How long do we have to wait?
Namida curled up into a ball, counting the seconds as they went by. She would do this while she was waiting for her sister's reply. Every time, she'd count the seconds, as they drifted through space, safely inside a crystal asteroid.
I can see it, Namida. We're almost there.
One... two... three... four...
It's so lonely here, Sora.
Five... six... seven... eight...
I know. But we're almost there. Don't worry. The Queen wouldn't send us on this mission if we wouldn't get there in time.
Nine... ten... eleven... twelve...
I know, Sora... we're falling.
Namida, it's so scary!
The Queen told us not to be afraid.
Namida! Sora was crying now. Namida, I'm scared!
Everything will be okay.
Namida!
It was late at night when the twin crystal asteroids hit the center of Juuban District, side by side in a grassy park. Almost everyone was awakened by the blast - everyone except our heroine, Tsukino Usagi, who could sleep through a hurricane if she wanted to.
"Usagi!"
"...Luna, go away, I'm... sleeping," Usagi drooled a little.
"USAGI!" Scratch!
"Ow, my face. Luna!" Usagi growled.
"Nevermind your face, did you hear that crash?"
"No..."
"Two crystal meteorites were seen crashing into the Earth, right here in the park. We need to go investigate this. It could be the Dark Kingdom!"
Usagi rubbed her eyes. "It's been two months since we defeated Galaxia... are you sure you didn't just dream that? Because it's three in the morning... and I'm tired," Usagi yawned.
"This is no time to be tired! We need to go, now come on!"
But when Usagi and Luna had gotten there, everything was gone. There was a crater in the earth, but no crystals, nothing.
"That's strange," Usagi pondered, when a familiar hand touched her shoulder. Even still, Usagi jumped out of her skin.
"What, kitten? It's just me." Haruka smiled boyishly. The other scouts rushed up behind them, bewildered by the scene.
"I'll start running some tests," Ami said, taking out her little computer.
"Do you think..." Usagi didn't even have to finish her sentence.
"I don't know," Haruka replied, "But whatever it is, let's just hope it's not that bad."
The other scouts were standing around them, staring into the crater - and two pairs of eyes were staring at them.
"To think those are the ones," Namida whispered to Sora.
"Maybe they're not," Sora shrugged.
"Hm?"
Rei looked up at the tree. "I just heard people talking," she pointed up to the tree.
"Namida...?" Sora asked, nervousness in her voice.
"Sora, hush," Namida growled. "We do not need to be found."
"But they're looking at us..." Sora started to shake, shaking the branch they were both on.
"Sora, be careful, you're going to get us -"
"Aku, ryo, tai, san!" Rei's ofuda flew in between their heads, causing Sora to fall out of the tree immediately. Namida sighed, and jumped down next to her.
"What were you doing up there?!" Rei asked, angrily, causing Sora's eyes to well up with tears. The two children of the meteor were about ten years old, Sora's pink and blue pigtails giving away their age. Namida's hair, however, was long, red and black, her black eyes in perfect contrast with her pale skin.
"We were climbing a tree," Namida replied innocently, "and we got stuck for a while. Our mommy is probably worrying about us. Come on, Sora!" Namida grabbed Sora's arm as she was bawling and proceeded to drag her away.
"We could at least walk you home, it's dangerous around this time," Ami said worriedly, stepping forward.
"No, no, we're okay, we promise, bye!" Namida rushed off into the darkness, with a crying Sora being dragged in the wind behind her.
"That was extremely strange," Makoto remarked.
"Do you think they have something to do with the Dark Kingdom, Artemis?" Minako asked.
"I don't know," Artemis replied, "But we'd better keep on our toes."
"I can't get a reading on this," Ami said, closing up her computer.
"Well, I think it's time we all go to bed - we have school in the morning. Good night!" Usagi started walking back to her house.
"For once, Odango-Head's right - there's nothing we can do." Ami yawned. "Good night. Maybe we'll figure out something else about this tomorrow."