"Wow, you have such a beautiful house!"  Naru said, looking around 
the living room of Yumeno Yumeni's house.  It was nicely furnished and 
decorated with many paintings, all done by Yumeni herself.  One painting 
especially caught her eye.  It showed a royal family, all with auburn 
hair, sitting in state upon a collection of thrones.  The father and 
mother appeared to be in their forties or so, with children ranging from 
a boy in his twenties to a girl who could hardly be more than twelve.  
Behind them, a vast malevolent shadowy mouth lurked, about to swallow 
them all.  

     Naru said, "This one is kind of creepy..."

     Yumeni looked up from her easel.  A half finished sketch sat there of 
a beautiful palace.  Now she was working on the images of the prince and 
princess that were floating over the palace.  Usagi and Mamoru were 
standing on a bench, in a rather uncomfortable to sustain position, 
modelling for her.  Yumeni was an old friend of Usagi's, though she 
couldn't remember exactly HOW she had met Usagi.  Usagi had been doing 
modelling for her occassionally for close to two years now, though.  Naru 
had just tagged along since she had nothing to do and really wanted to 
meet Yumeni, whose work she had admired for a while.  "Ahh.  Not half as 
creepy as the ones over there.  I've been having nightmares lately.  My 
last few paintings have been kinda eerie.  I'm not sure what to do with 
them."

      Usagi looked up at the painting.  "Is that thing going to eat them?"

      Mamoru said, "Oh yeah, like a shadow could eat someone.  It's just 
a trick of the lighting, right?"

     "I'm not sure if it is supposed to be real or not,"  Yumeni said.  
"It's just an image from a dream I had."

     Naru pulled out another painting.  It depicted a huge twelve spoked 
wheel floating in space amongst the stars.  Three robed figures floated 
over the wheel, and people were tied to the spokes.  The wheel seemed 
to almost move as you looked at it.  It was titled "Wheel of Fortune".
"Hey, a Zodiac wheel!"  she said.

      "Is that what that is?  I had the feeling I'd seen this thing 
before I dreamed it, but I couldn't think of where."  Yumeni said, 
returning to her work.

       Usagi turned her head again to look.  "Wow...that's neat!"

       "Can you turn your head back where it was?"  Yumeni asked as Naru 
picked up another of the canvases.

      Usagi said, "Oops, sorry."

       The third canvas showed a egg hatching.  Well, that's what it 
seemed like at first glance.  It showed a huge multicolored sphere 
against a black background.  It was splitting open like an egg, but some 
sort of ropy, coiled blackness was pouring out of the cracks, forcing it 
apart.  On a second closer examination, it could be seen that the 
'sphere' was actually a planet with forests, mountains, oceans, land, and 
clouds.  Reddish streaks were spreading across the surface in irregular 
zig-zags.  Naru felt a wave of horror rushing over her.  An entire world 
was dying as something hatched from it.  She could almost hear the 
screams of a world being destroyed by something that didn't even notice 
the destruction it was causing.

      Usagi caught her breath, looking at the painting.  Mamoru stared 
for a moment, then frowned.  Yumeni sighed faintly.  "It is macabre.  That 
dream REALLY disturbed me.  The painting is titled, "Death and Birth"."

     "It's horrible!"  Naru said, dropping it as if it was a poisonous 
snake or worse.  

     Mamoru said, "I'm glad I don't normally have dreams like that."

     Usagi said, "I'd never sleep again if I had that kind of dream."

     Naru backed away from the painting.  Why is this bothering me so 
much?, she wondered.  I feel ill.  "All those poor people..."

     "I don't think it even has any idea what it has done.  A creature 
like that...we'd be so far below it, we wouldn't be any more concern to 
it than ants are to us."  Yumeni finished off her pencil sketch.  "Okay, 
you can relax now."

     Usagi plopped down on the couch.  "Like how we squash roaches 
without thinking about it?"

     "Exactly."

     "What a crock.  You can't excuse something slaughtering the entire 
population of a planet like that!"  Mamoru said, sitting down next to 
Usagi and putting an arm around her shoulders.

      "Mamoru's right,"  Naru said.  "That thing's horrible!"

      "If the roaches and ants and other things we slaughter by the 
hundreds and thousands could think, they'd call us horrible monsters 
too," Yumeni said.

     "What, so you think it's okay that the thing killed off the entire 
population of the planet?"  Mamoru asked, incredulous.

      "Did it have a choice?  It was just trying to be born...It couldn't 
help they were living on its egg,"  Yumeni said.  "I just hope the Earth 
isn't like that..."

      An uneasy silence fell upon the room.


                          *      *     *


Naru:     I'm tired of always running
          I've grown tired of the night
          I'm wish I had some cunning,
          Had some power, had some might.

     We see a collage of Naru running from monsters, grabbed by monsters, 
trapped inside big moss balls by monsters, etc.

Sailors:  You don't need to keep on running.
          You don't need to fear the night.
          We can save you with with our cunning,
          With our power, with our might.

     We see a collage of images of Usagi and the other Sailors saving 
Naru and many other people from monster attacks.

Naru:     I don't want someone to save me;
          I'd just like to save myself
          I don't want to be a helpless doll
          That must sit upon the shelf.

     We see Naru sitting at her window, looking out on the starry 
night sky of the city.  One by one, lines trace out the constellations.

Pluto:    If you want to have the power
          You must reach into your heart
          Look inside to find your strength
          For that's where power starts

     We see Pluto holding out a eight-pointed star, which hovers just 
above her hand.


                      *        *       *

Sailor Moon Z:
Series concept by John Biles and Jeff Hosmer
Primary Writer this episode:  John Biles

Based on the series Sailor Moon, copyrighted by Takeuchi Naoko and a lot 
of other people who aren't us.



Episode 7:  
"Do not call up what you cannot put down
 Are these the last days of Moon Hill? "

                          *      *     *
    
     Umino stood on Usagi's doorstep.  Right on time, she was late as 
usual.  She came sprinting out the door, but by now he had learned not to 
be in the way.  She halted.  "Hey, where's Naru?"

     "She has a stomach ache today.  Come on.  You won't have to run.  I 
set all the clocks in your house ahead by twenty minutes yesterday so 
you'd be on time this morning."

     "Whaddya do that for?"

     "You've got a test, remember?  You said you had to make sure you 
wouldn't be late, so I decided to help you out."

     "Why didn't you TELL me?  I could have slept in!"

     "Exactly."

      Usagi sighed and started walking.  "Maybe it's better this way.  I 
need to talk to you anyway."

      Umino followed her.  "Really?  Why?  I didn't leave my hamster in 
your house again, did I?"

      Usagi laughed.  "No, I just wanted to tell you...I'm sorry we 
didn't tell you...about everything...for so long."

      "Well, I was suspecting something funny was going on by that 
point.  The way some of my memories seemed wrong...things were missing."  
He sighed.  "Am I really that untrustworthy?"

      "We just...I...I'm sorry, Umino.  We've been trying to...We 
just...Okay, we weren't sure if you could keep your mouth shut."

      He looked a little cranky.  "I'm not that bad.  I don't tell 
secrets people have asked me to keep."

     Usagi sighed.  "We didn't want to draw you into this anymore than we 
had to.  You deserve, at least, to be able to have a normal life, unlike us."

     Umino blinked.  "You don't like being a senshi?"

     "I do sometimes.  But I want to be able to have fun...to have a 
normal life too.  Sometimes, I can't.  I have duties I never asked for.  
But it's gotten me some really good friends and I've done a lot of good 
in the world, so I guess it's worth it."  She sighed.

     "I wish I had powers like you.  I want to be able to protect 
Naru-chan...but I can't.  Not really."

     "You saved her life at the temple without any powers.  You risked 
your life to save her.  You're very brave, Umino-kun."  Usagi said 
quietly.  

     "I wish I could believe that."

     "It takes more than powers to be a hero.  It takes a brave, loving 
heart.  You've got that."

      Umino blushed.  "I...you really think so?"

      "Yes.  So when are you two getting married?"  Usagi teased.

      Umino blushed more.  "We haven't even..."

      "Well, neither have we."

      "How'd you know what I was thinking?"

      Usagi smiled.  "Using my secret princess mind reading powers."

      Umino clutched his head.  "You read minds?"

      "Yes, all of us Senshi read minds.  Didn't you know that?"  Usagi 
lied, giggling. 

      "Urk.."  Umino said, backing up.

      Usagi laughed.  "I bet I could say anything and you'd believe 
it...I saw your picture in the dictionary next to the word Gullible."

      Umino frowned.  "USAGI!!!!"  He chased her the rest of the way to 
school.

                          *      *     *

     Steven dropped off Minako at her house.  "Had any more trouble with 
the Bradies, Mina-chan?"

     Minako smiled.  "They've done nothing but fume.  Maybe they're 
scared of Haruka."

     "Well, if they knew who she really is...they'd be twice as scared."  

     Minako blinked.  "You..."

     "I've seen Sailor Uranus pictures as well...So did you really follow 
Haruka around before you knew that..."

     Minako blushed.  "Who told you that?"

     "Haruka was warning me about your proclivities..."  Steven smiled.

     "What proclivities?"

     "You've got to promise me you won't hit me."

     "I promise."  She lied.  He got hit, quite a bit.

                          *      *     *

     Rei finished moving her stuff into the guest room at the Tsukino 
house.  Well, if you call the attic the Guest Room.  She sighed.  This is 
going to be difficult, she thought.  The 
temple had been trashed badly enough that she, Grandpa, and Yuuichiro had 
all had to move out until at least their personal quarters were repaired. 
Yuuichiro had gone to stay with his folks, Grandpa had gone to say with 
his son, Rei's mom, and Rei was staying with the Tsukinos.  

      I'm going to have to shepherd Usagi for the next month, she 
thought as she started to unpack her stuff.  She shoved her boxes of 
manga under the bed.  She laughed faintly.  "This should keep them safe 
for a few hours..."  

      "Safe from what, Rei-chan?"  Usagi asked, putting down one of Rei's 
manga.

      Rei blinked.  "Hey, you need to help me get unpacked before you 
start making off with all my STUFF!"

      "Okay."  Usagi said, and went to work unpacking Rei's stuff. 
     
      Rei blinked.  Maybe Usagi is growing up.  This might not be so bad 
after all.  Then she got hit in the head with a rubber band.  She spun 
and saw Shingo making faces at them.  The riot was soon in progress.

                          *      *     *


      A scream shattered the peace of the Osaka household.  Well, only 
one of its inhabitants actually had any peace to be shattered.  Mrs. 
Osaka leaped out of bed and ran towards her daughter's room.  Flinging 
open the door, she found Naru sitting on the bed, sobbing and clutching 
her old teddy bear to her.  She rushed to her daughter's side.  
"Naru-chan, what's wrong?"

      "I had an awful nightmare.  Everyone died and I didn't know why and 
our home was destroyed and Daddy died and all my brothers and sisters 
died and I was the only one who lived and...and..."  Naru started sobbing 
again.  Her mother sighed faintly and sat down beside her, hugging her.

     "Don't worry, Naru-chan.  You're safe here."  I wonder what made her 
have this nightmare again.  She hasn't had that dream since a few months 
after her father died.  I wonder why she dreams about having brothers and 
sisters who die too, Naru's mother wondered.  She's always been an only 
child...I guess she just wants brothers and sisters.  I've dreamed of 
having other children a few times, myself.

      Naru snuggled into her mother's arms, looking very much like a 
young child in a teenager's body.  The fear began to ebb away as she felt 
her mother's warmth and listened to her murmur comforting words.  The 
last image of the dream, a world moving away from her and cracking open 
like the painting, faded from her mind's eye.  The dream ebbed away and 
reality reasserted itself.  She opened her eyes and looked around her 
room.  The nearby window beckoned to her.  Starlight and moonlight shone 
in through the window, casting a silvery glow over everything.  A glint 
off a picture frame caught her eye.  A picture of her with Umino caught 
her eye and she smiled faintly.  They were holding hands, sitting on a 
park bench.  He smiled brightly, while she just looked sort of nervous, 
as if she was afraid someone might see what they were doing.

      How can he love me so much? she wondered.  I wish I could love him 
as much as he loves me.  He's very dear to me...but...I guess I must have 
just been spoiled by having my first love be as handsome and charming 
and...everything as Nephrite was.  I'd have followed him into hell, if 
he'd asked.

      Mrs. Osaka noticed her daughter seemed somewhat calmer and 
relaxed.  "Do you feel better now?"

      "Mom, do you ever have nightmares like this...or...strange dreams?"

      "Sometimes.  I dream about your father a lot.  What it would be 
like if he was here.  I dreamed once that you stole a jewel from me and 
ran off into the night with it."  Mrs. Osaka didn't notice that her 
daughter blushed at that statement.  "I dreamed about being Cleopatra 
once, and another time I was married to the Prime Minister.  Then we got 
eaten by the monster under our bed."

      Naru laughed.  "I wish all the monsters only existed in our dreams."

      Mrs. Osaka nodded.  "It's disturbing.  These monster attacks.  
Superheroes.  That riot at the Tokyo tower...That wasn't just a riot.  
Where did all those awful things come from? There's a change coming.  Maybe 
it's the millenium that's coming...A new age is about to begin.  I don't 
know if ordinary people like us will have much of a place in it..."

      Naru blinked.  "I...you think we're going to die?"

      "I don't know.  I'm just worried for you.  You've been around so 
many of those monster attacks...I'd just die if anything happened to you."

      "Don't worry, Mom.  I'm careful."  Not to mention I've got the 
Senshi watching out for me.  Not that Mom knows that.  

      The phone rang.  They both blinked.  Naru scrambled over and picked 
up the phone.  "Hello?"  Who would call at two AM?

      It was Umino.  "Hi, Naru-chan.  Did I leave my Divine Right game 
over at your house?"

      "You called me at two AM to ask if you forgot something here?"  

      "It's two AM?  What are you doing up at two AM?"  Umino asked.

      Naru blinked.  "I had a nightmare.  What are YOU doing?"

      "Trying to do a three-d rendering of you, but it keeps coming out 
looking like a character for a Virtua Minky Momo game."

      Naru laughed.  "I need to talk to you tomorrow."

      "Okay.  I'll let you back to sleep.  I hope you don't have any more 
nightmares.  Love you."

      Naru's voice dropped a few decibels.  "I love you too."  She hung up.

      "Umino called at this hour?  Did he leave an earthworm here 
again?"  Mrs. Osaka prayed there wasn't an AWOL earthworm on the loose in 
her house.

      Naru laughed and pointed to a large box sitting on her desk with 
the title DIVINE RIGHT on it and a picture of a bunch of ghost knights 
charging down from the sky on its top.  "He couldn't remember if he left 
that here."

      Mrs. Osaka got up, went over, and took a look at it.  "You two 
spend a lot of time playing these games..."

       "Yeah.  They're a lot more fun than I would have ever thought 
before I met Gurio-kun.  Actually, a lot of things he does are more fun 
than I thought they were."

       "You've been dating for what, two years now?"  Mrs. Osaka couldn't 
remember exactly when she had first realized her daughter was going on 
dates with Umino.  Some time in junior high.  They seemed to be really 
close, though she suspected her daughter wished her boyfriend was less 
geeky.  

      "Since our second year of junior high, hai.  Our second anniversary 
was a little while ago."  She laughed faintly.  "Makes it sound like 
we're married."

      "He's a good boy.  If you want to marry him one day, I'd approve."  
Certainly a lot better than that...that...someone Naru had mooned over.  
Well, she's forgotten him.  I needn't worry about him any more.

      Naru smiled.  "Marrying Umino.  A few years ago, I'd have screamed 
at the thought.  Now, it seems kinda nice.  I'm not ready for marriage 
yet, though."

      "Well, I want you to finish high school first, at least.  There's 
no rush.  Ready to try sleeping again?"

      "I think so."  She tried.  It worked.

                          *      *     *

     Ami and Noriko sat in the cafeteria, eating lunch with Rei and some 
of her friends from the Transdimensional Defense Club, Kobayashi Daichi, 
the club vice president, and Kusanagi Eiko.  Daichi was short, with brown 
unkempt hair and blue eyes.  He was handsome, in a messy sort of way, and 
athletic in build.  Eiko was rather athletic too, despite the gold rimmed 
glasses perched on her nose.  She had short, neatly kept green hair, and 
was actually taller than Daichi, though not by much.  Eiko had a 
reputation as being one of the school brains, so Ami was interested to 
meet her.  On the other hand, she also had a reputation for throwing 
herself at men as well, which wasn't Ami's style.  

      Right now, she was flirting with Daichi, who was pretending not to 
notice.  He was pretending not to notice Rei flirting with him as well.  
Ami decided to help the poor boy.  "So, Eiko, do you think our class in 
Differential Equations is going to be very hard?"

      Eiko blinked.  "I have a class in Differe...what?"

      Now Ami blinked.  "You're in that class with me, right?"

      "That's K...oh, yeah.  That class.   Should be...easy."  Eiko 
bigsweated.

      Noriko said, "Yeah.  Our math teacher normally only flunks half the 
class on general principle.  You'll be fine, Ko'chan."

      Eiko and Ami both bigsweated now.  "Flunks...half the class?"

      Daichi blinked.  "Glad I'm just taking Algebra."

      Rei said, "Geez, what a nutcase teacher.  So, when are you going to 
take me riding on your motorcycle, Daichi?"

      "And me!  I wanna ride too!"  Eiko said.  Ami wondered if Eiko's 
intellectual reputation was exaggerated.  She always seemed smart in 
class, though.

       At this point, Coach Tanamoto stormed in.  "Daichi!  You're 
supposed to be practicing!  Come with me, right this minute!"

       He blinked.  "But it's lunch!"

       She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him away.  "Thirty times 
around the track for you!"

       As he was pulled out of sight, his last words were, "But you're 
not even my coach!"

       Eiko and Rei both sighed, then glared at each other.  Noriko said, 
"Jeez.  I'd think you'd all give up, given that he's been dating the same 
girl since the first year of Junior High."

       "But he's so hunky!"  Eiko said.

       "Hey, I'm not flirting.  I just wanted to..."

       "Make time with him, Rei-chan?"  Noriko asked, teasingly.

       Rei hmphed, loudly.

                          *      *     *

      
     Makoto ran into class, a little bit late.  She plopped down next to 
Usagi, who whispered, "What kept you?"

     "Coach Tanamoto was trying to show me how to do this stupid 
volleyball move...maybe trying out for the team wasn't such a good idea.  
We spent the whole lunch working on it and now I'm starving!"

      "Well, maybe if you sneak out, sensei won't notice..."

      Too late.  The teacher said, "No talking in class.  Out in the 
hallway with buckets for ten minutes!"

      Usagi began to WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

                          *      *     *

     Haruka sprinted out of chemistry lab.  She hated her science class.  
The teacher was clearly insane, the subject bored her, and most 
importantly, it always ran late before her phys. ed class, which then got 
her yelled at by Coach Tanamoto.  Well, usually.  Sometimes Coach 
Tanamoto was too busy floating around like an excessively happy camper to 
notice if anyone actually CAME to class.

     She zoomed past Michiru in the hallway, then skidded to a halt and 
backtracked, willing to take her chances with the Coach.  Michiru looked 
a little down.  "Hey, why the gloomy face?"

     Michiru sighed.  "The new music teacher complains all the time about 
how awful we all are.  I wish the old one hadn't gotten sick...she was 
very nice.  I'm starting to get tired of this guy yelling at us every day."

     Students rushed by them.  Haruka felt a strange prickling feeling at 
the base of her neck and looked around.  She noticed Michiru was doing 
the same thing.

     There were no visible threats, just students rushing on to their 
next classes.  Some travelled in large packs, others sprinted through the 
tide or tried to swim against the stream.  

     The prickling feeling died away, leaving Haruka and Michiru unaware 
that someone really had been watching them.  Haruka said, "Well...I'd 
better get to class.  Be careful.  I've got a bad feeling."

      Michiru nodded.

      Haruka sprinted off to the locker rooms and got changed for class.  
Everyone else had already changed.  She sighed.  I really don't like 
being late for class.

      As she sprinted out into the gymnasium, she heard Coach Tanamoto 
announce, "Today we're going to do ballroom dancing!"

      The class stared at her in shock.  Coach Tanamoto smiled.  "I hope 
you've been practicing the waltz from last week."

      Haruka slipped into the back of the class and poked one of the 
other students, girl with electric blue hair named Noriko, then whispered to 
her, "Did she take roll yet?"

      Noriko smiled, "She was busy talking about how she went waltzing 
with some Kusanagi-san last night, 'Ka-kun."

     Haruka wondered for a moment if Noriko called teachers by 
affectionate names...she seemed to call everyone by a shortenened 
nickname.  "Well, want to be my waltz partner?"  I wish Michiru was 
here...

     Noriko smiled.  "Sure!"  The group soon split up into couples, which 
began clumsily circling the floor...probably because they hadn't 
anticipated having to do this and the dance unit wasn't SUPPOSED to be 
until next semester...Luckily, this had happened once last week as well, 
so they at least had some idea what they were doing.

      Haruka soon realized she had made a good choice.  Noriko was a 
superb dancer.  Her motions were flawless and she seemed to have an 
excellent sense of rhythm.  In fact, she was much better than Haruka 
herself, who was hard pressed at first to keep up.  

     "How'd you know my name anyway?"  Haruka asked as they danced.  "I 
haven't learned hardly anyone's name yet."

     "I have a photographic memory for those sorts of things.  Also, 
Ami's mentioned you a few times."

     "You know Ami?"

     "She's my roommate!"  They danced past Coach Tanamoto who seemed 
lost in happy dreamland.  "'Moto-sensei looks so cute when she gets like 
this!"  Noriko giggled.  "How do you know Ami?"

      That answers that question, Haruka thought.  "We're old friends."

      "Did you two ever date?  I know she has some old boyfriend, but 
she's never mentioned his name..."

      Haruka laughed.  "A lot of her friends had a crush on me for a 
while."  They continued to dance and talk for the remainder of the class.


                          *      *     *



     Nonhara Himeko pounded the gavel onto the podium.  "The 
Transdimensional Defense Club of Tsunami High will now come to order!"

     No one even noticed.  Everyone was busy yammering excitedly over the 
results of their successful defense of Tsunami High during the now so 
called Tokyo Tower Riots and how Sailor V had come to their aid.  She 
glanced over at the rest of the officers.

     Koishikawa Yuu, the treasurer, was listening to the soundtrack CD 
of Legend of the Galactic Heroes and was effectively dead to the 
world.  Hibino Hikaru, her old rival and now the official club historian 
due to owning her own camcorder, was busily filming the Club 
Vice-President, Himeko's boyfriend Kobayashi Daichi.  Daichi was busily 
reading some manga, while the Club's sponsor, Udaigaku-sensei, was 
busily examining blurry photographs with a magnifying glass and 
scribbling down strange formulae.  

      She sighed.  Looking out into the mob, the only person who seemed 
to be paying any attention was Hino Rei, the club's new spiritualist.  
Rei looked at her, shrugged, then smiled for no apparent reason, since 
Himeko didn't know that Rei was wondering if Himeko still had the charm 
pinned to her underwear.  She did.

     "Order!"  She said, a little louder.  Yuu turned up his CD.  
Everyone else kept yammering.  She saw Hikaru giggle.  Now she was 
angry.  She banged the gavel on the table so hard the head fell off and 
yelled, "ORDER!!!!!!!!!"  She then reached over and turned the volume on 
Yuu's headphones up to eleven.  He blinked and took them off, turning 
them down as he did so.

     Everyone else started and fell silent.  Rei smiled.  "Much better,"  
Himeko said.  "Sensei, you have a report on the creatures we fought and 
the strange rain of energy?"

     "I believe the energy rain that purified the city to be the action 
of Sailor Saturn, one of the more reclusive of the Sailor Senshi.  The 
rain was frighteningly powerful, and these pictures Hibino-san captured 
with her camcorder bear a strong resemblance to her, although they also 
remind me disturbingly of the Asshurbanipal tablet..."

    "The what?"

     "It's an ancient tablet depicting the angel who was supposed to have 
visited a plague on an Assyrian army besieging Jersualem in 632 BC."  

     "Sailor Saturn is the Angel of Death?"

     "I believe this is a sign of the transmission of buried subconscious 
historical memories at work, taking place through the..."

      "Right.  Thank you, Sensei. So can we expect these monsters to return?"

      "What about Sailor V?"  Someone shouted.  "Is she going to join our 
club?"

     Things devolved into chaos again.  "Sailor V is so cool!"  "Is she 
here right now?"  "Does she go to our school?"  "I thought she was British?"
"She really kicked butt!"  "Did you see how she zapped that one monster?"
"The one with the rotting head?"  "Doesn't that describe a lot of them?"

     "ORDER!!!!!"  Himeko banged her fist on the table, which jumped.  
So did everyone else.  Himeko had a notable temper and a reputation for 
beating people up, even though no one ever admitted that she had beaten 
THEM.  This reputation had been one of the major factors in her becoming 
president of the Transdimensional Defense Club.  That and the fact that 
her boyfriend was the most popular guy in their class despite being 
'taken'.  When he said, "Vote for Himeko for Club President", people 
listened.

     Rei decided to help out.  She turned to face the others and said, 
"Show some respect for our club president!"  Even if she has a magic 
charm pinned to her underwear.  Rei turned back around before she could 
laugh.  

     "Thank you, Hino-san.  So, Sensei, do you believe that these 
monsters are likely to return?"

     "Well, I'm still continuing my studies, however, I believe that 
these attacks will recur.  Monsters never just appear by chance.  
Something sent them and I don't know if it really got what it wanted."  
He turned to Rei.  "I understand the Sailor Senshi made an appearance at 
your temple?"

      Rei started.  "I...yes.  How did you know?"

     "Your temple has a record of unusual manifestations.  The Sailor 
Senshi seem to have an interest in the place, so it seems logical that 
during the riots, they might have appeared there."

     Rei began to worry about how much Udaigaku-sensei might have figured 
out.

     " Also, my cousin lives down the street from you and he told me.  I 
understand some sort of white armored warrior on horseback also made an 
appearance."

     "Hai.  The White Knight.  The temple was badly damaged.  I'm having 
to stay with my friend, Usagi, right now."

     Udaigaku-sensei raised an eyebrow.  "Miss Tsukino Usagi?"

     "Uhh...you know her?"

     "She's a very...interesting person.  Anyway, perhaps you can confirm 
my theory about Sailor Saturn's appearance?"

      "Ummm...yes.  I saw her appear at the temple, then fly off and 
purify the city."

      "Can we count on her help in the future?"

      "Well, not directly...but I think the city can depend on her."

      "What about Sailor V?"  Someone shouted.

      Rei blinked, the whole bit about Sailor V finally sinking in.  
"Sailor V?"

     "Yeah!  She helped us fight the monsters who attacked the high 
school!  She kicked butt!"

     "But that's not...I mean..."

     Himeko said, "Well, if she shows up again, we can ask her.  Since 
none of us have any way to contact Sailor V that I'm aware of, we could 
debate her appearance until doomsday and it wouldn't do any good.  Yuu, 
can you give us the treasury report?"

      "The school has increased our budget by 50,000 yen in gratitude for 
our preventing damage to school property during the riots.  I've 
earmarked some of the funds for next Friday's animefest at my place.  
Everyone is of course, invited.  This also gives us more money for Sensei 
to spend on those laser pistols he's been trying to make for us.  I have 
the details of this week's expenditures for anyone who is interested."  
He paused and looked at Hikaru.  "Although what you needed fifty 
videotapes for..."

     "I wanted to make sure I'd have enough to record all our meetings!"  
she said, keeping her camera focused on Daichi.  "Also, I'm hoping to 
make a recruiting film with the footage from the battle."

      Yuu nodded.  "Talk to me later about that.  We can use my equipment."

      Daichi said, "I have the list of patrol duties here for this 
week."  He passed out sheets of paper to everyone.  "Well, that about 
takes care of official business, I think.  We'll be showing some Dirty 
Pair episodes for anyone who wants to stay.  Thanks for coming!"

      The meeting broke up into an informal mob again, although most of 
the students stayed for the anime.  Rei went up to Daichi and Himeko.  
"I'm really sorry I couldn't come to help against the Gibberlings, but I 
had to..."

      "I understand."  Himeko said.  "Family and home are very 
important.  I'm sorry your temple got trashed so badly.  It's a very nice 
place."

       Rei smiled.  "Do you still have the charm I gave you?"

       Daichi stared over at Himeko, who blushed slightly.  "Yes."

       Rei smiled.  "Well, it seems to be working."

       Daichi frowned slightly.  "A charm for what?"

       "N..nothing.  Just for good luck."

       Daichi didn't say anything.

       "Daichi!"

       "Calm down!  I'm just curious...since you didn't tell me about it."

       Rei smiled.  "It's just a good luck charm to keep evil spirits 
away."  If you count would-be boyfriend theives as evil spirits.   "I 
have to admit I'm kind of surprised you actually managed to drive off the 
Gibberlings without any magic or powers."

       Daichi smiled.  "Well, I wouldn't QUITE say that."

       "What?"

       "Well, besides Sensei's big fire hose, we had some help from 
Sailor V and Idol Angel Mami."

       "Isn't she just a singer?"

       "She's no ordinary singer,"  Daichi said and left it at that.  And 
so will we. 
 
                          *      *     *

    Umino and Naru were waiting for Makoto when she returned to her 
apartment.  "Hiya!  Ready for your lessons?"

    "Yeah!"  Naru said, "When do we learn the seven fists of flaming fury?"

    They all laughed.  "Pretty soon you'll be ready to move on to a real 
trainer if you want to keep this up.  I'm just a scrapper;  I haven't had 
much real martial arts training."

     She unlocked the door and they headed inside.  Makoto got out the 
practice mat she had bought the last time she had taken lessons.  Too 
many fights with other students had ended that.  She sighed.  I can't 
believe I was so violent...Maybe I ought to go find my old sensei and 
apologize for all the trouble I caused him.  

     "Are you okay, Makoto?"  Umino asked.  "You've been staring off into 
space the last few minutes."

     "I'm fine.  Who wants to go first?"  Pretty soon, she started 
showing them a few new moves and getting them to practice against each 
other and against her.  It had been difficult at first getting them to 
actually spar against each other. They wanted to learn, but neither 
of them were scrappers by nature, and they were afraid of hurting each 
other.  Still, they seemed to be learning fairly well.  It probably 
wouldn't save them from any youmas, but soon they'd be good enough to 
deal with the average bully or cheap thug.  

      They'd be learning a few things from her they wouldn't get from 
most teachers.  The average sensei frowned on fighting dirty, but Makoto 
preferred fighting to win, and if that took some dirty tricks...so be 
it.  She wouldn't use them in a tournament, but then, she wasn't 
interested in tournaments.  If she got in a fight, it was because someone 
deserved a beating...and when you fight, you fight to win.  Especially 
now that Makoto was actually fighting for a cause.  Her friends and the 
future were depending on her, and she'd do whatever it took.  

     At least they didn't scream in pain every time they got hit 
anymore.  She watched Umino trip Naru, then stop and help her back up.  
"There's no point in tripping her if you're going to help her back up, 
Umino."

     "But I can't kick her while she's down!"  he said.

     "Don't bother tripping her if you aren't going to take advantage of 
it.  We both know you've mastered that move, more or less, so don't waste 
time with it unless there's gonna be a reason to use it."  This would be 
easier if we had someone around they wouldn't mind really pounding flat, 
she thought.  They've mastered most of what I've taught them...but they 
don't really throw themselves into it.  

      "I just don't want to hurt her."  Umino said.

      "Alright.  Come beat me up.  I promise I'm not made of fine china."

      "But then I'll get clobbered!"

      Naru laughed.  "She hasn't killed us yet, Gurio-kun."

      Umino approached Makoto warily.  He always did.  On the first day, 
she'd tossed him around the room several times, while he had been unable 
to hit her at all.  Of course, his whole life had probably taught him to 
approach people warily in violent situations.  Makoto couldn't understand 
how anyone could stand to live like that.  To be afraid, all the time.  
To be in a constant state of danger.  Sure, she lived in a near-constant 
state of danger, but she could handle it.  She knew that even she was 
capable of scaring Umino.  She had to be careful not to scare him so much 
that he wouldn't come back.  

     And yet, at times, Umino displayed an insane level of bravery.  For 
a lot of guys, such displays were often motivated by pride, but for 
Umino, it wasn't pride that fueled his bravery.  It was love.  It was 
his friends, especially his girlfriend, that he would do anything to protect.  
He didn't really believe much in his own worth.  She remembered his 
speech at the contest for couples at Lover's Park about a year ago, 
"Naru-chan is always very bright, and she is like the sun. I always do 
klutzy things, and I'm probably not fit for Naru-chan. Why is  Naru-chan 
going out with me? It might just be God's whim.  But I'm just  happy to 
see Naru-chan's smile, which is like that of an angel. To protect that 
beautiful smile, I, Umino Gurio, can die."  It must have been a moment 
of prophecy...because he had.  Then Naru brought him back...She wondered 
if Naru really understood how much Umino loved her.  It was scary, in 
its own way, just to think about that level of devotion.  How could 
anyone merit that much love?  Will anyone ever love me that much?

      Makoto snapped out of her reverie when she realized Umino was 
shaking her.  "Makoto-san, I hit you five times and you didn't even 
notice...are you okay?"

      "Well, I deserved to get hit for not paying attention.  Maybe 
we ought to take a break."  She plopped down on the sofa, which had 
been pushed up to the wall to make room for the mat.         

     "What's wrong, Makoto-chan?"  Naru asked, plopping down next to 
Makoto.  "You don't normally zone out on us like this."

     "Just being...well...I wish I had a boyfriend."  I hope I can find 
someone as solid as you two or as solid as Usagi and Mamoru.  Love that 
transcends death...will I ever really know it?

     "Don't worry, Makoto-san!"  Umino said.  "Someone as cute as you 
ought to have no trouble finding a boyfriend at Tsunami!  I'll make a few 
inquiries and soon you'll have men swarming all over you!"

      Makoto bigsweated.  Only Kami-sama knew what sort of men Umino was 
likely to dig up for her.

                          *      *     *


     Polly stared at the blue gem and frowned.  Can I really trust what 
Pisces told me?  If this thing can help me deal with that wretched Sailor 
Venus...but this could be dangerous too.  I don't know much about this 
creature.  Still, those people would be perfect pawns of revenge...and 
this way they can't trace it to me easily.

     She was sitting on the roof of one of the Moon Hill Experiment 
House buildings, looking down at a milling gang of kids.  The Bradies, 
they called themselves.  How best to approach them...Chester will want to 
know why I want to become Gemini-P...But if I go like this I won't be 
taken seriously.  I could just give them the power...but then how do I 
make sure they don't just go rob banks or something.  Dammit, if only 
Chester would cooperate with me.  Well, I'll think of something.

     She felt a presence nearby.  "Hello, Scorpio."

     Scorpio blinked.  Her brown hair rustled slightly in the wind.  
"How'd you know I was here?"

     "I can feel your power.  You can change back to something a little 
more peaceful looking if you want.  You ought to know by now I don't bite."

     As usual, Scorpio was garbed in what she had once told Gemini was 
her 'combat costume'.  It made her look far too much like one of the 
Power Rangers.  "I rarely change back.  I'd rather be ready if I need to 
be.  So you're looking to get even with this...Minako person?"  Scorpio 
sat down, indian-style, next to Polly.

      "Yeah.  Stupid girl...making time with MY..."  Polly blushed.  "She 
has to be gotten out of my way."

       "Well, maybe I can help you.  Let's make a deal..."  Scorpio 
smiled.  This should be interesting.

                          *      *     *
 
     The Bradies trooped into the Cat Cafe.  The chinese waitress, a cute 
purple haired girl, brought them a menu, then was quite surprised when 
they started yammering at each other in a foreign language she'd never 
heard.  She shrugged, being used to weirdos who couldn't speak a 
civilized language and went on to serve other customers while they 
babbled on about whatever.

     Greg said, "So, what are we going to do about these punks?  And who 
the hell was that chick on the motorcycle?"

     Bobby said, "That was a guy, not a chick, Greg."

     Cindy chimed in.  "Bobby's right.  It was some lunatic biker friend 
of that British punk.  No girl in her right mind would dress like that."

     Marsha said, "Who wants to look like a boy?"  She shook her head.  
It would have rattled but someone has already used that metaphor.

     "Well, did any of you recognize the ch...whoever that was?"

     Jan said, "I'm pretty sure he doesn't go to Moon Hill, whoever he is."

     Peter pounded on the table.  "Telling us to get a life...who the 
hell does that guy think he is, anyway?"

     A voice cut in.  It was a teenage girl, Japanese, with long brown 
hair.  She also spoke English, flawlessly.  "His name is Ten'ou Haruka.  
He attends Tsunami High School.  He's an old enemy of mine.  Oh, let me 
introduce myself.  My name is Sonada Megumi, but you can call me Megan."  
She pointed to the red haired girl that was with her.  "This is my friend 
Patricia."

     "How'd you know who we're talking about?"

     "I was just passing by and I realized your story fit with how he's 
been bragging about humiliating a bunch of students from your school.  
You're from Moon Hill, right?"

     Greg nodded.  "How'd you tell?"

     "How many other Japanese students would speak English if they didn't 
have to?"

     "Your English is pretty good.  Why don't you come there?"  Marsha asked.

     "It cost too much.  My parents are cheap as hell."  Megan paused.

     Patricia said, with a distinct British accent.  "We want to help you 
beat the hell out those punks and their biker friend.  That Minako bitch 
stole my boyfriend.  SHE'S GOING TO PAY!"

     Megan put an hand on Patricia's shoulder.  "Calm down.  Ranting 
won't get any of us what we want."

     Greg smiled.  "Well, that'll help some.  You two know anything about 
fighting?"

     Megan smiled.  "I've got something that can help."  She put a blue 
crystal down on the table.  "Let me show you a little trick."  She held 
out her palm and a blue flame appeared above it.  The Bradies gasped.  

     "How the hell did you do that?"  Peter said as Megan ignited a 
napkin with the flame to show it was real.

     "Would you like to learn how?"

     "Damn straight!"  Bobby said.

     Megan smiled.  "Time for a little lesson..."

                          *      *     *


     With an almost audible pop, two magical disguises quietly vanished.  
Scorpio, now clearly in her mid-thirties rather than a teenager, turned 
to Polly.  "So how was my acting?"

     Polly laughed.  "Pretty good."  She paused.  "How'd you know all 
that, anyway?"

     Scorpio smiled.  "Information is power.  And vice versa.  I make a 
lot of effort to know as much as I can...It has its uses.  Well, I have 
other business to attend to.  Call me if we need to put in another 
appearance."

     Polly nodded.  Scorpio vanished in a reddish flash of light.  Polly 
then realized that Scorpio still hadn't REALLY answered her question...

                          *      *     *

     Haruka and Michiru sat together eating lunch in the cafeteria.  Two 
of Michiru's friends from her music class, Yuu and Seika had joined them.
"Ahh, so this is the famous, Ten'ou Haruka, eh?"  Yuu said.

     Haruka smiled.  "And you're the famous Koishikawa Yuu, the guy who 
makes his own music videos."

     Yuu nodded.  "Well, my family has a lot of money.  I've been talking 
to Michiru about her appearing in one of my videos."

     Michiru smiled.  "It sounds like fun, although I'm not sure how good 
a video anyone could make of my style of music."

     Noriko bounced over to the table and said, "Mind if I join you, 
'Ka-kun?"

     Michiru stared at this unfamiliar person, then glanced over at 
Haruka.  "A friend of yours, 'Ka-kun?"  she asked, just the slightest 
hint of chill in her voice.

     Haruka laughed nervously.  "This is Noriko, Michiru.  Noriko, this 
is my friend Michiru.  Noriko is in my physical education class."

     "We danced today!  It was a lot of fun.  'Ka-kun is really a good 
dancer!  Some of us are going dancing this weekend.  Want to come with us?"

     Haruka looked over at Michiru, who looked rather like she could chew 
holes in the wall with her eyes.  "I think that..."

     "Go right ahead, 'Ka-kun.  I'll be busy filming this video, I think."

     Sometimes Haruka hated her life.

                          *              *            *

     The Moon Hill Experiment House principal sat back in his chair.  He 
clicked on the TV and linked it to monitor #8.  It was focused on a home 
economics class, where some blonde girl and a friend were busily trying 
to bake a cake.  It was one of the most mutated cakes the principal had 
ever seen, looking more like some evil alien being than a cake.  "Hmm.  
So Aino Minako can't cook."  M frowned.  "You seem so boringly mundane.  
What purpose does watching you serve?"

      He watched a little while longer, then clicked off the TV.  "This 
is starting to irritate me.  What is the point of watching this stupid 
teenager?"

      A voice spoke from nearby.  Behind him.  "Yours is not to question 
why.  Yours is but to do or die."  The voice was female, and her english 
was flawless.

      M spun his chair around.  A woman with brown hair gathered in a bun 
in the back and black rimmed glasses perched on her nose stood before 
him.  She was dressed in a black business suit-dress.  "Hello, M."

      M said, "Hello, Q.  Bringing me some new interesting toys?"

     "I think you should be aware there may be some disruptive activities 
here soon.  Our superiors contacted me and warned we may have an eruption 
of Xeno-activity soon."

     M frowned.  "We can't afford to attract that sort of attention."

     Q put a small device on M's desk that resembled a calculator.  "This 
should alert you when the eruption occurs.  I'd suggest keeping some 
security on standby."

     "I hope this doesn't disrupt the dance.  We've been setting that up 
for weeks."

     "Which of course means..."

     "That it will."  He sighed.  No rest for the wicked.

                          *              *            *


     Some people say hell is being locked in a room with the same people 
for eternity.  Others say all you really need is a board full of 
equations.  By that definition, the Differential Equations class was 
definitely hell.  Hanako-sensei turned to Eiko.  "Would you like to solve 
this problem for us, Eiko-chan?"

      Eiko nodded.  She got up and went to the board, scribbling down a 
series of equations, coming to the answer in about twenty seconds.  
Hanako-sensei looked and nodded.  "Very good!"  Eiko sat down.

     "Now we will..."  The bell cut off Hanako-sensei.  The students 
streamed out of the room.  

     Ami went over to Eiko.  "That was really good!"

     "Thanks, Mizuno-san.  You're better at math than I am."  She 
smiled.  "History and sociology are really my strengths.  And Chemistry."

     Ami smiled.  "Did you ever have any luck convincing Kobayashi-san to 
take you riding?"

     Eiko blinked.  "What?"  She paused.  "Oh that.  Not yet, thank 
you."  She smiled nervously.  "He's got a girlfriend anyway.  I'd just be 
wasting my time.  You dating anyone, Mizuno-san?"

     Ami blushed.  "No, not lately."

     "That's too bad.  See you later!"

     "Bye!"  Ami headed off across campus back to her dorm room.  She 
could hear music blaring as she came up the stairs.  As she passed one 
room, she saw the door was open and one of the students, Sugawa Mai, was 
busily packing her stuff.  "Where are you going, Mai?"

      "My grandfather is very ill, and my family wants me to come home so 
I can help take care of him.  I'll have to commute."

      "That's too bad.  I guess Himeko will have the room to herself?"

      "Well, her and her stuffed animals.  You'd think those things move 
around by themselves the way they're all over the room all the time...For 
such a tomboyish girl, she sure loves those dolls."

      Ami smiled.  "I guess it's her way of reminding herself that..."

      There was a voice behind Ami.  "Hi, Ami-chan!  Got a few free minutes?"

      Ami turned around and smiled.  "Hi, Manami-chan.  Sure.  Need help 
with math again?"

      "I've got this great new book!  You've got to see it!"  She dragged 
Ami off down the hallway.  Ami helplessly waved bye to Mai.

     They soon reached Ami's room.  Noriko was busily blaring the latest 
album by SMAP and typing a paper on her computer.  She turned down the 
music and said without looking, "Hiya, 'Mi-chan.  Hiya, 'Ni-chan."

     Manami blinked.  "How'd you know I was here?"

     "I heard you in the hallway."

     "Over that?"

     Ami laughed and sat down on her bed.  "Noriko-chan has very, very 
good hearing.  I think she could hear a pin drop in a firing range.  
Anyway, what's this book you think I should see?"

     Manami tossed the book to Ami.  "It's a book by our science 
teacher.  It's all about how there was a civilization on the moon with 
talking cats and stuff.  Pretty fun, eh?  I never realized he was such a 
whacko."

     Ami smiled and started flipping through the book.  She lost the 
smile when she came to a picture of a woman who looked remarkably like 
Setsuna in Sailor Pluto garb, fighting some kind of monster...on the side 
of a vase from 1500 BC.  Does this guy know something, she wondered.

***********************************************************************

     Minako began going through her dress collection.  Artemis woke up 
from napping on her bed.  "Looking for some clothes for the dance this 
Saturday night, I guess?"

     Minako nodded.  "Yeah!  Me and Steven and Mamoru and Usagi and Naru 
and Umino and Noriko and Makoto and Eustace and Jill are going.  Rei's 
hoping she can make it too."

     "How are you going to smuggle all these people who don't go to your 
school into it?"

     "It's an open dance.  I just gotta go register them in advance.  
ACK!  I almost forgot!  The deadline's tomorrow!  Usagi'll kill me if I 
forget."  She pulled out a fancy green dress.  "How about this one, 
Artemis?  Think Steven'll like it?"

      "How should I know?"

      Minako made a face.  "You're no fun."

     "Do I look like a fashion consultant?"

      "Geez, why the bad mood?"

      Artemis sighed.  "Luna keeps bugging me with questions I can't 
answer.  I'd feel worse if I didn't know she can't remember any of it 
either or she wouldn't ask me."

      "Well, maybe we ought to try restoring your memories like we did 
for Naru-chan."

      "Gee, and see how well that worked..."

      Minako nodded.  He did have a point.  Especially when Naru freaked 
out after Umino got killled and flashed back to her old self as Lady 
Patience.  Minako shuddered slightly.  We all got tossed around like 
confetti in the blender.  Then again, if I saw Steven die, I bet I'd 
freak out too.  "Well, if she could only learn to do that reliably all 
the time...she'd be able to help us a lot.  That was just..."

      Artemis nodded.  "Well, Luna was going to talk to her about it.  
Along with Usagi and Mamoru.  I guess we'll see what develops."

      Minako nodded.  "Do you think I look better in blue or orange?"

      Artemis sighed.  I really, really hate playing Fashion Advisor...

*******************************************************************

     Luna, Usagi, and Naru were hanging out in Usagi's room, picking out 
clothing for Usagi for Saturday's date.  Well, Usagi and Naru were doing 
this.  Luna was busily complaining about time being wasted.  

     "What we need to be doing is figuring out how much magic Naru can 
remember!"  Luna said.  "Not having you try on everything in the closet 
FIVE times."

     "I already told you, Luna...I can't hardly remember anything...I 
don't know how I managed to...to do what I did last time.  It doesn't 
seem to work now,"  Naru said.

      "You're just being as lazy as Usagi always is!  You don't WANT it 
enough."

     "YOU think I don't WANT to help?  IS THAT IT?"  Naru glowered at 
Luna.  "You think I like watching people get hurt trying to protect me 
and not being able to do anything about it?  Knowing there are people 
after my best friend who I can't do anything about?"  She advanced on 
Luna, who shrank back.  

      "Okay, okay, I..."

      Usagi put a hand on Naru's shoulder.  "We'll figure it all out, 
Naru.  Luna needs to remember where she lost your henshin pen before you 
could transform, anyway."

      Luna grumbled under her breath.  "There is no Sailor of the Sun."

      Usagi laughed.  "Yeah, and I wasn't the moon princess, either."

      Luna said, "I'm...I'm sorry, Naru.  I shouldn't have harrassed you 
like that."

      Naru slowly relaxed.  "Well, I shouldn't have yelled at you 
either.  You just have to remember we're not back in the Moon Kingdom.  
We weren't raised for this."

      Luna nodded.  Things had been much better in the Moon Kingdom...

**********************************************************************

     Royal Advisor Luna strolled down the so called Royal Hallway of the 
Great Palace of Serenity in the Moon Kingdom.  It was so called because 
the royal apartments all opened onto it.  Luna came from a long line of 
advisors.  Her family represented the interests of the Cats of Venus at 
the royal court, and in recent generations, had also attained the status 
of royal advisors.  This required a delicate balance, as the interests of 
the two groups were not always compatible, though usually this was not a 
problem as the Cats of Venus really didn't have MUCH interest in the 
goings on of the Moon Kingdom anyway.  Not when there were naps to take 
and hunts to be conducted.  

      She also had an informal post as the etiquette teacher for the 
Royal Family and sundry of the nobility who more or less lived in the 
palace.  Dozens, maybe hundreds of nobles and their families lived full 
time or a large chunk of the year in the palace.  Past rulers had 
discovered the best way to keep the nobility out of trouble was to suck 
them into the royal palace and turn them into professional courtiers and 
bureaucrats so they wouldn't have time to run around feuding and 
brawling.  It was Luna's somewhat self-appointed job to make sure they 
did it in grace and style.

      It was thus greatly to her displeasure when she heard a loud shriek 
and the sound of running feet approaching.  Neither of these fit the 
model of proper etiquette.

      She turned around and saw Artemis running straight at her.  A few 
seconds later, she saw Apollo, the five year old son of the Elder Senshi 
Venus barrelling down the hallway after Artemis.  Lady Patience, the new 
Senshi-in-training Venus, and Princess Serenity were in hot pursuit of the 
child, who was somehow managing to outrace them.  Luna said, "Ahem.  
What is going on here?"

      They ignored her and ran right over her.  "AHEM! WHAT.  IS.  
GOING.  ON.  HERE?"

      Apollo said, "Artemis won't play with me!"

      Artemis said, "You've got to help me, Luna!  The kid's trying to 
kill me!  I wasn't made to be swung by the tail like a yo-yo!"

      Senshi-in-training Venus said, "Someone's been feeding this kid 
right...How can he run so fast?"  She tried to grab Apollo who dodged her.

      "Don't grab me.  You're NOT my mother!"  He spotted Luna.  "Pretty 
kitty!"  He dived for Luna, who dodged.

      "Grabbing the Royal Advisor is a violation of etiquette!"  Luna 
said.  Too late.  Apollo picked her up and started swinging her around by 
the tail.  

      "Pretty Kitty!"

      Venus and Patience managed to finally grab Apollo and Princess 
Serenity tried to get him to let go of Luna.  "Bad boy.  You're hurting her."

      Apollo writhed.  "You're NOT my mother!"  

      The last thing Luna saw was Apollo crushing her face into his 
chest.  "I love to play with kitties!"

****************************************************************************

     Luna shook her head.  Okay, things weren't ALWAYS better in the Moon 
Kingdom.  "Well, have you remembered anything new?"

     Naru sat down and thought hard.  "I had a nightmare about my family 
dying...It's probably just garbled memories of the destruction of the 
moon kingdom."

      Usagi nodded.  "I have nightmares about that sometimes."

      Luna nods.  "Who wouldn't?  It's one of the few things I remember 
very, very clearly."

     Naru said, "What happened to...my family?"

     Luna sighed.  "They died.  Everyone died.  Queen Serenity, Artemis, 
and I were the only survivors as far as I know, and Serenity sacrificed 
herself to ensure the future of those who fell.  Who knows...They might 
be your parents and relatives in this life."

     Naru smiled.  "I think so.  Well, if I'm meant to find them, I 
will.  Hmm.  Do any of you remember anyone like Steven in the Moon 
Kingdom?  It seems like so much repeats in so many ways..."

     Luna shrugged.  "Not everything repeats.  Senshi Venus had many 
boyfriends, but most of them never lasted very long.  Senshi Jupiter 
dated Lord Tranquility for two and a half years, but I haven't seen 
anyone who even vaguely reminds me of him.  It's the great loves..the 
truly powerful ones that transcend death.  And that's rare."

     Naru started slightly.  Usagi smiled.  "Well, we saw one example of 
that recently."  She squeezed Naru's shoulder.  "And to think you used to 
call him icky."

     Naru smiled faintly.  "Gee, I seem to remember someone else agreeing 
with me."

     Usagi smiled.  "Well, I didn't exactly hit it off with Mamoru at 
first sight either."

     Naru paused.  "They love us so much...It's scary.  It scares me.  I 
don't feel like I deserve that much devotion...Like I can live up to it.  
To have someone willing to give their life for me..."

     "Well, you'd do it for him, wouldn't you?"

     Naru didn't know how to respond.  "I just...I never...He has to 
live!  He has to!"  She started to shake.  "I couldn't bear to lose 
him...for good."

     Usagi hugged Naru.  "You'll be okay.  Umino's gonna be fine.  I can 
make him Minister of Earthworms and Computers when I'm Queen one day."

     Naru laughed.  "He'd love that.  Don't forget Ant Farms and War Games."

     They all laughed happily, troubles forgotten for a little while.

**************************************************************************

     Minako sat in Literature class with Jill and Eustace.  This class 
ranged from boring as snot to very interesting, depending on which books 
they were reading.  Right now, they were reading 'When the Legends Die', 
which Eustace had rechristened, 'When the Braincells Die'.  It was one of 
the most miserably boring books she'd ever read.  

     "Miss Harker, would you like to tell us the theme of this book?"  
Anderson-sensei asked.

     Minako sighed.  "Umm.  Life sucks, so go hunt something in the 
forest and kill it to vent your existential rage?"

     Anderson-sensei sighed.  "Do you even know what existential means?"

     "Umm.  Something caused by it...exist...uh...It sounded like 
something Ami-chan would say."

     "Honorifics are not used in that manner in English."

     "Uhh...Ami dear?  Ami honey?  Ami sugar?  That just doesn't sound 
right...  My close friend Ami, I guess."  Minako tinysweated.  I sound like 
she's my lover or something.

     Greg Brady laughed.  "She your girlfriend, Harker?"

     Everyone laughed.  Minako sank into her chair and tried to pretend 
she was dead.

**************************************************************************

     Usagi tried not to nod off in class.  Especially not her science 
class.  Nodding off usually meant Sensei either called on you or used you 
as an experiment to get your attention.  Unfortunately, she and Naru had 
stayed up until almost 1 AM, somehow eluding parental detection, and now 
she was zonked.  She could see Naru in the back, pushing up zs, and that 
destroyed whatever willpower she had to resist it. 

      She only woke up when she felt her hair moving, apparently of its 
own free will, upwards.  She started and realized her hair was trying to 
stand straight up.  Sensei was standing over her with a strange huge wand 
like thing with a metal ball on one end.  She could feel an odd tingle.

      "This is a Van der Graf generator.  It makes static electricity.  
Note how it makes Usagi's hair stand on end."  He moved the device, and 
one of her ponytails swung up into the air.  "It also seems to have woken 
her up."

     "Hey!  Don't mess up my hair!"

     Sensei smiled and put the device down.  "Now, from this we can see.."

     He continued to lecture, and this time, Usagi paid attention.  As 
the bell rang, she prepared to leave for her next class, but Sensei 
stopped her.  "I need to talk to you as soon as possible.  Can you come 
back here after school?"

     "I guess so.  I'm going to a dance tonight, but that won't be until 
later....I'm not in trouble for sleeping in class, am I?  I had to help 
my friend Naru last night and..."

     "Sleeping will be the least of your worries.  You'd better hurry so 
you make it to your next class."

     Usagi rushed off still worried.

****************************************************************************

     That afternoon, Usagi dropped by the lab.  It was eerily quiet, and 
she felt ever so slightly creeped out by the old man with his huge 
eyebrows and his labcoat, like some kind of mad scientist.  He was 
fiddling with some sort of odd device that looked like a demon possessed 
snow cone machine.  It kept whirring and flashing and it sounded like 
something was sloshing around inside it.

     Usagi said, "It's not going to explode, is it?"

     Sensei smiled.  "It will prevent us from being overheard.  Do you 
know an Aino Minako by any chance?"

     "Umm, yeah.  She's a friend of mine."

     Sensei said.  "Are you aware that her cat talks?"

     Usagi blinked.  "Uh...you mean Artemis?"

     "If that's her cat's name.  He and his ladyfriend, your cat, both talk."

     Usagi giggled.  "I don't think she'd appreciate being called his 
ladyfriend.  She really doesn't like him."

     Sensei looked at Usagi and wondered if she was trying to pretend she 
didn't know, or just hadn't quite been paying attention.  "True.  My 
videotape of them talking seems to have gone missing, but I did get that 
impression."

     Usagi choked.  "You...them...videotape?"

     "So you were aware."

     Usagi nodded, nervously.  "Uh...yeah."

     "Good.  Do you know if they're related?"

     "Uhh...only in a very distant sense, if at all."

     Sensei nodded.  Now we're making progress.  "I'd be interested in 
talking to them, see if they know anything about where their ancestors 
came from.  If they know anything about the Moon Kingdom."  

     Usagi coughed and got very, very, very nervous.  "M...Moon Kingdom?"

     "I take it they haven't told you about the Moon Kingdom?"

     "Uhhh..."

     Sensei took that for a no.  "I'm sorry I captured them like I 
did...I was trying to catch my pet...Old Tom went renegade a while back.  
I know your friend Aino Minako doesn't go to this school.  Could you put 
me in touch with her or tell her cat I'd like to talk to him again?"

     "I'll...ahh, do that."

     "I had a second reason for calling you in here...oh yes.  From your 
kirlian reading the other day, I believe you might have psychic 
potential.  A great deal.  With the proper training, you might be very 
powerful one day.  I could try to help you..."

     Usagi smiled.  "You sound just like Luna, except she'd go on to say 
how lazy I am and..."  Well, I just let that cat out of the bag for sure...

     "So Luna has been trying to teach you to tap your psychic potential?"

     Usagi laughed nervously.  "You could...say that."

     "Has she had any luck?"

     "Uh...yeah, you could say that..."

     "Could you give me a demonstration?"

     Usagi stared at her wrist.  "Oh, look at the time...I have an 
appointment with my...uh...I have to wash my hair for the dance and get 
all the static electricity out!"  She sprinted off.

     It was at this point that Sensi realized Usagi had been wearing an 
odd star-shaped watch.  It seemed to him he'd seen something like that 
somewhere...another student?  This would bear investigating.

***********************************************************************

    Umino sat nervously in the kitchen, while Naru got dressed up.  Mrs. 
Osaka sat nearby.  "So how have things been going with you, Umino-kun?"

     He laughed faintly.  "Just fine."  If you don't count worrying about 
monsters trying to kill Naru and my friends all being superheroes.  

     "I'm glad Naru is dating such a nice boy as you.  This city has 
gotten so dangerous lately, but I know she's safe when she's with you."

     He blinked.  "What..makes you say that?  I mean...it's not like I'm 
going to put her in danger...but..."

     "You're a good boy, Umino-kun.  I know you'll do your best to keep 
her safe, and I know I can trust you to be with her.  That's important.  
There's a lot of guys who would take advantage of a pretty young girl 
like my daughter.  Even if she stays at your house until 1 AM, I know 
nothing bad is happening."

     Umino sighed.  Maybe if I was a little bolder...Although it is nice 
to be trusted.  "Thanks, Mrs. Osaka."

     "You remind me of her father at your age."

     He blinked.  "Really?"

     "Yeah.  He wanted to be a famous scientist.  He studied all the 
time in school.  I could hardly believe I was going out with someone 
like him...but he was so sweet."  She paused.  "I guess history repeats 
itself sometimes."

     "Well, I promise not to do the dying part."  Not again...I hope.

     She laughed faintly.  "That's good of you."

     Naru finally came downstairs.  It was time to go.


***********************************************************************

     Ami and Noriko stepped out into the hallway, on their way to meet 
everyone else to head to the dance.  "So who IS your mystery date, 
'Ri-chan?"  With effort, Noriko had finally gotten Ami to call her that.

     "He's really cool!  You'll like him!"  They started down the 
hallway.  "He's someone you know!"

     They headed off down the hallway and were surprised to hear an 
argument raging loudly enough to be heard through the door.  It was 
coming from Himeko's room.  "Why won't she give up?  She's the most 
insanely persistent person I've ever met!"  Ami recognized that as 
Nonohara Himeko.

      Kobayashi Daichi was next.  "Well, she's not the only one...I wouldn't 
have gotten that bike if I realized half the girls in the school would 
want to ride on it."

      A third voice spoke, male.  Ami didn't recognize it.  "It's too 
dangerous anyway."

      "It is not too dangerous!"

      They could hear the two men ranting back and forth at each other.  
Noriko shrugged.  "He has a cool bike."  She started ranting about various 
aspects of motorcycles which were mostly beyond Ami's sphere of 
interests.  She wasn't planning to be a mechanic.  This kept Noriko busy 
until they finally reached the lobby of the building.  Ami spotted Haruka 
sitting there.  "Hello, Haruka-kun.   Where's your date, Noriko?"

      Noriko rushed over to Haruka.  "Right here!"

      Haruka got up, looking a bit embarrassed.  "Uh, hi, Ami-chan."

      Ami raised an eyebrow.  "Where's Michiru-san?"

      Haruka sighed.  "She's off filming some music video with..."  
Haruka's voice took on a distinct note of distaste.  "This rich guy who 
is in her music class with her.  Named Yuu."

      Ami smiled faintly.  Sounded like something that would happen to 
Usagi and Mamoru.  "Well, I hope you enjoy dancing as much as we do...I 
don't have a date, so I guess we'll have to share."

      Haruka laughed faintly.  "Might as well get in as much trouble as I 
can while I'm stockpiling it...Let's go, ladies."

***********************************************************************

     Makoto walked another circle into the carpet.  I can't believe I let 
Umino set me up with a blind date for this dance.  I must be insane.  If 
I'm lucky, he at least won't bring a pet earthworm with him.  She was 
wearing a nice blue dress, which she worried might be too nice.  Or not 
nice enough.  
 
     There was a knock on the door.  She sprang over and opened it.  A 
nicely dressed, somewhat bishonen young man with short red hair stood 
there.  He had a bouquet of roses and violets, which he handed to 
Makoto.  His voice was a little bit cold and he had an odd accent.  
"Hello, my name is Chester.  You're Makoto?"

     She smiled.  He didn't look like a geek.  He even brought me a 
gift.  This might be fun after all.  "Hai.  Let's go!  I think the others 
are probably there already."

     They took off in a hurry, with Makoto dragging Chester along.

***************************************************************************

     The Moon Hill Gymnasium was crowded with students, most from Moon 
Hill, but some from other schools.  The special committee to pick the 
theme for the first spring dance had argued for weeks over a theme.  Many 
ideas had been suggested:  Love, American Style, Spring Sock hop, Can't 
Stop Doing the Monkey, The Black Plague, Enchantment under the Sea, Zinc 
Oxide and You, Space Viking Vixen Women from Venus, The Progressive Era, 
and The First Spring Dance.  After extensive argument, the sole remaining 
conscious committee member had selected the theme "Our Gym Covered in 
Crepe Paper."  

      The Gym looked like a veritable fantasia of pastel crepe paper.  
You couldn't move five inches without hearing crinkling noises.  It was 
like a bad acid trip, without the giant chickens gnawing on your leg and 
trying to sell you insurance.  It was kind of pretty, and you weren't 
there to stare at the walls, anyway.  

      The place was packed when Rei, Usagi, Umino, Mamoru, and Naru 
arrived.  Mamoru looked pretty nervous.  "Everyone looks so young."

      Usagi was glomped onto his arm.  "Come on, Mamo-chan, this is going 
to be fun."

      Mamoru sighed.  One of the problems of dating a high school student 
was being around other high school students.  He'd had enough of that 
when he was in high school.  Still, you have to take the good with the 
bad, he thought.  They're not all awful, anyway.  He simply smiled 
suavely as the teacher guarding the door gave him a funny look.  He led 
Usagi out onto the dance floor.  "Let's dance."

      Pretty soon, Umino and Naru were out on the floor as well, though 
everyone had to give Umino a wider berth.  Those who did not soon came to 
regret it.

      Rei sighed and looked for someone cute she could manuever into 
asking her to dance.  I should have asked Yuuiichiro to come, she 
thought.  I should have known this would happen.  

      To her surprise, suddenly someone grabbed her and spun her out onto 
the dancefloor.  Once she got her bearings, she saw it was Steven, who 
smiled.  "You looked kind of lonely there."

      "Shouldn't you be dancing with Minako?"

      He pointed to where Minako, Jill, and Eustace were getting some 
punch and cookies from the snack table.  "We've been here for an hour.  
We were starting to think you wouldn't show."

      "Well, Usagi got home late, then spent two hours trying on 
everything in her closet five times."

      He nodded.  "That's right.  You're staying at her place.  How's it 
going?"

      "With effort, I've managed to keep my sanity...so far."

*****************************************************************

      M sat in his office and frowned.  Now the girl was eating cookies 
and discussing inane teenager things with her little friends.  No 
xeno-activity, either.  I'd almost rather be watching COPS, he thought.  
On second thought, no.  He sighed.  It was then that the alarms from the 
magical energy detectors in the gymnasium began to go off.

      He silently triggered an alert to the security men he had hidden in 
the area.  Well, at least maybe NOW I'll see what's going on.

*******************************************************************

     Chester and Makoto spun across the dance floor.  She's really good, 
he thought.  He's really good, she thought.  Makoto lost herself in the 
dancing.  Chester had been a perfect gentleman so far, maybe a little too 
perfect.  He was a little cold, which Makoto didn't like, though it was 
better than him being too nerdy or boring or groping.  

      Maybe he's just nervous, she thought.  I'm sure he'll get 
friendlier once he gets over the jitters.  They promenaded across the 
floor.  Everyone seemed to being doing twenty different dances.  Whoever had 
picked the music seemed to be...well, to have a wide range of tastes.  
They had played everything from modern pop to big band music.  

      Makoto loved to dance, but rarely got to.  Most guys didn't know 
half the dances she did.  Her mother had been a dance instructor, and she 
had taught her daughter as much as she was willing to learn, and that had 
been quite a bit.  Chester only knew about half the dances she tried to 
get him to do, but he seemed willing to learn, unlike a lot of guys.

      "So you're from England?"  Makoto asked Chester.

      He nodded.  "Yes.  I'm here on an exchange program."

      "Like Minako's boyfriend, Steven.  Do you...That's a silly 
question, I guess.  England's a big place and..."

      He frowned.  "Steven Grant?"

      "You do know him?"

      Chester sighed.  "I can't seem to get away from him.  At least he 
isn't dating my sister anymore, not that SHE seems to be able to 
understand that."

      "Your sister is Polly?"

      "I take it that you've met her?"

      "Minako complains about her a lot."

      "Please give her my apologies.  I sometimes think I should lock 
Polly up at nights."  He sighed.  "Let's talk about something else.  I 
didn't come here to have to think about my sister."  He paused.  "You're 
a really good dancer."

      Makoto smiled, and was about to reply when the yelling started.

*******************************************************************

      Ami went over to find her friends while Noriko and Haruka were 
jitterbugging together.  She's good, Haruka thought.  Noriko was fast and 
strong, despite not looking physically impressive.  She was also one of 
the best dancers Haruka had ever seen.  She seemed to know every dance 
Haruka did or could pick it up in minutes.  She was kinda heavy, though 
again she didn't look it.  

      Haruka spun Noriko about, then did a lift.  Several people 
applauded.  Haruka smiled.  I wish Michiru was here.  A pang of guilt hit 
her, then she shoved it aside.  I'm not doing anything wrong.  We're just 
having a little fun.

      As she and Noriko moved into an intricate move known as 
'doughnuts', there was a sudden shout from across the gymnasium.  She 
heard screaming and saw a gang of punks over by the snack table.  One of 
them had grabbed Jill, a second one had Eustace.  She recognized them.  
The Bradies.  There as some sort of odd glow coming from over there.  
Haruka frowned.  "What's that weird..."

     "Fire."  Noriko said.  "That's the kind of light an open flame makes."

     Haruka blinked.  "Fire?"  She paused.  "I've got to go help my friends."

     Noriko nodded.  "I'll help."  They started running over there, and 
saw a group of burly men in suits approaching the teens.  "Then again, 
maybe the teachers are going to break it up.  Must be the coaches."

     One of the Bradies turned and hurled fire at the men in suits, 
sending them running.  

     Noriko paused.  "A pyrokinetic.  Amazing!"

     Haruka turned to Noriko.  "Noriko-chan, get out of here.  I've got 
to..."  Noriko was already in motion, moving towards the punks.  Haruka 
spotted one of the punks tossing Ami across the room.  

     "Mi'-chan!"  Noriko shouted.  Now she looked angry.  

     Haruka swore.  Great, my date is completely insane.  She hesitated 
for a second, then ducked into the shadows and tried to transform as 
quietly as she could.  No one here knows who I am, anyway.

     Sailor Uranus charged out and assessed the situation.  She could see 
students streaming away from the snack table area.  The crepe paper was 
starting to ignite.  The whole place would be a blazing inferno pretty 
quickly.  She saw Makoto heft and toss one of the Bradies.  Minako 
smacked one of them in the face with the cake.  Since when did these 
morons have mystic powers, Uranus wondered.

     "Disrupting student dances is really mean, especially when you set 
everyone's hard work on fire!  I am SAILOR MOON!  I fight for love and 
justice, and I will punish you in the name of the moon!"  Sailor Moon 
appeared out of the fleeing crowd, making her usual speech and posing 
frantically.  Tuxedo Kamen simply hurled a rose into the spreading fire.  
It went out.  Six sailors plus Tuxedo Kamen versus these idiots, Uranus 
thought.  No contest, assuming the inners don't play around as usual.

      She saw Noriko hauling Ami towards an exit.  Okay, five senshi, 
Uranus thought.  Sailor Mars now appeared and struck a pose, making a 
speech as one of the Bradies hurled blue flame at her.  She countered 
with a Burning Mandala, blocking the attack.  

      Why am I just standing here, she thought.  She charged forward.  
"Invited by a new age, I am Sailor Uranus!"  she shouted to get their 
attention.  It did.  A blonde girl with her hair tied back in two 
braids turned and shot a lightning bolt at Uranus, who dodged to one 
side.  Someone's given these punks power. They sure didn't do anything 
like this the last time, Uranus thought.  She leaped high and came down 
on the girl, knocking her to the ground.  She started pounding the kid's 
head against the gymnasium floor.  

      Everything seemed to be going well, until the girl suddenly stood 
up, sending Uranus flying.  Her skin had taken on a yellowish tint, and 
she seemed to be sprouting fangs.  Either she's been bathing in toxic 
waste or this is about to get messy, Uranus thought.

**************************************************************************

     M swore.  He turned on channel five on the intercom.  "We need an 
attack squad.  We've got exo-possessed students on the loose.  They 
trashed security.  Get a squad here as soon as you can."

     The voice was grim.  "They're on the way."

     M sighed.  This isn't going to look good on my permanent record.

**************************************************************************

     Minako interposed herself between the increasingly more monstrous 
Bradies and Jill and Eustace.  "RUN!"

     "We can't leave you here!"

     Before she could reply, a blazing beam of light from Greg tossed 
Jill and Eustace against the wall, knocking them out and settling the 
issue.  Peter grinned.  "And now for you!"

     Makoto looked around.  No more witnesses.  No time to go run and 
hide, anway.  "JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"  She transformed.  Time to 
kick some butt, she thought.  She punted one of the incredible 
transforming Brady-monsters into a huge crepe paper mockup of the Love 
Boat.  That's two threats to humanity eliminated, she thought.  Then the 
Brady-Monster got back up.  Well, one threat, anyway...

     Minako transformed to Sailor Venus and tried to get Jill and Eustace 
out while she still could...

*************************************************************************

     Noriko sat down on the curb with Ami, who was starting to wake up.  
"You okay, 'mi-chan?"  

     Ami mumbled something, blinked, then said, "How did I get out here?"

     Noriko said, "I carried you out, 'mi-chan.  The Sailor Senshi are 
fighting some monsters in there."  She paused.  "We'd better find 
Haruka-kun.  I hope he got out okay."

     "I've got to go and..."  Ami got up and started to run, then 
realized Noriko was holding onto her.  

     Noriko kept a firm grip, saying, "The senshi can handle it just 
fine.  We've got to find everyone and make sure they're okay."

     "But the...I mean..."  Ami bigsweated as Noriko dragged her through 
the milling mob of panicked students.  I never realized Noriko was this 
strong, she thought.

***********************************************************************

     The fight wasn't going so well.  Jupiter and Venus had taken a 
battering before transforming, Mercury was AWOL, and Sailor Moon was 
doing more running away than fighting.  At least Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor 
Mars are pulling their weight,  Uranus thought.  Mars had taken down one 
Brady, and they had managed to herd the rest into a tight group.  Uranus 
got ready to blow them away.

     "You can't just blast them!  We have to turn them back to normal!  
Someone must have done this to them!"  Sailor Moon yelled to Uranus.

     "You're the one who heals people.  HEAL them, then!"

     Sailor Moon got out her Sceptre.  It was at this moment that the 
Bradies set all the crepe paper on fire.  The Sailors had to scatter, 
running desperately through the flames, trying to not get burnt up.  
Sailor Mars swore loudly, as did Uranus.  

     The Bradies charged through the flames, oblivious to them.  The 
fight resumed in earnest.

*************************************************************************

     Chester found Polly at one of the doors of the gymnasium, watching 
the fight.  "I should have known this was your fault."

     Polly, oblivious to Chester's presence said, "Kick her while she's 
down!", cheering on a Brady who was kicking a knocked down Sailor Venus.

     Chester grabbed Polly's shoulder.  "Polly!"

     She started.  "What are you doing here?"

     "I had a date.  You ruined it.  I'm not happy."

     "Why aren't you with your date, then?"

     "Because I lost her in the crowd, I could just smell this was your 
fault, and now we're going to fix it."

     "I didn't..."

     "I could sense they have some of our power.  WHAT have you done?"

     Polly decided to spill the beans.  Chester decided that locking 
Polly in the closet on a regular basis would be a good thing.

****************************************************************************

     Umino hustled Naru through the crowd.  "I hope they're all going to 
be okay."

     I wish I could help, Naru thought.  "I'm sure they will."  She 
looked around through the mob and spotted Noriko and Ami.  "Hey, Ami!"

     Noriko dragged Ami over.  "Has anyone seen 'ka-kun?  I can't find 
him!"  She paused.  "Or Mina-chan or..."  She paused again.  "I hope 
everyone is okay."

      Ami twitched.  "Well, I was going to go look for them, but..."

      "You were going to try and do some crazy heroic thing.  You had 
that look.  I KNOW that look."  Noriko paused.  "And you'd just get 
yourself hurt."  She looked around.  "I think that's what happened to 
'ka-kun.  Stay here.  I'm going to go find 'ka-kun."  She ran towards the 
sound of explosions, vanishing into the smoke.

      Ami sighed.  "So you're going to do something crazy instead."  She 
turned to the others, "I'll be back."

      Naru nodded.  "We'll wait at the bus stop."

      Ami ran off to do her duty.

****************************************************************************

     Uranus kicked a Brady monster into a pillar, breaking the pillar, 
but not the now seven foot tall scaly quasi-female creature.  It howled 
something incoherent and hurled flames at her.  She dodged.  The crepe 
paper had burned away quickly, but now the roof was on fire.  The whole 
building was going to burn.  She could sense it.  She saw the other 
senshi heading out the backdoor into the playing fields.  She followed, 
leading the monster outside.  

     The brawl was still in progress.  Stray shots were starting to set 
the rest of the school on fire too.  Uranus thought for a moment.  
Whoever transformed these punks must be around here somewhere.  She 
paused.  Oh god, what if it's that...whatever transformed all those 
people downtown...We might not have gotten all of them.  Where are 
Setsuna and Hotaru, anyway, she wondered.

      She heard a voice shouting, "'ka-kun!  Where are you?"

      Uranus sighed.  Crazy kid.  I can't run herd over her and fight 
these monsters at the same time.  "Get out of here, kid!  This is dangerous."

      Noriko emerged from the smoke.  "'ka-kun!  Can you hear me?"

      Uranus started to shout out something to get her to go away when 
she heard a roar behind her.  The Brady monster she had been fighting 
charged in on her, grabbed her, and tossed her into the nearby soccer 
net.  As she tried to disentangle herself, the monster wiggled its arms 
and prepared to fling more fire at her.

      To her surprise, the creature suddenly fell down, unconscious.  
Noriko stood over it.  "Have you seen a tall cute blond guy, about this 
tall..."  Noriko gestured, raising her hand over her head.

      Uranus looked at the monster who was out cold.  What the hell?  She 
stared at Noriko.  Could she be a Senshi?

      Noriko paused in her monologue on 'ka-kun.  "Is there something on 
my shirt?"

      "How did you..."

      She blinked.  "I just punched it in the head.  I guess you haven't 
seen 'ka-kun, then?"

      "Are you Noriko?"  Time for a little white lie.  I'll investigate 
this later.

       She nodded.  "Hai!"

       "He said to wait for him at the car.  I think he went to call the 
police."

       "Thanks!"  She ran off.

       Uranus sighed.  This was a weird night.

**************************************************************************

     Finally, they managed to knock out all the Bradies.  At that very 
moment, two flying figures appeared.  Both were red haired, wearing 
tightfighting blue bodysuits.  One was male, the other female.  The male 
spoke.  "Okay, do it."

     Sailor Moon looked up at them.  "Do what?"

     The man and woman held hands and concentrated.  Nothing happened.  
The man frowned.  "Good job, P.  Did you use Superglue or something?"

     Sailor Uranus frowned.  "YOU did this?"

     The man shook his head.  "SHE did this.  And now SHE is going to 
undo it, or SHE will be locked in the closet until she is thirty."

     "She deserved it!"  Gemini-P shouted.

     "We do not make petty use of our powers."

     "Who are you?"  said Sailor Mercury, who ran in, finally finding the 
others.

     "We are Gemini, much as it pains me to claim Gemini-P at the moment."

     "Zodiac!"  Sailor Mars shouted.  She looked very angry. 

     Gemini-C shrugged.  "Perhaps it will take both of us to fix this.  
Given you seem to be unable to fix your own mess, P."

     Sailor Moon got tired of waiting, and simply waggled her sceptre 
over the kids.  "Moon HEALING ESCALATION!".  They swiftly 
reverted to normal.  

     As the sounds of fire trucks and police sirens filled the air, 
Gemini-C sighed, grabbed Gemini-P and vanished.  A few seconds later, the 
Sailors took off, and a few seconds after that the security squad finally 
arrived, just in time to find a bunch of knocked out Bradies.  It wasn't 
a good day to be a Brady.

**************************************************************************

     Haruka and Ami walked over to Haruka's car together and found Noriko 
waiting there.  "Hi, 'ka-kun!  Looks like the cops finally made it."  
There were cops and security and fire trucks and everything everywhere.  

     Haruka nodded.  "I'm sorry I got lost on you."

     She smiled faintly.  "Well, I got to meet one of the Sailor Senshi!  
I guess you did too."

     Ami looked over at Haruka who laughed faintly.  "You could say 
that.  Come on, let me take you home."

     They were soon on their way.

****************************************************************************

     Usagi, Umino, Naru, Rei and Mamoru eventually managed to rendevous and 
headed home in Mamoru's car. Makoto stayed behind to help Minako and 
Steven get their friends home.  As they helped Jill and Eustace onto the 
bus, Minako said, "Hey, wait...what happened to your date, Makoto?"

     She gave out a short cry.  "I've got to go find him!"  She ran off 
as the bus pulled away.  The crowd was dispersing.  She never did find 
him, but she did get a phone call from him the next day...

****************************************************************************

     "Moon Hill Leveled by Explosions.  Principal forced to resign.  
Gang of Children found on scene.  Film at eleven,"  The news announcer 
said during a quick news flash the next night.  Minako said, "So where am 
I going to go to school now?"

     Her father said, "Well, they called and told us your school would be 
shut down for months.  We've decided to send you to Tsunami, where you 
had asked us to send you before.  Apparently, Tsunami is hiring some of 
the teachers who will be out of work with Moon Hill shut down, including 
all the English Teachers."

     Minako said, "All of them?"

     "So you'll be able to keep up with your English."

     Minako ran out of the room screaming.

     "I just don't understand kids these days."

****************************************************************************

     Jill and Eustace helped Minako haul her stuff into the dormitory.  
The commute from her home to her dormitory would have been pretty long, 
so she had talked her parents into letting her live on campus.  Jill and 
Eustace's respective parents were shipping them off to another school, 
but they had enough free time before they started there to give Minako a 
hand.  "Wow, this place looks nice,"  Jill said.

     Minako checked her room number.  "Hey, I'm right down the hall from 
Ami!"

     She opened the door to her new room.  "Anyone home?"

     The room had been decorated in Early modern stuffed dolls, it 
seemed.  Actually, there weren't more than a half dozen or so, but they 
seem to have spread out and taken control of the room.  Half the room 
looked barren, while the other half was over run with books, the stuffed 
dolls, posters, a television set, a Playstation, and dozens of other 
items.  There was a big poster of some idol band called SMAP over the 
bed, a bit ragged and torn but clearly much loved.  The poster's owner 
was sitting on the bed, doing math homework.  She sat up.  "Minako-chan, 
you're my new roommate?"  Himeko smiled.  

      "Hai!  This is going to be so cool!"  Minako smiled.  "These are 
two friends of mine from my old school..."  The introductions began and 
soon another fun afternoon was in progress.

      Far away, evil beings took the afternoon off.  It was just too nice 
a day to be evil.  

****************************************************************************

Artemis Says:

Artemis:  Well, the moral of our story today was...

[Minako, Naru, and Umino enter with a huge wheel with an arrow that 
resembles the wheel from wheel of fortune turned on its side.]

Minako:  We have a better idea!

Umino:  My brilliant invention will solve the necessity of finding a 
moral in every episode.

Naru:  It's called...

All of them in Unison:  THE WHEEL OF MORALITY!

Artemis:  Hey, that's a violation of copyright!

Umino:  This entire story is a violation of copyright.

Artemis:  Good point.

Minako:  [spins the wheel]  Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn.  Tell us 
the Lesson that we must learn.

[The wheel spins and stops at...]

Naru:  [reads the moral]  Never sleep with anyone crazier than you.

Minako:  That's a good moral.

Artemis:  Well, you'd have problems if you lived by that rule, 
Mina-chan.  Why I...

Minako:  [red aura of anger around her]  Today's Moral:  Don't mess with 
MINAKO!  

[She chases Artemis off screen.  We hear yelping noises.]

Naru:  It just goes to show the old saying is true.

Umino:  What old saying?

Naru:  You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but the smell 
of blue is hard to get out of the carpet.

Umino:  Say goodnight, Naru.

Naru:  Goodnight, Naru.

[The end]

Author's Afterword:

Well, this one got kinda held up by me writing a thirteen part story at 
the same time as it...:)

Here ya go, Jeff.  Your turn on the hot seat :)

John Biles
December 16, 1996.