "Not a few minutes before you did." "Call me when she gets there. I have to wait for Ginny-chan here," Hikaru said. "Okay." "I'll figure out where the shadows are, too, so we can stop them." "I've already started," Arimi said. "Most of them are at the port. They're heading to Juuban, but not very fast." "Has the Princess shown up yet?" "No." "I'll call you when Ginny-chan is here. Call me if the Princess shows up anywhere." "I will," Arimi said. -**- Ginny ran out of the house. She glanced around looking for Usagi. Her host said something about her cat before she went outside. Usagi wasn't in sight, but Selina sat on the front porch, glaring at Ginny. "You stay put," Ginny told the cat. "Usagi-chan is out here looking for you." Standing straight, she bellowed, "Usagi-chan! Selina's home!" Selina moved aside, still glaring at Ginny. Ginny dashed down the steps and ran down the sidewalk. The evening's summer sky was darker than usual, with Muerte's shadows blocking the setting sun. Ginny tried to ignore them and the ill feeling she received from them. Few people were on the streets. Most had taken the police's advice to stay inside, or had seen the shadows and had taken refuge. The people Ginny saw were running home or were police officers. It didn't take long for Ginny to reach Hikaru's home. Breathing heavily, she knocked on the door. A tiny woman opened the door. "Hi, I'm looking for Seishin'no Hikaru," Ginny said, catching her breath. "I'm her classmate, Ginny." "Please, come in," the woman said. "I'm Hikaru's mother." She moved aside to let Ginny in. "It's not safe to be out right now." "I got stuck outside," Ginny said. "I'll get Hikaru for you." Hikaru's mother went upstairs. Ginny slipped off her shoes and looked around. The house looked well kept. 'Hikaru must not help out around here,' Ginny joked to herself. "Ginny-chan!" Hikaru ran downstairs. "Ginny-chan, you made it!" "Hi, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. Hikaru grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her upstairs. "C'mon," she said. "Meiou-sensei left something for us." Ginny let herself be pulled upstairs and into Hikaru's room. Inside, the overall impression she had of the room was pink. Pink bedspread. Pink curtains. Pink lampshades. Everywhere Ginny could see had pink, even if it was a small spot of the colour. Hikaru rummaged through her nightstand drawer. "I know I put them in here," she said. "Found 'em!" She showed her find to Ginny. Puzzled, Ginny looked at them. "Meiou-sensei gave you these?" "They're communicators, Ginny-chan. See? They have our symbols on them." Ginny picked up the communicator with Aquila's constellation. She played around with the buttons. Several of the other communicators beeped. "Cool," Ginny said. "What's the plan?" "Emiko-chan is going to Arimi-chan's. I'll have to call her soon," Hikaru said. "What about the shadows?" "Arimi-chan is tracking them. She'll call if the shadows do anything or if the Princess appears." -**- Emiko crept downstairs. She heard her parents arguing in the den about her. Suppressing a sigh, she backed away, then entered the kitchen. 'Why couldn't they just trust me for once,' she wondered. She stopped in mid-stride. 'I don't want to sneak out. I hate this skulking about.' Sighing, Emiko started putting on her shoes. "Emiko!" her mother called from the den. "What are you doing?" "Just getting a snack," Emiko called back. "Didn't you eat with your 'friends'?" "I did," Emiko said defensively. "Did you pay?" "They paid for me, Mom. I forgot my purse." "You should watch what you eat. No one wants a fat idol." "I'm getting an apple, Mom. Okay?" "Don't take that tone with your mother, Emiko," her father said. "Sorry," Emiko said contritely. "May I have an apple?" "Of course, Emiko," her mother answered. Emiko opened the refridgerator, and waited to see if either of her parents came to check on her. When neither came in after a few minutes, Emiko closed the refridgerator door and finished putting on her shoes. She took one last look back towards the den, then slipped out the back door. Outside, the neighbourhood was eerily quiet. Emiko didn't hear the usual sounds of traffic and of animals, and could not see any birds around. The sky was unnaturally dark, and Emiko could see shadows flitting in the distance. "It's starting," she whispered. Emiko ran to the Juuban Prefecture. The number of shadows grew the closer she got to Arimi's home. Fearing for her friends, Emiko doubled her speed. At Arimi's front step, she stopped to catch her breath before she knocked on the door. The door opened slowly, with Arimi peeking out through the opening. She stepped back, opening the door completely. "Emiko-chan, come in," she said. Arimi led Emiko into the living room. A map of Tokyo covered the coffee table. Looking closer, Emiko saw several marks on the map. "Shadow sightings?" she asked. Arimi nodded. "Not many, and none in Juuban." "They're coming this way," Emiko said. "The sky is full of them." "Nothing on TV or the radio about them. The TV stations are busy covering the Diet, though. I'll let Hikaru-chan know you're here." "I'll call her, Arimi-chan. Have you heard from Ginny-chan?" "Hikaru-chan's waiting for her." Arimi returned her attention to her TV and radio. Emiko watched Arimi, then picked up the phone. She found Hikaru's number in Arimi's handwriting beside the phone and dialled it. Hikaru answered after the first ring. "Hikaru-chan, it's Emiko. I'm over at Arimi-chan's." "Hi, Emiko-chan!" Hikaru said. "Ginny-chan and I will be right over. Don't go anywhere." "Emiko-chan," Arimi called. "A shadow's been seen in Juuban." She checked her map. "I think it's near the Osa-P jewelry store." Emiko relayed the news to Hikaru. "Who'll go?" she asked. "Ginny-chan will," Hikaru said. "I'll be right over." "Be careful, Hikaru-chan. Both of you." "We will, Emiko-chan. I'll be right over. "Bye!" "Bye, Hikaru-chan." Emiko hung up the phone, then turned to Arimi. "Hikaru-chan is on her way." Arimi studied the map, looking for a pattern to the attacks. Emiko looked over the silver-haired girl's shoulder. Pencil marks covered the map, with times noted in Arimi's tiny printing. In the background, reporters droned on about the shadow invasion. "What do you think, Arimi-chan?" Emiko asked. "There's no pattern," Arimi said after thinking for a moment. "There are several shadows at each sighting, and they're appearing everywhere. I think Muerte is sending every shadow she has. I don't think she knows where the Crystal Princess is, though." "What if she isn't after the Princess? She could be after Sailor Pluto's talisman." "She tried once, before Ginny-chan came here. Pluto-sensei was hurt, but Muerte never tried again. Maybe she thought Meiou-sensei was dead." Arimi shrugged. "Does this look familiar to you?" "Does what?" Emiko asked. "Where the shadows are. They have the city almost surrounded, just like they did in Meiou-sensei's lesson about Crystal Tokyo." "I didn't notice. I was paying attention more to our past selves. You think Muerte is doing the same thing as when she destroyed Crystal Tokyo?" Arimi shrugged again. "She might be. I don't know. It looks like she is." "If the shadows are all around the city, then Muerte must think that the Princess will be somewhere in the centre. She could be trying to surround where Queen Serenity's palace used to be. Can you find the centre of the shadows?" Arimi looked at the map and all the marks on it. After a few moments of thought, she drew a circle containing most of Juuban. "That's the best I can do, Emiko-chan," she said. "It was just a thought," Emiko said. "Are you sure the Crystal Princess is still in Juuban?" "She might be. I'm not sure, but everything indicates she lives around here." "It's okay, Arimi-chan. I trust your guesses more than almost everyone else's sure thing. If you say the Princess is here, then she's here." "Th-thanks, Emiko-chan." -**- Ginny crept through the deserted streets of Juuban, trying not to be noticed by Muerte's shadows. She didn't feel right, skulking around. Ginny wanted to transform and destroy as many shadows as she could. Instead, she kept to Hikaru's plan. Hikaru's directions, on the other hand, Ginny didn't follow. After the first wrong turn, Ginny relied on her own knowledge of Juuban. The number of shadows she saw convinced her that she was going the in right direction. Finally, Ginny reached the block with the Osa-P store. Finding a place to hide, Ginny watched the shadows. The store itself was deserted, with lights on only to discourage thieves. The gloom made it difficult to see the shadows, but Ginny saw their movements as they dove round outside the store. The shadows ignored Ginny and the few terrified people still out on the streets. Instead, they flew around in front of jewelry store. Several times, a shadow flew by Ginny's hiding spot, forcing the tall redhead to duck further back in the alley. Ginny grumbled impatiently - waiting wasn't her strong point. Another shadow flew past, close enough for Ginny to touch. She fought the urge to strike the shadow, then yelped as she felt a vibration in her pocket. -**- Hikaru stopped for the lights at an intersection. She was alone at the lights - no cars, no one else on foot. Looking around, Hikaru tried to get her bearings. She couldn't afford to go the wrong way now. She made this trip every school day, going to Arimi's so they could walk together. Hikaru regularly crossed this intersection on her way to meet her friend, so why did it seem so different now? She looked up at the sky. 'That's the difference,' she thought. 'It's so dark out.' Hikaru shuddered. 'I hate the dark.' Closing her eyes, she pictured herself at the intersection on a bright, sunny morning. Cars zoomed through in her imagination as she waited for the light to change. When the cross signal appeared, Hikaru started crossing diagonally. She opened her eyes and looked across the street. 'Ginny-chan will be proud of me,' she beamed to herself. Checking to make sure there was no traffic, Hikaru dashed across the street. She kept running all the way to Arimi's. Puffing, she rang the doorbell. Emiko opened the door and brought Hikaru inside to the living room. She saw Arimi seated by the television and surrounded by radios. Arimi made notes on a map in front of her though Hikaru couldn't hear anything in the jumble of words coming from the radios and TV. "Hi, guys!" Hikaru said. "Anything new?" "Hi, Hikaru-chan," Emiko said. "Nothing else new. Arimi-chan's still tracking sightings." Arimi held up one hand and waved, keeping her attention on the news reports. "The Princess hasn't been seen, Hikaru-chan," she said. Hikaru looked at Arimi's blouse. "Is that a new shirt, Arimi-chan?" she asked. "It really looks good on you." Arimi blushed, then turned towards Hikaru. "Th-thank you, Hikaru-chan. I b-bought it before moving here." "You really should wear it more often." Hikaru looked closely at Arimi's face. "Lipstick? Were you planning on going out?" "I j-j-just f-felt like p-putting it on." Arimi shrugged. "You look very pretty tonight, Arimi-chan," Emiko said, causing the tiny girl to blush darker. "Th-th-thank you." "Meiou-sensei gave me something to give to you," Hikaru said. She pulled the communicators out of her jacket pocket. She handed one each to Arimi and Emiko. "Ginny already has hers. They've got our symbols on and everything. We can talk to each other at the press of a button." Hikaru pressed one her communicator's buttons. Getting no response, she pressed again. "Hikaru-chan!" Ginny whispered harshly as her image appeared on the communicator. "What are you trying to do to me?" "Hi, Ginny-chan!" Hikaru said. Ginny's next words were muffled. "What?" Hikaru shouted into the communicator. "I can't hear you!" She shook the device. "I said, not so loud! There's shadows all around me, remember?" "Sorry," Hikaru whispered. "Could you warn me next time you're going to call me?" "How can I do that?" "Ginny-chan, have you seen the Princess yet?" Emiko said, joining the conversation with her communicator. "No," Ginny said. "Just shadows. Should I stay here?" Hikaru answered, "Not much longer, Ginny-chan. You should have seen the Princess by now." "Should I join you guys?" "Find somewhere safe. Maybe the Shingari?" "Stay in touch, Ginny-chan," Emiko said. "I will. Don't you guys forget about me," Ginny said. "We won't, Ginny-chan," Hikaru said. Ginny broke the connection. Hikaru walked over to Arimi then peered over the tiny girl's shoulder. Arimi ignored the intrusion and kept making notes on her map. "There's that many shadows?" Hikaru asked. "That many reported sightings," Arimi said. "It looks like the shadows are getting closer -- shh!" Arimi turned up the volume of one of the radios. "Police are telling people in the Juuban Prefecture to be ready to leave at a moment's notice," the announcer said before rattling off a list of shadow sightings. "That last one, it's not far from here," Hikaru said. "I can go check it out." "You just got here, Hikaru-chan," Emiko said. "We have to find the Princess. I won't be long." Hikaru dashed to the front door. "Hikaru-chan, be careful? Please?" Arimi said. "Don't worry, Arimi-chan. -**- Ginny slowly made her way to the Cafe Shingari. Shadows darted overhead, not noticing the American. Alone on the street, Ginny snuck from building to building. With each shadow she saw, she fought to keep her frustration about not doing anything from growing. Finally, she arrived at the cafe. Several people turned to stare at her as she entered. Ginny smiled, hoping that she looked friendly. One by one, the cafe's customers turned their stares away. "If you're here for coffee, you're out of luck," a girl wearing the Juuban school uniform said. "What? What's going on?" Ginny asked. "The witness disappeared," the girl's friend said. She, too, wore Juuban's uniform. "She went in back, but she never returned," the first girl said. "Someone looked, but couldn't find her." "No one saw her leave," the second girl said. "It's very strange." "Why would she leave?" "Especially with all those . . . those things out there." "You're Fuoca-senpai, right?" the second girl asked. Ginny blinked at the non-sequitor. "Um, yeah," she said, confused. "Go on, Nori, ask her," the second girl said. "I don't want to bother Fuoca-senpai," the first girl, Nori, said. "I'll ask, then." "Sachiko . . .." "Fuoca-senpai," the second girl, Sachiko, started, "what would you do if you were in love with a guy who doesn't notice you?" "Sachiko!" Nori exclaimed. "I'd try talking to the guy," Ginny answered. "Get him to notice me." "He's going out with someone already," Nori said. "He's gone out once with her," Sachiko said, "and she's younger than us." "She can't be that young, Sachiko. I've seen her at school." "At least try Fuoca-chan's advice? Eh, Senpai?" "You have nothing to lose," Ginny said, agreeing. "Do you have a boyfriend, Senpai?" "Back home, I do." "I bet you talked to him before he asked you out." "Kinda. We were in the same judo class. One hold lead to another, then - " "And then?" Sachiko asked, leaning forward in her chair. Nori blushed lightly. "And then?" Sachiko prompted. "And then we decided to go to the beach together to try other holds," Ginny answered, smiling wickedly. Nori's blush turned dark crimson. Sachiko didn't notice her friend's discomfort. "Do either of you want another tea?" Ginny offered. "But Jikuuno-san's not here," Sachiko said. "I'll make sure she gets the money," Ginny said. "Want one? Nori-chan?" "Sure," Sachiko said. "Nori?" "I couldn't do that," Nori said, still blushing. "My treat, Nori-chan," Ginny said. Nori looked up. "What?" "Another tea, Nori?" Sachiko asked. "Oh, sure," Nori said. "Thanks." "You don't have to put this guy into a headlock, Nori-chan," Ginny said. "At least, not right away. Richard and I just skipped a few steps." "How many?" Sachiko asked. "A few. I'll get our drinks." Ginny left the two girls to go behind the counter. As she got behind the counter, she felt her communicator vibrate. Turning to face the row of coffee makers, her back to the customers, she brought out her communicator. -**- Hikaru puffed from her run through the streets. There were more shadows in the skies than before she arrived at Arimi's. 'We have to find the Princess,' she reminded herself, trying to keep up her courage. Footsteps brought Hikaru back to reality. To Hikaru, it sounded like someone was running. She dashed towards the sound. She turned the corner, then stopped suddenly as she stepped in something wet and sticky. "Ick!" she said. Realizing how loud she exclaimed, she looked around. Not a shadow in sight. Hikaru bent down to clean her shoes. In the darkness and her haste, she had stepped in what looked like wet ash. In the light of the street lamp, she could see several more piles of wet ash. Gingerly, Hikaru picked up a pinch of the ash. She rubbed her fingers together, letting the ash cover her fingertips. The ash felt gritty and greasy at the same time. Hikaru looked around again. Still no shadows to be seen. 'That's odd,' she thought. 'Why -?’ "Ugh!" Hikaru threw the ash she held to the ground. She rubbed her fingers against her skirt. 'No signs of a fire,' she thought, looking around on the ground. 'What happened to the shadows here?' Hikaru pulled out her communicator and pressed Cygnus's symbol. "Emiko here." "Emiko-chan!" Hikaru said. "It's Hikaru. I've got a question for you." "Sure. What is it?" "What do shadows look like after you hit them?" "They're destroyed, usually," Emiko said. "Why?" "Are there any ashes?" "We've never stayed long enough to find out." "Could there be any?" "I don't know, Hikaru-chan. Wait, Arimi-chan says there should be something like ashes." "So if you, Emiko-chan, hit a shadow, would it turn to wet ash?" "Maybe, Hikaru-chan. Why?" "I found wet ash, Emiko-chan," Hikaru said. "A lot of it, and there aren't any shadows around." "You think one of the Princess's Senshi was there?" "Unless you were, Emiko-chan. I'm going to see if I can find more of this ash." "Be careful, Hikaru-chan." -**- "I will, Emiko-chan," Hikaru said before she closed the connection. Emiko turned to Arimi. "You heard?" Emiko asked. "I heard," Arimi said, not looking away from her map. "I think Hikaru-chan is right. I never even thought of getting samples." "We didn't have a chance at my concert. I'm sure you had other concerns at the park." Arimi blushed. "I s-s-still sh-should h-have looked . . .." Her voice trailed off. "Papa," she whispered. "Arimi-chan, what's wrong?" Emiko ran over to join the silver-haired girl. "Papa. Th-the j-just sh-showed his office. Th-the sh-sh-shadows attacked h-his b-b-building." "I'll watch everything here. You go help your father." "I c-c-can't." "I'll go, then." "No, E-Emiko-chan." Arimi stood up to face her friend. "You said your father's in danger." "W-w-we c-c-can't g-go." "But your father -" "I know," Arimi interrupted. "I kn-kn-know, Emiko-chan, b-but w-w-we h-h-have to f-find the P-Pr-Princess." "Your father needs help. *Our* help. He could be hurt, Arimi-chan." "We c-c-could m-miss finding the C-Crystal Pr-Princess. If M-Muerte f-finds her f-first, then P-Papa, E-Eiji-kun, and everyone else c-could b-be k-killed." "Ginny-chan and Hikaru-chan are looking for the Princess right now," Emiko said. "Th-they can't cover all of J-Juuban. I d-don't th-think all four of us c-can, b-but it'll b-be harder if you or I l-leave J-Juuban. We h-have t-to f-find the Pr-Princess." "Arimi-chan . . .." "If Papa's hurt, I'll never forgive myself. I hate doing this." "I won't push, Arimi-chan. I understand." Emiko hugged Arimi tightly, caressing her. "We'll find the Princess first, then go rescue your father." "I s-s-suppose." "Be positive, Arimi-chan." "I'll t-try. What's that?" Emiko turned to see what Arimi did. "What's what?" "That light." Arimi pointed to the dining room window. Outside, a brilliant white light could be seen shining from behind the neighbouring houses. "I see it. Could it be the Princess?" "Or Muerte." "Light from her shadows? I doubt it, Arimi-chan. I'll go check it out." "Take care, Emiko-chan." Emiko walked to the front hall. "I will," she said as she put on her shoes. "You just let everyone know." "I will. It looks like the light came from the school." "Thanks. I'll call you as soon as I get there." Emiko ran out the door. Arimi returned to her map and made a mark in pencil around Juuban High School. She reached for her communicator. Before she could signal her teammates, the communicator chirped. Gingerly, Arimi pressed the receive button. "H-hello?" she said. "Arimi-chan! It's me, Hikaru. I can see this bright light!" "So can I, Hikaru-chan," Arimi said. "Emiko-chan has gone to investigate it." "That's why you answered. Want to know something funny, Arimi-chan?" "What?" "Remember that ash I found? I found more. There's a kind of trail going to where that light is." "Wait a minute, Hikaru-chan. I'll patch everyone else in." Arimi keyed her communicator's buttons, then waited while the rest of her teammates joined the conversation. "Hello, girls," Setsuna said. "What's happening?" "There's a bright light coming from around the school," Emiko said. "Arimi-chan and I could see it from her home." "And I can see it from here," Hikaru added. "I'm following another Senshi's trail, and it's going towards the light." "Ginny-chan, what about you?" Setsuna asked. "I'm in a stock room at the Shingari, Sensei," Ginny said. "I can't see any light like that." "What are you doing there?" "Waiting to find out where I should go next." "S-s-sorry, G-G-Ginny-chan," Arimi said. "Emiko-chan, you said the light's at the school?" Setsuna asked. "That's where Arimi-chan thought it was. Looks like she's right," Emiko answered. "The light's going out," Hikaru said. "Going out? How?" Setsuna asked. "Did it just turn off?" "No, Sensei," Emiko said. "It's fading. It's almost out." "I want all of you at the school as soon as you can," Setsuna said. "Don't transform yet, though. We don't want any of Muerte's shadows seeing us." "Sh-shouldn't I s-st-stay and m-m-monitor the n-news, S-Sensei?" Arimi asked. "No, Gin'no-chan," Setsuna said. "Everyone is needed to find the Princess." "Yes, S-Sensei." "What should we do if we get to the school before you, Sensei?" Hikaru asked. "Look for the Princess, but wait for everyone else before leaving the school grounds," Setsuna answered. "Sensei, are you sure that the Princess is there?" Ginny asked. "The light came from the Silver Crystal," Setsuna said. "The Princess is there. I'd stake my life on it." -**- Emiko arrived at the school, the first of her friends to do so. Fine ash covered the school grounds. In the distance, she heard footsteps running away, but she couldn't tell where the sound came from. Emiko bent down to pick up a pinch of the ash. She rolled her fingers, letting the ash fall to the ground. 'Where are they?' Emiko asked herself. 'I'm sure this ash was a shadow. Many shadows. Hikaru-chan was right.' "Hello? Who's there?" "Hikaru-chan? Hikaru-chan, it's me, Emiko." Hikaru ran through the ash to join Emiko. "Emiko-chan! Where's everyone else?" "Not here yet, Hikaru-chan. Something wrong?" "Why couldn't Muerte have attacked during the day?" "You're afraid of the shadows?" "I hate the dark," Hikaru said. "I don't want to be here." "Hikaru-chan," Emiko started. "I know, Emiko-chan. We're looking for the Crystal Princess. We have to find her before Muerte's shadows do. I still don't like the dark." Emiko smiled. "We won't split up again. Stay with me until everyone else gets here." "Thanks, Emiko-chan." Hikaru drew a deep breath. "Why is there so much ash? Emiko-chan, did you fight some shadows?" "Not me. I think the Princess was here." "You saw her?" Emiko shook her head. "I think I just missed her." "Where did she go?" Emiko pointed to where she heard the footsteps earlier. "That way, I think." "But it's so dark --" Hikaru cut herself off. "No, I have to do this. Meiou-sensei needs all of us." "That's the spirit, Hikaru-chan." "I still hate the dark!" "Not so loud, Hikaru-chan! You'll attract the shadows." Emiko and Hikaru turned around. Ginny walked over to them, waving. "Ginny-chan! Don't do that!" Hikaru said, glaring at the American. "Hi, Ginny-chan," Emiko said. "We're still waiting for Arimi-chan and Meiou-sensei. You didn't see anyone run by you, did you?" "No," Ginny said. "You think the Princess was here?" "I don't know, but this is the best lead we have," Emiko said. "Do you remember what the Princess did when she rescued you?" "I couldn't see anything. Too many flowers." "I don't suppose you brought a flashlight, Ginny-chan?" Hikaru asked. "Aren't you too old to be afraid of the dark, Hikaru-chan?" Ginny said. "Think of all the fun you'll miss. Richard and I have spent a lot of time with each other in the dark." "I'm sure I don't want to know." "Your loss." "Do you have anything useful to say?" "Something's happened to Miyako-san." "What?" "Ginny-chan, what happened?" Emiko asked. "I don't know. The Shingari was packed. People trying to hide from the shadows. No Miyako-san, though. It's like she disappeared." "Great," Emiko said. "First Arimi-chan's father, now Jikuuno-san. Muerte has a lot to answer for when we find her. She's hurting too many people tonight." "Arimi-chan's father?" Hikaru said. "What's wrong with her father?" "Muerte's shadows attacked his building," Emiko explained. "Arimi-chan is worried about him, but she's focused on find the Princess." "Poor Arimi-chan." "Her father'll be safe," Ginny said. "We'll stop Muerte." A pair of lights turned into the school's parking lot, getting the girls' attention. "Who can be crazy enough to be outside right now?" Hikaru wondered. "Besides us?" Ginny said. The lights turned off, and the girls heard doors open and slam shut. "Hikaru-chan? Emiko-chan? Are you there? Ginny-chan?" "Sensei!" Hikaru called. She started to run to Setsuna. Emiko grabbed Hikaru's elbow. "Wait, Hikaru-chan. You might destroy the Princess's trail." "Oh. You're right, Emiko-chan. Sensei, wait there, please?" Another light appeared, silhouetting Setsuna. "What is it, Hikaru-chan?" Setsuna asked. "Emiko-chan thinks the Princess let tracks. Right, Emiko-chan?" "There's enough ash that she could have, Meiou-sensei," Emiko said. "Better safe than sorry," Ginny added. Setsuna turned to look behind her, then pointed towards the schoolyard. The light followed. "Arimi-chan thinks she sees something near the trees," Setsuna said. "Arimi-chan, shine the light over there again," Ginny said. "Okay," Arimi called back softly. The light returned to the trees. "Ginny peered over the area. "You're right, Arimi-chan. There's a few, at least two different sets." "Arimi-chan, can you shine the light by the school?" Hikaru asked. The light swung over to illuminate the school's front steps. "There's not much ash over there. We can meet at the stairs." "Alright, Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "Good idea, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said as they ran to the stairs. "Thank you, Ginny-chan." "You were due." "Ginny-chan!" Emiko smacked Ginny's arm. "Not now, Ginny-chan." Setsuna and Arimi joined the three girls. "Emiko-chan, are you sure about the footprints?" Setsuna asked. "Not really, Meiou-sensei," Emiko said. "If Hikaru-chan is right about the ash, and I think she is, then the prints belong to one of the other Senshi, at least." "If not the Princess herself," Hikaru said. "Wh-what about tr-tracking the sh-shadows?" Arimi asked. "I doubt that we'll need it anymore, Arimi-chan," Setsuna said. "The news might mention the Princess, though," Hikaru said. "Can you keep listening while we follow the tracks, Arimi-chan?" Arimi nodded. "I will. The footprints are over there." "Lead on, Arimi-chan," Setsuna said. Shining the light on the ash, Arimi lead her fellow Senshi across the yard. Ginny pointed out several boot prints heading in the same direction. At the wall, several different sets of prints came together at the wall. "Looks like at least three different tracks," Emiko said. "I can't tell where they went, though." "Four sets," Ginny said. "Look over here. One boot is slightly bigger. Same foot, though." "Four Senshi?" Emiko asked. "Who is the missing Senshi?" Hikaru asked. "Hard to tell, Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "Why here?" Arimi asked. "Why m-meet here?" "Meet?" Ginny asked. "Prints are c-coming from all o-over." Arimi shone her light over the tracks. "S-see? B-but why here? And why o-only f-four?" "Sensei, could the Senshi be students here at Juuban?" Ginny asked. "That's what I originally thought," Setsuna said. "It's why I teach here at Juuban. Queen Serenity herself was a student here before Crystal Tokyo came to be. When I saw Hikaru-chan, I thought I had found the Little Princess." "Why not four, Arimi-chan?" Ginny asked. "I only saw four when Pestilence was after me." "One was the Princess, Ginny-chan," Hikaru said. "Remember what Sensei showed us? There were four other Senshi with her." "Seven," Emiko corrected. "Actually, there were nine Senshi, including Queen Serenity's daughter," Setsuna said. "The four whose roles you were being groomed to take over were Serenity's closest friends." "So why did only four meet here?" Hikaru asked. "Why not everyone?" "Someone was in tr-trouble?" Arimi suggested. "Not the Princess," Emiko said. "She's responsible for the light." "What are we waiting for?" Ginny said. "Let's go!" She started running. "Ginny-chan!" Hikaru called, a broad smile on her face. "This way!" She pointed at the prints leading away from Ginny. Blushing, Ginny turned around and followed her friends. "Don't say a word," she growled, seeing Emiko smirk. "I wasn't going to say a word," Emiko said. -**- The rail disappeared soon after leaving the school. Setsuna and her charges searched for any sign of the Princess and where she went. Once in a while, they found a small pile of ash that confirmed they were going in the right direction. After a long, painstaking search, leading from pile to pile, the Senshi found a field covered with ash. "Everyone, be careful," Setsuna said. "Sensei, I don't think they're here anymore," Hikaru said. "I can see the moon." "There may be stragglers, Hikaru-chan." "Where are we?" Ginny asked. Emiko looked around. "Looks like a shrine." "Hikawa Shrine?" Setsuna asked. "There's a shrine over there," Hikaru said. Arimi turned her light on the sign. "'Hikawa Shrine.' Sensei, h-how did you kn-know?" "Queen Serenity's closest friend lived here once," Setsuna said. "I should have thought of it long before now." "Sensei, we couldn't see the Princess when you showed us the end of Crystal Tokyo," Hikaru said. "You said that Queen Serenity's magic is hiding the Princess. If we could find her through the shrine, then so could Muerte." "I know, Hikaru-chan. We're getting close to the Princess. She's coming into her own. I can feel it." The Senshi ran up the steps to the shrine. Ash covered every surface Arimi shone her light. One wall of the shrine sat in ruins, timber lying broken on the ground. "Hello?" Hikaru called. "Anybody hurt?" Ginny and Arimi started to pick through the rubble. Emiko stood beside Setsuna, and both peered through the darkness. An elderly priest walked out of the temple towards the women. Setsuna bowed respectfully. "We're sorry to bother you," she said. "We're looking for - " "For the Sailor Senshi," the priest finished. "Please, come inside. I have some tea brewing." "Thank you, but we can't. We need to find the Senshi." "I can tell you about them over tea. My granddaughter is with them now." "Your granddaughter, sir?" Hikaru said. "Is she one of the Senshi?" "Rei-chan knows of them," the priest said. "Hino Rei?" Setsuna asked. "Your granddaughter is Hino Rei?" "Yes." "If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to take you up on your offer" The priest showed Setsuna and the girls inside. After helping the Senshi get seated, he left to get their tea. The girls looked at Setsuna, waiting for an explanation. Setsuna sat quietly until the priest returned the tea. "You don't look like reporters to me," he said as he served the tea. "We need to find the Sailor Senshi," Setsuna said. "How many Senshi were here?" "Five left over an hour ago." "An hour?" Hikaru said, feeling her stomach drop. "We'll never find them." "Hikaru-chan," Setsuna admonished. "Why are you looking for the Senshi?" the priest asked. "It's much too dangerous out there, especially for young ladies like yourselves." "I have a duty to them," Setsuna said. The priest stared at Setsuna for several minutes. Finally, he tore his gaze away from her. "I'll do what I can to find them." He walked out of the room. "If he touched me one more time, I would've belted the old man," Ginny said. "Ginny-chan!" Hikaru said, shocked. "Have some respect." "Respect? He was undressing us with his eyes!" Arimi blushed at Ginny's remark. "Relax, Arimi-chan," the American continued, "it's not like you have much to keep his attention." "It's not like no one has seen what you have, Ginny-chan," Emiko said. Arimi's blush grew darker. "And what do you mean by that?" "I wouldn't be surprised if you and your boyfriend have tried every position in the Kama Sutra and created a few of your own." "Girls, enough!" Setsuna snapped. "Unless you have something to say about finding the Princess, I don't want to hear another word. Understood?" "Yes, Sensei," Ginny said. "Understood, Meiou-sensei," Emiko said. Moments passed in silence as the girls sipped their tea. Finally, Hikaru said, "Emiko-chan, you've read the Kama Sutra?" "Now's not the time, Hikaru-chan," Setsuna said. "Sorry." Arimi unplugged her earphone from the radio. "We better hear this." She turned up the volume. " . . . surviving this long," a woman's voice said. "But your time is over." Arimi adjusted the tuner. "Just as I have taken over Tokyo's broadcast, I will take over the world. There is nothing you can do." Static replaced the woman's voice. "Muerte?" Hikaru asked. "Who else?" Ginny said. "Her, or one of her henchmen." "Arimi-chan, what station was that?" Setsuna asked. "All of them," Arimi said. "All?" Emiko said. "The entire band, whether there's a station or not." "Where could Muerte be?" Hikaru asked. "Has to be a radio tower somewhere," Setsuna said. "Oh, no," Arimi said. "She can't be there." "Can't be where, Arimi-chan?" Emiko asked. "That is such a cliche," Arimi continued. "Where, Arimi-chan?" Setsuna asked. "Tokyo Tower." "Let's go!" Hikaru said. "We should tell Hino-san we're going," Emiko said. "What's wrong with the Tokyo Tower, Arimi-chan?" Ginny asked. "It's a cliche," Arimi said. "Every villain attacking Tokyo in a cartoon attacks the Tower." "I doubt Muerte has seen any cartoons, Arimi-chan," Setsuna said. "I kn-know, S-Sensei." "I'll go tell Hino-san we're leaving. Oh, there you are," Setsuna said as the priest returned. "You're leaving?" he said. "Thank you for your hospitality," Setsuna said. "I wasn't able to find the Sailor Senshi. A powerful magic blocked my fire reading." "Thank you for trying, sir," Hikaru said, bowing respectfully. "We heard something on the radio that may help us," Setsuna said. "Thanks for your help." "I wish you luck in finding your destiny," the priest said. The women left the temple, running as fast as they could through the streets of Tokyo. More and more shadows obscured the light of the moon the closer the got to the Tower. Setsuna brought the girls to a stop a block away from the Tower. "Everyone, transform. Pluto Planet Power, Make up!" "Corona Star Power, Make up!" "Draco Star Power, Make up!" "Aquila Star Power, Make up!" "Cygnus Star Power, Make up!" Now transformed, the Senshi crept to the base of the Tower, trying not to be seen by the shadows overhead. Sailor Pluto lead the Senshi clockwise around the Tower. All five Senshi kept a watch out for the Crystal Princess. "Pluto-sensei, I hear footsteps," Sailor Corona said, pointing underneath the Tower. "Follow me," Sailor Pluto said. She ran towards the source of the approaching footsteps. The girls followed. Five girls appeared from the gloom, wearing uniforms similar to the Stellars'. The leader, a girl with two long red pigtails, stepped forward. "I am Sailor Moon," she said. Corona, Draco, Aquila, and Cygnus all smiled. Pluto stepped towards Sailor Moon. The four girls with Moon surrounded her protectively. Pluto knelt down on one knee in front of Moon. "Princess, I have finally found you," she said. "Please forgive my dereliction of duty." "Forgive?" Moon said. "Do I know you?" Pluto stood up. Moon's Senshi closed in around their leader. "I am Sailor Pluto," Pluto said. "I was charged with protecting you." One of Moon's Senshi, a girl with blue hair tied in a long ponytail, whispered to her. Turning back to Pluto, Moon said, "That's nice, but I have another problem." Aquila saw movement behind Sailor Moon, a charging woman with long green hair. "Muerte!" Aquila shouted. Pluto saw Muerte draw a sword. "Princess, look out!" Pulling Moon roughly, Pluto stepped into Muerte's charge. Muerte's sword plunged deep into Pluto. A crimson stain crept through Pluto's white tunic. "Sailor Pluto!" Cygnus called. "Sensei!" Corona cried. "Sensei!" [To be continued...]