First Love: Chapter 2 Blast from the past

by LouEthelip

Mina's behaving wierd, Artemis is behaving quite defensive. Could a figure from her past be the cause? Working to finish this sometime this year I hope. See First Love: Chapter One also.

Chapter 2: Blast From The Past

"This is your captain speaking. We are making our decent into Tokyo International Airport where the skies are clear and 28 degrees Celsius. Please prepare for landing by putting your trays up and returning your seats to their full upright positions. For the crew of United Airlines let us thank you for flying the friendly skies and hope that you will fly with us in the future."

The news was greeting by Shawn Foley as he looked at some notes on a mini scratch pad. It was the itinerary for his upcoming visit to Tokyo. It had been planned out long ago and he knew it by heart yet he found relaxation in reading it. The first item was that he was suppose to stay on the plane when it connected with the terminal, that transportation had been arranged to meet him next to the plane to avoid possibly causing a mob scene at the airport. Continuing to look at the schedule he realized that there would be little time for sightseeing or anything else. The only way he'd get any time off was if something unusual happened. As the most recognized figure of the troupe he was always the first choice of anything that was happening. For the most part he didn't mind the attention but now that the group was going to Tokyo there was something special he really wanted to do. Now he doubted he would have the opportunity and that thought depressed him.

Shawn felt a prodding on his right shoulder, turned his head and looked at the concerned face of his fellow Laff Factory member Jack "Gator" Gainer.

"What's the matter mate? You look like someone just died." ,he spoke in his heavy Australian accent.

"Just nerves I guess. After all this is the first...",he started answering before realizing where he was whispered," Well this will be the first place built outside of England. I want it to go well."

"Is that all? Something tells me you have a lot more on your mind than just business. Something in the area of pleasure perhaps?" ,he teased.

Shawn looked sternly at his counterpart letting him know that he did not appreciate the comment. Only when Jack's eye's turned away unsure what to say next did he go back to looking at his list. Hearing some giggling across the aisle Shawn looked and saw the other three members of the group. Terri Hearst and Susan Hawk were gossiping back and forth. The material of their conversation had to be on the subject of guys, and the discussion must have been of a very personal nature judging from the blushes of Brian Coe the only true British gentleman of the group.

The sounds of the airplane flaps going down indicated that the plane has begun its decent. Leaning back into his seat Shawn put away the note pad in his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses which he placed on his face. Taking a deep sigh he tried to relax by thinking pleasant thoughts.

The doors of The Laff Factory were locked, the windows secured but for the four sisters it was easy to break into the building. Using the teleportation mirrors of the spaceship they appeared on the upper balcony of the building. Looking around, the foursome tried to get their bearings of the building.

"Avery, Prisma. Check the lower level and see what we can do." ,Catsy ordered

The pair nodded and moved away while Birdy and Catsy moved through the rows of chairs on the upper level chatting as they went down. The pair looked up, down, through each row patrolling the space.

"So this is The Laff Factory. I'm a little disappointed. I had this image of a comedy cathedral and this hardly looks the part." ,Birdy perceived.

"Yes, appearances are deceiving. According to Rubeus though, this little facility became very popular and as its popularity increased so did the amount of positive energy that came from it. We stop it now and we change the future." ,Catsy stated.

"I still think we should have simply burned it to the ground." ,Birdy quibbled.

"Rubeus already explained it to us. If we just burn it down then they'll just rebuild it and we'll had to do what we are doing now. No, we have to not only destroy this place his way, we have to make sure that nobody will ever want to build it again. This dream must die before it is ever born."

The pair reached the front of the balcony to observe where Prisma and Avery had moved to the stage area. Moving back and forth on the stage they kept glancing towards where the audience would be seated. From the balcony the other two observed closely. After several strides across the stage the pair looked up to the balcony. Prizma looked up and shouted.

"We'll have to do this from the balcony. If we try this from the main level then there is a chance he could see what's coming out of the corner of his eye. From the balcony he won't see it coming. Its too high up."

"Are you sure about that?" ,Catsy queried.

"Yes, quite sure." ,Prizma responded

"That does seem to be the best way" ,Avery confirmed.

"All right. Lets get to work." ,Catsy instructed.

Serena's excited screeching nearly shattered the eardrums of all those nearby. All the scouts with the exception of Mina and Artemis were there.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I can't believe it! You're going to meet Shawn Foley! I can't believe it."

"Yeah I know. When Grandfather told me the news I couldn't believe it. They want us to bless the building. US!", Rei responded with equal excitement.

"Well do you need any help? I'm sure you'll be able to find plenty of volunteers. You know. Carrying stuff, maybe even be part of the ceremony?" ,Lita offered trying to invent a means for her and the others to see Shawn Foley live and in person.

Rei's smile started to disappear. In the excitement that became contagious from her friends she almost forgot the news she had to tell them. Summoning the courage to share the bad news she spoke.

"I wish I could but...the instructions we were given are very specific. Only Grandpa, Chad and myself can go. We are not allowed to ask for autographs, or bother any members who might be there. If we break the agreement then the whole thing will be called off and we are getting a very generous donation for this. This is a big deal to grandpa because he wants to bring attention to the temple and there will be a photo shoot involved. It could mean a lot of publicity for the temple. If I blow this for him it would be devastating. As much as I want to meet Shawn and the others I must do this as instructed."

The excitement was replaced by the disappointment of Rei's words but all the girls knew what the Cherry Hills Temple meant to her grandfather. He had dedicated all his life to this temple, it was the only material possession that he ever cared about so he would be able to serve others, to offer blessings and good news. For all the quirks, and odd behavior the elderly man displayed, in this part of his life he was totally dedicated.

"REI! Where are you! Have you gotten the incense yet or are you still chatting with your friends?" ,Rei's grandfather yelled from the outside of the modest temple.

Rei shrinked a bit knowing that her grandfather was wise to her movements. Very little ever escaped his eyes, and he was very old school. Take care of business first and only then is the luxury of friends allowed. Shrugging her shoulders in a 'what can I do' fashion she went to a storage area where the long sticks of incense were stored and selected the appropriate fragrance for the ceremony they were about to perform. Placing them into a long pouch Rei started to run out the door where she bumped into Mina.

"Mina! I'm sorry. Can't stay though. Got to run." ,Rei tried to excuse herself as she hurried to her grandfathers and Chad so they could leave for the trip to The Laff Factory.

Getting up Mina looked dumbfounded as to what just happened and inquired as to Rei's uncharacteristic panic. The others explain the turn of events. When the words 'Laff Factory' came up Mina stiffened a bit. Lita, and Serena were too busy explaining everything to notice but it wasn't missed by Ami. The brains of the group assumed that like the others she too wanted to go but could not. Serena shrugged her shoulders

"Oh well since we can't go with Rei let's go to the ice cream store.", she offered.

"Works for me.", Lita agreed

"Well...maybe for a little while. I should go back home and study for the test I've got it trigonometry.", Ami responded.

"How about you Mina? Want to come?" ,Lita inquired.

For a moment Mina considered going with them. Then declined.

"I better not. I'm still trying to lose weight from that meal at your house. Besides there are a couple of things I should be doing today anyway."

As they parted ways Artemis had a premonition that his lady friend was about to do something incredibly stupid.

Rei stood in front of the van guarding the contents within while her grandfather and Chad brought some of the heavier equipment inside. Her grandfather could have stood guard but he was never one to simply stand around and do nothing. Telling him to take it easy wouldn't work. He refused to ever be thought of as helpless even at his advanced age. She tried to stop worrying after he successfully started an aerobic's/martial arts course. If he guarded the van he would have been more than a match to anybody who tried to mess with him.

The choice of Rei also seemed illogical at first glance. After all a women, especially such a young one being left behind to protect the belongings? Rei kept her eyes focused on anybody who started getting too close to the van. She fixed them with an intense stare. One so fierce that it seemed to scream to all to not mess with this lady.

The most logical choice would have been Chad. He was strong, young, and appeared to be the most manly and macho but in truth he was the weak link of the threesome so the job was left to Rei.

Standing at the door of the van in her red and white priestess attire she saw a long black limousine pulled up in front of The Laff Factory. The reporters who had already arrived surrounded the car, flashbulbs popping and reporters screaming questions before the chauffeur had even gotten out of the vehicle. When he did open the door camera's and microphones were shoved in. Rei started feeling sorry for the passengers inside and wondered how they dealt with this on such a constant level.

'K' was the first person to get out of the car putting a hand over his eyes while waving with the other. Ever the showman the comic joked his way with the reporters who gave him a little space.

Susan Hawk was the first of the group to come out tossing her long blonde hair so that the camera's would be able to get a good profile shot of her sultry figure, she was followed by Brian Coe who tipped his trademark derby to the crowd. Terri Hearst exited waving to all next followed by the almost 7 foot frame of Jack "Gator" Gainer who shook any hand that didn't have a pad or microphone in it. Finally Shawn Foley emerged causing the questions to get louder and faster.

"So what do you think of this facility?", yelled one reporter.

"Have you met the local group yet?", bellowed another.

"What do you think of Tokyo?", came yet another question.

The group was being crushed by the reporters of print, radio, and television. The scene was beginning to get out of hand when 'K' took control.

"Everybody. There will be a complete press conference with the group in about an hour from now just as we promised. They will be more than happy to answer all your questions at that time. Now if you'll excuse me we have to go inside for a little bit to inspect the theater.", K implored.

The group moved on followed by the reporters. As they made their way passed the van, Rei looked at them all with envy. From the first time she ever got on stage she had been bit by the performing bug. She even got strong dose of what it was like when she headlined the school talent show and performed in Sleeping Beauty. These people were at the level of performance she always fantasized about. They were entertainers on the biggest stage of all. They were famous. They were stars. They were...

"REI! Quit daydreaming and help us get the rest of the equipment!", her grandfather bellowed at her, breaking through her mesmerized mind.

She jumped back with a start.

"Get your head out of the clouds. We've got a job to do.", commanded her grandfather.

The chastised Rei passed some of the equipment to her grandfather, some to Chad and took the rest before securing the van. They moved past the reporters who were at the front door waiting anxiously to the inner chamber of The Laff Factory.

It didn't take too long for the threesome to set everything up for the blessing. They had performed the ceremony so often that it was second nature to them how to set everything up. The visiting Laff Factory members came from the back where they had inspected the dressing rooms and found to their surprise their local counterparts. The ones who would continue the work the building had been constructed for after they had left. 'K' was in the middle of sharing the history of the building they were in.

"...this place use to be called Rag Time. A social club that was popular in the 20's and 30's. During World War 2 it was mainly used by the military for R&R, rest and relaxation. After the war people came here less and less until it was abandoned. Since then it's been used as a movie theatre, a dojo, a novelty shop and most recently a video gaming center. None of them stayed very long as the property had not been properly cared for and the upkeep on the building made staying here unprofitable. Now the city council is trying to make this place a popular location again and as a result we were able to buy it cheaply enough. Still we needed to dynamite the entire building to rebuild from square one.

"Well the designers really went all out here.", Terri glowed

"This makes the place back home look like a flat.", Brian added.

"We wanted to have as many of the specifications that you wanted as possible but we also wanted to make this place distinctly Japanese.", 'K' instructed as he guided the group to the middle of the stage.

"So hard to believe that just a few months ago this was just a run down building.", Shawn said in amazement.

Chad, Rei and her grandfather stood ready for action.

"These are the people from the Cherry Hills Temple who will be performing the blessing.", 'K' instructed.

Each member of the group shook the hands of all three with Rei at the end since she was the youngest of the trio. The members all thanked them for coming and let them know how much they appreciated it. As Shawn went down the line he was very cordial to the elderly man and Chad. When he shook Rei's hand he paused for a moment, smiling at her.

"So you're a priest? I never knew that Shinto priests were so young...or so lovely."

Rei blushed at the complement unsure what to say. She was mesmerized by his gentle smile and charmed by his soft words as the photographer begun taking pictures of the two of them together.

"Uhhhh. Thank you.", she finally accepted.

Rei noticed out of the corner of her eye that her grandfather was less then pleased with the moves the young man was putting on his granddaughter. That was simply part of his defensive nature where she was concerned. As important as the temple was for him, he took care of Rei like his own daughter and a contributor no matter how large the amount would ever be allowed to show any disrespect towards her. Chad put his hand on the elderly mans shoulder to assure him that nothing was going to happen. This was familiar territory for him. As a former rock and roll drummer, he knew the importance of connecting with the audience. It didn't matter if it was for thousands of screaming fans or a single person. It was important for the performer to make every fan feel wonderful in their presence. He marveled at the ease in which Shawn worked the room. It made him envious and a little jealous that what Shawn did so easily always took great effort for Chad because of his stage fright. It was that very fear that eventually led him to the temple where he now worked as the assistant leaving the world of performing rock and roll behind.

With all the introductions taken care of, the participants took their places for the blessing. The fire were started in their ceremonial bowls. Incense was lit and the aroma was allowed to start filling the auditorium.

The trio waited until everything was as it needed to be. It was time for the performers to be the audience to watch Rei, Chad, and her grandfather become the performers and do what they had been trained to do.

The performers stood in the middle of the three fire bowls spread out in the form of a giant triangle. The three held the tassels used for blessings up high in the air with a long thin pole. Each of them equally spread apart from the others walking around the members of the troupe. The tassels were waved to and fro with great kinetic energy. The elderly man spoke a prayer softly so that while knowing he was saying something it was too soft to be understood by anybody. The performers kept their heads down clasping their hands in reverence to the ceremony. All the while the photographer standing on the outside of the sacred formation continued to snap pictures

"Oh great fire we beseech you. Bring down your blessing to these performers and this building who seek to give out peace through the laughter that they wish to provide. Give them strength and fortify their souls so that they may reach their lofty goal. Let there be more laughs and less hatred" ,The old man spoke for the incantations.

From above the railing of the balcony a figure transformed itself. Originally one of the chairs in a long line of chairs a metamorphosis took place. Becoming a large gray porcupine in form with needles protruding from every area of its body, the figure crouched against the railing giving itself a chance to get use to this form. It had been left behind by the four sisters to act as both a guard and an assassin. His instructions were quite specific.

"Chameleon, stay here until Shawn Foley arrives. Eliminate him. Then burn down the building.", the words echoed from Catsy's voice.

All he needed was a clear shot at his target. From his vantage point there was too small a target because the body of Gator was between Chameleon and Shawn and the assassin didn't want to lose his biggest advantage. The element of surprise would allow him to strike before his target knew what hit him.

The priests turned around with their sacred talismans and resumed their waving.

It was Rei who first sensed the evil within the auditorium, but her grandfather was not very far behind. She stopped the ceremony to look around to determine a face to the evil. She looked at her grandfather.

"Yes Rei. I sense it too. There is a great evil right here in this room with us."

"Where master?", inquired Chad who did not possess the keen awareness of evil that the other two priests possessed but would do whatever was needed.

The performers stopped their genuflection and raised their eyes. The look of total befuddlement crossed their eyes. Rei and her grandfather moved outside the triangle trying to pin down the exact location of the evil.

The assassin realized that his presence was detected but not identified. He still had a chance to complete his assignment. He knew the location of the stage and had seen beforehand while he had transformed himself into one of the chairs where the fire bowls were located.

The assassin stood up and fired its first quill at the fire bowl closest to the front of the stage tipping it over setting the stage on fire. Before the first quill had hit its target a second, third and fourth quill was fired in machine gun fashion. The performers scattered away from the fire as Chameleon dispersed its mini arrows across the stage towards Shawn Foley. The quills were close, within the next few shots the target would be hit. Chad moved towards a moving Shawn seeing the pattern of the shots and his running. Rei and her grandfather could do nothing from their vantage point

"Venus Love Chain Attack!" ,came a voice from the above as a chain of energy in the form of miniature golden hearts shot forth from a young women's right hand striking the assassin who tried to move out of the way.

He was partially successful which caused the blow to only stagger him instead of causing any real damage. The young girl with the large red ribbon in her hair and orange skirt leaped from the window at the back of the balcony towards the assassin. A kick to the face staggered the assassin who went to raising his quilled arm for a counterattack but he was sent over the railing of the balcony with a reverse spinning back kick.

As he fell Rei and her grandfather drew into their ceremonial garb and pulled out anti-evil parchments. The assassin hit the ground and was pummeled with the holy items. The two Shinto priests banished the demon from the world causing it to dissolve into dust which blew away even though there was no wind within the building.

"We've got somebody hurt here!", bellow Gator.

The two figures in the seating area, the one figure still in the balcony, and the remaining members who had fled into the wings of the auditorium came out. Shawn had fallen on the ground with Chad on top of him. Some of the quills from the assassin were embedded into his thighs and calves. As Shawn crawled out from under the third member of the Cherry Hills temple it was easy to see that it was Chad who had taken the quills. The twitching in his legs showed the extent of the pain as the young man had his elbows drawn up close to his chin and his arms up and over his head in a clasp trying to minimize the sounds of his distress.

"That thing was shooting at us and next thing I knew he knocked me down.", offered Shawn in an explanation," Is he going to be all right?"

The elderly man came up to Chad and examined the damage. Grabbing the quill carefully so he wouldn't get pricked the man pulled it out where it dissolved. In spite of his resolve Chad screamed which brought Rei over to offer comfort.

"The wound is bad. It could be infected. I can use a few things in the van that would help him but I need to get him into the temple where I can heal it completely. Rei! Help me carry him?", he commanded

"Wait. Let me help. I owe him.", quickly volunteered Shawn.

Grateful for the offer Grandpa Hino had Shawn come over. With each man taking one of Chads arm over their shoulder, one arm clasping his back, and another under the thigh they hoisted Chad in the air and started moving him out. Sailor Venus had come down the flight of stairs from the balcony to see the Shawn, and Grandpa Hino carry Chad out the door. The other members of The Laff Factory came out to where their rescuer was. They all expressed their gratitude towards their heroine. Sailor Venus also noticed the strong 'what are you doing here' stare from Rei which made her uncomfortable.

"You are one of those Sailor Scouts aren't you? We've read about your group. Forgive me for not remembering but which one are you?", asked Brian Coe

"I am called Sailor Venus.", she answered

"I don't know if you ever been told this but you look a lot like a heroine we use to have in England. She was Sailor V and you look so much like her. Are the two of you related perhaps?", queried Heather

"No, were not related but I have heard of her and I can understand why you'd think that.", Venus admitted.

"That lady was something else. Its such a shame that she's died at such a young age.", Gator reminisced as the others nodded their heads in agreement.

Sailor Venus told them the truth that she wasn't related to Sailor V but it wasn't the whole truth. After all Sailor V and Sailor Venus were the same person. After fighting the negaverse by herself for months in England she had staged her own death so that she could return to Japan without arousing suspicions as to her secret identity. Hearing these people talk about her and the things she did with such reverence touched her heart. It was nice to know that the things she did almost two years ago had not been forgotten, or that she had been forgotten. That the image of Sailor V while still existing in movies, video games, and other forms of entertainment, had not damaged what she had really done in her life.

Grandpa Hino and Shawn came back to the auditorium. The grandfather was talking with the young man as if they had known each other much longer than the half hour the two have met. The elderly man was apparently warming up to Shawn.

"I like you young man. I think you have great potential. Perhaps if you ever get tired with all this gallivanting you'll want to come back here and work at my temple. Chad use to be like you going place to place like a gypsy and now he's found peace and happiness within our walls.", Grandpa Hino spoke trying earnestly to sell the young man on the advantages of a simple life as a Shinto priest

"I'll have to keep that in mind sir but for now I do have an obligation to the people I've promised to tour with.", Shawn answered to keep the head of the temple amused.

"I understand. After all honoring one's commitments are important too. It shows that you are a man of integrity. Keep my offer handy though. I think its a challenge you won't regret.", the elderly man continued to give his sales pitch.

Rei simply shook her head in amazement and disbelief. Her grandfather had done it again.

Shawn nodded his head in acknowledgment as he approached Sailor Venus.

"I want to thank you for destroying whatever that was. How did you know we were in trouble?", Shawn asked.

"It was a simple coincidence that I was nearby when I sensed something and decided to investigate."

Rei looked at Sailor Venus with a scowl that indicated that she didn't believe the tale. Venus was certain that she would hear about this later. Luckily for now the need to keep

Rei's secret identity hidden prevent the fire attacker with a temper to match from getting on her case.

"Well I hope you don't take this for being rude but I've got to book it out of here. No rest for the weary.", Sailor Venus said as she made her way out of the building making sure she didn't make any further eye contact with Shawn in fear of doing something she might regret.

Sailor Venus hopped from building roof to building roof to make anyone following her travels work very hard. She decided on an alley between the two longest buildings. Jumping down from the roof to the pavement she twisted and turned in the air until she was able to land gently on the ground with minimal impact. Looking around she could see no windows. Staring down both sides of the long alleyway she was far enough from the main sidewalks where nobody would be able to watch what she was about to do. Taking the power stick in her hand she transformed herself from Sailor Venus back to Mina Aino. Leaning her back into one of the walls she started to slide down to a seated position. Putting her hands into her face she started weeping heavily.

Huffing and puffing, Artemis had finally caught up with his charge. From the moment he had seen her leave The Laff Factory he was in pursuit. Something must have gone wrong he was thinking. He had tried to stop her from seeing Shawn Foley. Now seeing her break down in from of him, he wished that he had done more to stop her.

"Mina?", he asked cautiously, "What happened?"

"Nothing.", she sobbed trying to pull herself together.

" You wouldn't be this upset if nothing happened so tell me the truth. What happened?", he pressed hoping that he wasn't going to far.

"Nothing happened. I mean nothing happened. I saw him and he was being attacked by the negaverse. I saved him but then...but then...I froze up. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't say anything. I wanted to say so much to him but I couldn't. I had to leave. before I made a total fool of myself."

Mina broke down again her hands shaking violently from emotions that were being pushed to their limits.

Artemis moved onto Mina's lap under the arms that were being supported by her knees. Rubbing his head against the heaving chest of the young women he purred. He wished that he could have been born a human so he could put his arms around her and offer comfort. He wished his arms could wrap around her body so he could protect her. He wasn't human though, he was just a cat and could only do the things that mother nature offered him to do. Nudge against the young girl, purr, let his soft fur rub against her, and if he could do nothing else, he just be there for her to let her know that he cared for her.

Shawn went into his luggage and pulled out a shirt. Placing it on a hanger he put it with the other clothes he had already taken care of. He made sure there would be enough room left over for his roommate to do the same. The contents of the suitcase were just about empty. The only thing left inside was a small photograph. Too large to be put in a wallet, too small to be put in a frame. It had laid flush against the side wall of the suitcase where its construction was the sturdiest. Still it had shown a few folds here and there indicating that it had been through quite a bit. He pulled it out carefully and looked at it. It brought out a mixture of feeling that brought out a melancholy smile.

The knock alerted Shawn to his roommates arrival. He placed the picture on the night stand, made his way to the door and opened it where his roommate stood with a large suitcase in each hand and a valise over one shoulder. Gator waddled his way into the room under the weight and unceremoniously dumped the belongings onto the bed then collapsed on top of it breathing heavily.

"Don't know how you do it mate. You bring up your stuff and you're not even breathing hard. I do the same and I need an oxygen mask."

"Maybe if you exercised a little more you wouldn't be getting out of shape. The only weights I've seen you lift since we started this tour have been filled with beer."

"Maybe your right Flake. Maybe I should start with a little wrestling. I wonder if Terri or Heather would be interested?"

Shawn smiled. Leave it to Gator to find a way to bring girls into the conversation. He never met a female he didn't like, or try to pursue. Luckily he never brought any of the ones he charmed up to the room when they were together. He was more interested in the pursuit than the capture.

The two were so different in many respects. They had different tastes in music, food, in ways to keep themselves entertained when the shows were over. It seemed as though there was nothing that the two agreed on. Yet for all their differences the pair had formed a strong bond. There was practically nothing that they didn't know about each other.

Gator saw the photograph leaning against the lamp and his demeanor turned serious. Pointing his finger at the picture to make his point he asked.

"So you think you'll actually find her Flake? Tokyo has a lot of people in a small area. It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack mountain. It'll take a miracle."

"I know. I know. I have to try though. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try. Seeing that sailor scout at the factory brought back some pretty strong memories. I'd like to think that its a good omen that somehow I'll find her. Still it won't be easy. I've already tried to get the phone number through the operator but its still unlisted. That didn't surprise me but it does make things more difficult."

"Aye, you had some strong feelings about her."

"You weren't exactly shy and reserved about your opinions about her too."

The two friends smiled at each other in remembrance. Then Shawns smile disappeared as he started becoming very serious. An expression rarely seen by anybody.

"This is nuts. I'm here in Tokyo with millions of people in the city and I'm looking for someone I haven't seen in two years and if I do find her I expect things to somehow be like they use to. Do you think I'm crazy?", Shawn asked in earnest.

"Of course your crazy. You're 'The Flake'.", Gator smirked.

"Did you lose your mind or has the peroxide finally gone to your brain? What were you thinking coming down to the Laff Factory like that?", angrily accused Rei.

It was late in the day and the sailor scouts had come together for a meeting at the Cherry Hills Temple. Instead of dealing with the latest developments concerning the negaverse, Rei was ripping into Mina for her appearance during the blessing. Mina stood there with a face set in stone looking very agitated.

"Well it certainly looked like I was needed there didn't it. After all if I hadn't shown up what would you have been able to do?", Mina countered.

Mina felt her blood boiling and turned her back to Rei before she might say something that would be regretted later. The other girl however took it as a sign of ignoring her. Roughly grabbing the clothes, Rei spun Mina around, forcing her to meet Rei face to face.

"Don't you dare turn your back to me.", Rei demanded.

Mina's temper had reached critical. Grabbing Rei by her gee she pushed with all her strength throwing her down backwards with authority. Rei's head hit hard on the ground, stunning her momentarily. The other Sailor Scouts were too startled to move. None of them had ever seen Mina this angry as she took two steps and stood with her shaking hands clenched in fists over the prone body of Rei who also was to surprised to offer any resistance.

"I am so sick and tired of your domineering attitude. You try to run things like your in charge of everything, that you're running the show, the scouts, me. That you know everything. Well I've had it and will not stand by listening to you rip me apart for no good reason. You expect me to just stand by, have you insult me, then have me cower and say...",Mina's voice took on a mocking tone of fear," Oh I am soooo sorry Rei, Ohhhhhh please forgive me Rei."

Her voice went back to angry tones very quickly.

"Well I'm not going to say it and if you can't deal with that then to hell with it, and to hell with you too."

"Mina?", spoke Serena very softly, with fear in her voice.

The fright from Serena voice stopped Mina. She stood there realizing the fullness of what she had just said. The looks on the other scouts faces spoke volumes. In all the time they had known her none had ever seen her snap like this and it both scared and concerned them. Even she didn't know what had come over her. She looked at Rei who was scrambling to get back on her feet while trying to keep a defensive posture just in case she would try the same tactic again. She started becoming afraid and ran out of the room to the outside without a word trying to hold back her tears.

Artemis wanted to run after her but first he had to perform some damage control with her friends. He saw the scouts dumbfounded looks. They looked at him hoping for some sort of logical explanation. He gave the scouts a look of total confusion as if he was just as clueless for Mina's behavior as they were. He did have a pretty good clue what set her off but couldn't reveal it.

He had a pretty good idea of where she had gone too. Whenever she had been going through tough times in the past there was always a place where she went to. It was her sanctuary. A place where she could sit and think things out without distractions.

He excused himself from the group to go where he sensed she'd be. It took a while to get where he needed to go since he was not being shuttled on Mina's shoulder. He finally arrived back at the Aino residence where he made his way to Mina's bedroom. As he expected the young lady was laid out on her bed clutching a large brown teddy bear to her body, crying her eyes out. Leaping onto her bed he laid down next to her. He didn't say anything . He had to bring the girl out of it carefully. This was no time for accusations, or condemnations. Besides her own conscious was being ten times harder on her than he could ever be. He would wait for her to make the first move, the first statement.

A great deal of time passed she finally spoke. She was confused, a little frustrated, trying to put into words what her heart was feeling. In many ways she was no different than any other teenage girl but then most teenage girls weren't sailor scouts with the responsibility of saving a world that sometimes seemed bent on destroy itself anyway.

"I guess I really put my foot in it didn't I.", surmised Mina wiping some of her tears away..

"Well lets just say that it wasn't one of your shining moments."

Artemis tried to say it with a little humor inflected trying to take the sting out of the remark. She already felt bad and he didn't want to make the girl feel even worse than she was.already.

"What's happening to me Artemis? I don't know why I behaved the way I did to Rei."

Artemis had to be careful. Depending on how this situation is handled she would either be better off for it or it would send her even further down her emotional roller coaster.

"I think deep in your heart, you know why you did what you did. I know you didn't mean to knock Rei down. I think deep down Rei knows that too. You're too kind and gentle a soul to behave that way under normal circumstances. Obviously there is something else that is bothering you. Its bothering you down to your soul. You can try denying it all you want but you can't ignore it or run away from it. You've done that already and do you feel any better?"

His words were spoken softly and gently, without any form of accusation in his voice. He would let himself be used as a sounding board so that the young girl would know the right thing to do. Mina shook her head negatively to his question.

"What am I going to do?", she asked.

Their private conversation turned out to be not so private. On the outside of the windowsill there was a large black female cat who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation. Luna had suspected that Artemis knew more than he was letting on and this conversation was proving it. While not knowing what the exact problem was she determined that it had something to do with her past. It could have been something recent or before she joined the other scouts. She was angry at Artemis for keeping this secret from her.

She knew how to handle Artemis. She would learn what she needed to know from him soon enough.

The skull session between Mina and Artemis went nowhere. About the only thing that had been decided was that none of the other scouts would be told. At least not yet. Other than that every plan they came up with got shot down when logic entered the scene. Mina was tired from crying, it was late in the day, dinner was going to be served soon then it would be bedtime. In the end the pair decided to sleep on it and hopefully come up with a plan of action the next morning.

As she was getting ready for bed Mina hit the right side of her head with her palm as she realized something.

"Oh my goodness. I never did apologize to Rei for what happened."

Grabbing her scout communicator she prepared to make the call.

"I hope she isn't still mad at me."

Before she could press the button to activate the signal a light blipped on the communicator. Somebody was calling her.

Pressing the activation button Rei's face appeared. She didn't look like her normal confident self. She looked saddened.

"Mina? Its Rei, can we talk? I want to apologize for the things I said to you this afternoon. I was wrong to say what I did. I guess I was just...I don't know why I behaved the way I did. Can you forgive me?"

Rei spoke very fast as if afraid that Mina would cut her off.

"If anybody is owed an apology Rei, I owe it to you. I didn't mean to push you. I guess I was... something just came over me and I'm sorry Rei."

Artemis listened as the girls went back and forth trying to out apologize each other. Well the day had its shares of up and downs but it was finishing on a good note.

Rubeus had been summoned to a meeting before the Wiseman. It was a meeting that he would have preferred avoiding. Entering the room he moved forward towards his master while his mind sought a way to explain the failure of his group.

"Tell me Rubeus, why does Shawn Foley still live? Why does The Laff Factory still exist." the Wiseman interrogated.

There was no way to lie to the Wiseman. Had Shawn Foley been eliminated the future would have been changed, no Foley, no Laff Factory. No Laff Factory, victory for the negamoon. There was no way to sugarcoat the truth.

"We were foiled by one of the Sailor Scouts. Chameleon was sent for the kill but before he could succeed he was killed."

"That is most...unfortunate. How did she find out we were there?"

"That I don't know. The sisters were only there a short time and Chameleon was well camouflaged into the very fabric of the building. We couldn't have left any negaenergy behind for them to follow."

"Was anybody else killed in the attack?"

"No. Although he did get a couple of shots that hit one of the priests."

Rubeus did not like the way the line of questioning was leading.

"You say that we were foiled by one of the scouts. There was only one there?"

"From what the sisters told me, yes."

"Which scout was it?"

"The one called Venus."

"So I see."

The Wiseman placed his right hand under his chin, stroking it as he thought. A low growl was let out as he let this new knowledge fertilize his thoughts. Rubeus stood by waiting for the next action of his leader.

"It would seem that there are three possible scenario's in play here. Number 1, that the sailor scouts have already figured out our plan and are trying to stop us. Number 2, that the scouts assumed that The Laff Factory was a crystal point and this Venus was sent to scout ahead. This would mean that the scouts will be observing the Laff Factory and not our real target. Number 3, that she was there simply as a matter of coincidence although I am not a big believer in coincidence. We must determine what their intentions are."

"How do you want us to do that?", asked Rubeus.

"Split the four sisters up. Have two stay at The Laff Factory and have them determine if any scouts are there. Take the other two sisters meet up with our victim and see if any scouts show up. If they don't then they are to kill him. If they do show up then do nothing and report the information back to me."

"As you wish."

"Impress this upon your troops. I want the sisters to do this job personally. No allies will be permitted and if they disobey me I can assure you they will be dealt with quite harshly. If they can not do this then perhaps it is time for me to reconsider who should be involved in this mission."

A lump got caught in Rubeus's throat. The Wiseman never made an idle threat. He would carry it out.

"We will not make the mistake of rushing in blindly. That has been a repeated failure. Now we need stealth, cunning, we must use our brains as well as pure force. Time is running out for us so it is crucial that we make the best use of it. Leave me now and prepare your troops. "

Rubeus bowed reverently to the Wiseman and departed. While Rubeus took care of the mission the wiseman would sit back and see how to use what information he had learned to the best advantage.

'Meet me in the alley behind the arcade at 3 p.m.. There is something we need to discuss in person.'

That was the entire message Luna had sent Artemis. No explanation as to why they needed to meet, what the topic of discussion was that would be so important as to have them meet without the other scouts present. Still he showed up at their meeting place in an alley behind the video arcade.

Artemis walked into the alley and scoured the area making sure he was not interrupting some of the local feline residents. He trekked through the area carefully until he was at the back of the arcade. Luna had already arrived sitting down regally with her head held up proudly and chest out. A couple of local cats were looking at the ebony female eagerly but a strong look from Luna kept them where they were. Any cat who wanted to test her fighting skills would be badly beaten and Artemis knew it. For all her matriarch looks she was as tough a fighter as anyone. He was safe so long as Luna was nearby. Luna looked at Artemis and got down to business.

"The reason I got you here face to face is because I wanted to talk to you about Mina and what happened yesterday at the temple.", Luna said not bothering to start with any small talk.

"Its already been taken care of. We had a long talk and she apologized to Rei for what she did. She still feels pretty bad about it so I'm sure it won't happen again. So is that what this was about?".

"Its not just about yesterday. I've been noticing a definite change in that girl for about a week. I haven't said anything because it didn't seem proper at the time and didn't seem to be any of my business. After yesterday however it has become my business and I plan on getting to the bottom of it."

"Back off Luna, this is none of your business. I don't tell you how to handle Serena, don't start telling me how to handle Mina.", Artemis spoke indignantly.

"If something is happening that is going to affect the scouts we have a right to know what it is. I would say that something is happening, it is affecting the scouts, and we better nip this in the bud now. So what is going on?", pressed Serena.

The white cat was starting to become uncomfortable with the situation. Luna was right about her need to know. He had a duty to her, but what about his duty to Mina? What about his promise to her?

"I'm sorry Luna. I can't tell you.", he finally said.

"You can't tell me? Or you won't?", Luna pressed.

The black cat walked to her associate who was beginning feel the peer pressure. He started to sweat uncomfortably looking for a way out of this predicament.

"I won't tell you because I can't tell you. Look I made a promise to Mina never to talk about this with anybody. Please respect that and drop the subject."

"I'm sorry but this is too serious. I demand you tell me what is going on.", Luna directed.

Artemis scowled at Luna, his face taking on very hostile tones. A nerve had been struck.

"You demand?", he said calmly.

You demand!", his voice started to rise in anger.

"Who are you to demand what's going on with Mina!", his rage reaching full boil.

"I am...",Luna started to say before she was cut off quickly.

"NO! You have no right to demand anything! Where were you to help when I found Mina? Where were you when she had to take on the negaverse as Sailor V? Where were you when she had to do that all by herself! It was just her and me back then. Nobody else to turn to for support! No human friends she could talk to about all this! You only had to deal with Serena alone for a short time! Then you found Ami, then Rei, then Lita and they help you! Not us! It was Mina and myself! I was the one who had to comfort her when she cried into her pillows at night! I was the one who listened to her heartache because she would have to abandon any sort of normal life to do what she knew in her heart was right! You weren't there when we had to deal with not only her learning to deal with the two personalities of Mina Aino and Sailor V but all the natural difficulties of being a teenager! We went through all sorts of hell together and that makes my promise to her more important than any duty I have to you!"

Luna stood there in stunned silence. She had never heard Artemis talk in such a tone with her before, with such strength, passion, and rage. It normally didn't take much for him to back down to Luna. She had always known what buttons to push to get him to submit but this show of force found herself dumbfounded.

"There were many situations with Serena where you asked us to be patient with her! The time Tuxedo Mask was kidnapped by the negaverse and Serena was devastated! Do you remember that? I sure do! You asked the rest of us to be a little more considerate to her, and that wasn't the only time! You know it as well as I do! Hasn't Mina earned the right to have the same considerations? Doesn't she deserve to be given some space right now! I know she'll do the right thing if she is given the chance to do so! Try to have as much faith in her as I do and don't push us! I will do anything I must to protect that girl including pulling her out of the scouts if that is what it takes!"

Artemis raised his back legs ready to fight Luna if it came to that. Even though both knew he couldn't take her measure the very fact that he was willing to fight over this matter sent a strong message to Luna. She thought carefully about the situation. If she prodded too hard then that would cause more problems. Problems that perhaps would be irrepairable. If she let the subject go the circumstances wouldn't have been changed by their meeting but they wouldn't get any worse. Her partner had made many valid points in his lecture, especially the part of Mina deserving to be given a break like Serena had on many occasions. She sat down and focused her attention on Artemis.

"All right. We'll do things your way for now. I won't ask you anything more about this and I'll tell the other scouts not to challenge Mina. Understand this though. I will attempt to find out what this is all about. I will simply have to do so without your cooperation."

Artemis nodded his head and began to relax. Of course he knew that Luna would still try to solve the mystery. It was her duty. He was also relieved that they were able to resolve this matter peacefully. He didn't like keeping Luna and the others in the dark but he didn't feel any other option was viable.

"Thanks for understanding. Well if there is no other pressing business I have to get going.", Artemis excused himself.

"Of course. If things change though remember. I'm the first ear on the right.", Luna responded.

Artemis scurried out of the alley and started making his way to Mina's school. Luna gave deep thought to the situation as it now stood and decided to bring the other scouts up to date.

Artemis made it to the gates of Mina's school just in time for the end of school bell. He stood at the edge of the gate so the students wouldn't accidentally step on his tail. Occasionally some of the students would stop and pet him, he enjoyed the quick rubs but he never let his attention stray too far. He was vigilant in his search for the one student who he came to see.

Seeing Mina's large red bow he waited until she could see him as well before he ran to her. She held her arms out as the white cat leaped into her arms. She held him lovingly in her arms for a few moments as the pair walked off the grounds. Mina still looked a little down in the mouth.

"Whats the matter Mina? Hard day at school?"

"Yeah. I got some of my tests back and while I did all right in world history but I totally bombed in computer science and algebra. I've got to show those tests to mom and dad and get their signature on it. When they see these scores they're going to go ballistic."

"Well I hate to be the bearer of more ad news but we've got some other problems. I just had a little meeting with Luna and it concerned you."

Mina froze for a moment. Artemis talked quickly to reassure you.

"Don't worry. I didn't tell her anything. I kept my promise. I got her to vow not to talk about it and to tell the others to back off but you know she'll try to use other avenues to figure out whats going on. She'll use the other scouts talents to solve this problem."

"I know but I can't worry about that now. Maybe by the time they figure it out this whole thing will be over with. I've wanted to talk to them about this but every time I get ready to say something there is something in my guts telling me not to."

The pair continued to walk to Mina's house, trying to hash out the problem. Whenever somebody might get close enough to hear them the twosome would be quiet until the danger passed. Of course should someone happen to overhear them they had a plan of action where Mina would pretend to be a ventriloquist and Artemis the puppet. Each tried to come up with an idea to resolve the predicament but to no avail. Most of the time Mina looked at her cat but to avoid bumping into the other pedestrians Mina would take quick glances forward. One of those times caused Mina to stop abruptly. She pronounced,

"It's him! It's him!"

Artemis had no clue what she was talking about as she started running swiftly. Looking ahead Artemis tried to figure out who the 'him' was. She stopped at an alley and looked down its narrow corridor. It was too dark to see anything clearly.

"What did you see?"

"It's him. It's Shawn.", she excitedly answer.

"It couldn't possibly be him. After all he's famous right now. One sighting of him and there would be a flood of people trying to get to him.", he tried to debate.

"No, it was him! I know it. He had sunglasses and a hat on but he was also wearing that old retro Denver Bronco's jacket he always wore with the Sailor V pin on his chest. Its him I tell you! I could always spot him with that thing on from a mile away."

Artemis wasn't sure if the girl had really seen him and the likeliness of it happening in such a manner was remote but he had to let her find out.

"All right girl. Lets investigate. First though lets have you..."

Shawn Foley stood inside the dingy alleyway taking deep breaths trying to control his nervousness. He had followed the map given to him by "K" to reach the destination. He now stood by ready to make his appearance. Making sure he was far enough in the alley so that nobody would be able spot him easily he took off his jacket which even in the dusk of the alley stood out like a beacon.

He had been approached by the talk show host after lunch and asked to pay a surprise visit to one of the local outdoor restaurants to try and drum up more support for The Laff Factory. Shawn was familiar with the routine. Show up unannounced at a location where there would be lots of people present, get the crowd excited, shake hands, sign a few autographs, maybe blow some air kisses to the female fans, then before the crowd got too unruly get out of the area.

Shawn was not happy with the suddenness of the plan. He was even less enthusiastic when he learned that no security would be present, not even one plainclothes cop. 'K' explained that the spot he was going to was popular with teenagers and that even constables in regular clothing would stand out because of their ages. Shawn tried to press the importance of some sort of protection in light of the attack at the Laff Factory earlier. While sympathetic to the problem, 'K' tried to use reasoning and logic to counteract the defense being put up by the young man. The arguments went back and forth, hot and heavy until Shawn reluctantly agreed to go through with it. He still wasn't thrilled about the way it was being put together but for the good of the show he would do it.

A hand reached out to him from behind. Tapping Shawn on the shoulder he spun around in surprise slamming his back against the alley wall.

"Are you all right? I saw you come in here and thought you might be in danger", a soft voice asked.

Looking up he saw the attractive figure of Sailor Venus in front of him. What he would never know is that when Mina started going into the alley it was Artemis who suggested that she transform since he had seen the sailor scout recently and her appearance might cause less embarrassment than of Mina Aino.

"You startled me that's all. I was told that here I'd have some privacy before I went out there. Since you're here though perhaps you could help me. I'm suppose to go out there in a few minutes and I'd feel a lot safer if I had somebody watching my back. I could pay you..."

Running up the stairs to the bridge which spanned the multilane highway Ami's breath was becoming labored. Originally she walked with Serena and Lita who were all heading to the temple for a scout meeting, until she discovered that she had left some important work back at the school. It was a report that had to be finished that night. She ran as quickly as her small legs would allow her to return to Crossroads Junior High, getting there before the janitors would close it up for the night. Now coming back the limbs had become heavy and sore. As Sailor Mercury she could have covered the distance easily but as everyday Ami her speed and endurance was less than desirable plus her petite size gave her an shortened gait requiring her to use more movement to cover the same distance as others would need. Her pace slowed down until she was a few steps away from the top of the bridge where it was reduced to a walk. At the top Ami stopped to lean over the railing so she could catch her breath, letting her briefcase rest against the grated fence so she could rest her perspiring head rest against her arms. She cursed at herself under her breath for having been so forgetful. She was normally a lot more organized that this and couldn't figure out what caused her to space out the report.

With her fatigue passing Ami stood up, picked up her briefcase to continue her trek across the span of the bridge when she heard some women scream. Looking into the direction of the sound she noticed several women running to someone. Looking harder she noticed the reason for all the excitement. Shawn Foley had appeared out of nowhere and the people from the nearby outdoor restaurant were flocking to meet him. What a stroke of bad luck this was. Here was a celebrity of top caliber in her midst and though she wanted to go over and get an autograph from the young man, her presence was needed at the sailor scout meeting. Duty had to come first.

Going down the stairs on the other side she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Looking upward she observed Sailor Venus on the roof of the building above the fray. She was looking down on the scene before her.

Ami sensed something was up. This was the second time in two days she had been nearby when Shawn Foley appeared. It had to be more than coincidence.

Sailor Venus observed the scene below her. Shawn had waited until she took her position before he had made his appearance. As the people moved towards him it looked to the casual observer as if he was being attacked. The reality was that they wanted to meet him, to touch him. On the rooftop she waited to move in case something went wrong. One scream of 'help' from him and she would move with decisive certainty to save him. For a moment Shawn looked up to make sure Venus was there. He flashed a quick smile before returning to his duties. The fact that he hadn't yelled for her assistance yet didn't make her feel any easier.

The crowds movement was towards the order window of the restaurant. Even from three floors up she could see napkins being thrust into his face where he plucked from a hand, scrolling his signature upon it, finally placing it back into the open hand. There were exciting screams as the lucky hands clutched their golden prize. She was envious of the crowd below. She wanted to be down there next to him. To touch him to...

"Can't you be serious for just one moment? Does everything have to be a joke?", a voice in her head shouted.

It was an echo from the past that reverberated through Sailor Venus's mind. A moment in time which she wished had never happened. She still remembered it painfully well.

"Can you stop being so serious all the time! I'm trying to help!", a voice shouted back in a manly voice.

"Get away from me! Leave me alone!", her voice resonated followed by the footfalls of her feet running.

After a few seconds of silence came another voice

"He's not here. I don't know where he went.", announced a male voice.

Sailor Venus's heart ached with the feelings she hadn't felt in some time.

The throng surrounding Shawn Foley had made their way to the order window and Shawn's meal had been delivered. Sitting down at a table Shawn tried to eat the dinner with chopsticks as the onlookers observed. Plunging the two sticks into the food Shawn tried to balance the sticks and bring a dumpling from the bowl to his mouth. Part way up the grip became too strong and the sticks crossed dropping the dumpling off the sticks before it could get into his mouth. On the second attempt the dumpling didn't even get an inch away from the dish before it fell back down. In spite of the best efforts of the crowd there was some laughter and giggling at his failure. To them eating with chopsticks came second nature and while embarrassing to snicker at someone's misfortune it was amusing to watch. Shawn tried to put the crowd at ease by saying something Sailor Venus couldn't hear but it brought about more laughter from the crowd. On the third attempt the dumpling again fell off the sticks but missed the bowl to fall off the table.

A teenage girl sitting at the table leaned toward him and showed him the proper way to hold the chopsticks. She even helped by placing her hands on his, position his hand properly with the instruments between his fingers. Deciding against trying for another dumpling Shawn scooped out a small portion of rice. Gingerly bringing them up he was finally able to get the portion in his mouth to which the crowd responded with cheers. Sailor Venus found herself becoming jealous of the young girl who was smiling at Shawn.

There would be more misadventures in this meal. Shawn dropped his food as often as he got it into his mouth. As he chewed on his meal his free hand continued to sign as many autographs as he could during the forty five minute appearance.

"Quite a view from here isn't it?", came a tiny voice.

Spinning around Sailor Venus saw her fellow sailor scout Mercury looking innocently down up on the scene.

"What are you doing here and how did you find me?", Venus asked.

"I saw you as I passed the bridge. We better get going or else we're going to be even later for the scout meeting than we are already."

"I'm not going to be at the meeting Mercury, I'm afraid that I'm the topic of discussion tonight and it would be better if I not show up."

Sailor Venus looked away from her friend unable to tell her the exact reason why the meeting had been truly called.

"Isn't there anything I can do to help? Whatever it is I'm sure I can help."

Sailor Venus looked down on the scene below as tears starting welling up in her eyes.

"There is nothing you can do. There is nothing anybody can do."

Having observed Sailor Venus and Mina's habits in the past, Sailor Mercury knew it would be futile to pursue any further at this time. Any more information would have to come via subterfuge and she had the means to do so. Placing a hand on Sailor Venus's shoulder to show there was no ill will felt, Mercury spoke.

"I can see why you'd want to watch him even from a distance. He is quite a hunk. If I didn't have Greg I could be wigging out on him big time."

There was no reaction from her friend who let the comment pass without response. Mercury began to feel uncomfortable with the situation.

" I better get to the meeting though before the others get mad at me.", Sailor Mercury sheepishly excused herself.

Removing her hand from Sailor Venus's shoulder, Sailor Mercury was able to leave a small tracking device just under her collar where it wouldn't be easily noticed. Going to the rear of the building she jumped off leaving the other scout behind. She hoped the device would not be needed but had the feeling she would before too much longer

The actions of Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury were watched very closely by Prizma and Avery. On a roof across the street they had kept themselves low to the rooftop to avoid detection.

"Looks like the scrawny sailor scout is leaving. Lets set up for an attack.", Avery suggested.

Her partner shook her head negatively.

"Remember what the Wiseman said. If the sailor scouts show up we do nothing except report it. Would you like to stand in front of Wiseman and tell him why you disobeyed his direct orders? If you are then your both braver and stupider than I am. Lets wait. Perhaps an opportunity will present itself where there will be no scouts present. We've got time. We will wait.", Prizma advised.

The pair stayed crouched down and continued to let the drama before them unfold.

Luna and the other scouts continued to wait until Ami finally made her appearance at the temple. The littlest scout blushed with embarrassment. After apologizing for delaying everything the meeting began. Luna began to lay out in the simplest terms why the meeting was being called. The others listened attentively as Luna laid everything she knew out in the open. This included her meeting with Artemis earlier in the day. There was great surprise when Luna recounted the conversation she had with him including his threat to pull Sailor Venus out of the scouts if the group pressed too hard.

"He can't be serious. He'd pull Mina out of the scouts?", Rei surmised.

"He is very serious about that. That is why whatever we do it'll have to be done without tipping off Mina."

"Didn't he give you any clues to work with?", Lita urged.

"Not directly but perhaps he did give some evidence to work with without realizing he did so. As he got angry with me he talked about him and Mina when she was Sailor V. That could be a very important clue. Then again it could mean absolutely nothing and I'm simply chasing my tail. Rei, I need you to perform a fire reading. See if the spirits will help us. Serena and Lita you stay too just in case. In the meantime, Ami I have a special assignment for you. Use your computer to try and find any sort of connection between Sailor V and Mina's recent behavior."

"You mean like perhaps Sailor V and Shawn Foley?"

The other scouts looked at her wondering what made her make that statement. Ami told them about the chance meeting she had with Mina as Sailor Venus on her way over.

"I can't tell you what to look for Ami but there has to be a connection. This is the 2nd time he's been involved with this. Lets get to work scouts and solve this problem.", Luna encouraged.

"Actually it may have been the third time. Remember the slumber party? Remember how Mina looked a little out of it after the TV show was over and he was on the program too.", Ami informed the group.

"Hey yeah! That's right! She did seem less sociable afterwards.", admitted Lita.

"You may have stumbled onto something here Ami. Warm up that modem young lady. We've got a mystery to solve.", Luna ordered.

It wasn't until a camera crew arrived at the restaurant to snap pictures of the 'impromptu" visit that Shawn left the area. Many of the onlookers were willing to let him leave without incident but a couple of people tried to follow him. It led to a chase down the sidewalks of Tokyo until Shawn was able to turn the corner of a street that was close to an alley. A few steps into the alley Sailor Venus scooped him up and flew back up to the roof where the pair watched his pursuers search in vain for Shawn.

Handing Shawn his disguise back the twosome waited until the coast was clear before they headed back to the hotel where the troupe was staying. Shawn made his way back in disguise via the less traveled sidewalks. Sailor Venus moved from rooftop to rooftop keeping an eye on him in case something went wrong. She felt a sense of sympathy for the figure. All she had ever noticed before was the glamour and glory that went with being famous. Now she was seeing a very different side. To disguise yourself just to go somewhere without being mobbed. At least she could transform into Mina Aino, what could he do? She wished there was something she could to help him.

At the rear entrance of the hotel Sailor Venus dropped down from the rooftop. The duo walked into the back door after checking in with some security people. The two went up flight after flight of stairs until they reached the 8th floor. Shawn gave a cryptic knock on the door. The door was opened by another armed security officer just a crack. Confirming his identity the door was opened wider allowing him then Venus to pass. Shawn explained her presence which satisfied the guard allowing her to entire the area. From the floor door to the room there were no less than a dozen officers present. The entire floor had been secured which left her slightly intimidated.

They entered Shawn's room where he went over to his wallet which was on top of the television set.

"Is all that security really necessary?", she asked

Pulling the money out he counted it carefully twice before he handed it over to the young girl.

"Unfortunately yes. We had a little incident in America. It was a pretty hairy situation. Well here is the money as I promised you. Feel free to count it. Its all there"

Sailor Venus counted the money again not believe she had made so much money for such a short stint as a bodyguard. How she was going to hide this much money from her parents would be a problem. There is no way she could account for this with simple baby-sitting.

"Do all bodyguards get paid this well?"

"Actually I don't know. Normally the sponsor of the city we're in pays the expenses but when I saw you and knowing what my situation was going to be I panicked. I just came up with a figure that sounded good and knew I could actually pay you when we got here."

Shawn tossed the wallet back to the dresser before sitting himself on the bed. Giving a deep exhale he ran his fingers through his hair. Venus could see the retransformation from star to man. It made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"Well if you don't need me for anything else I better be going.", Venus tried to excuse herself.

Shawn jumped back up.

"Please, don't go. I...I'd like to talk with you if I could. That is unless you really have to go somewhere."

Venus looked into his expressive eyes. There was something in them that told her that he really wanted her here right now. She wanted to leave because every moment she stayed increased the possibility of her making a mistake and revealing her true identity which would bring up even more problems. She thought back to the scene at The Laff Factory when she wanted to talk to him but froze. Surely she wouldn't repeat the same mistake by leaving now.

The mouse on Ami's computer moved the arrow on her computer until it reached a link. Double clicking the marker she waited for the website to move through the modem into her Scout mini-data computer. After rubbing her eyes suffering from the constant strain of staring at the monitor, she took a drink of water, all while the page formed.

"Ami, your friends are here to see you!" ,called the voice of her mother.

"Thanks mom!", Ami shouted back.

Getting up from the chair she opened the door and went to her friends. Pleasantries were exchanged to keep up appearances for her mother before they departed to Ami's room to discuss business. Only when the door was closed and Luna standing by to make certain that there was nobody eavesdropping did they start talking.

"Please tell me the fire reading revealed something we can use." ,spoke Ami dejected.

The group shook their heads in a collective no.

"I'm afraid the spirits weren't very cooperative tonight."

Ami looked down disheartened. A beep from her mini data computer alerted her. She grabbed the device and scrolled down the information never spending more than a few seconds on each part.

"I've been going through all the various websites trying to find a connection. I've looked for matches on Mina-Shawn Foley, Sailor V-Laff Factory, Sailor V-Shawn Foley. Not a single match. Ever since I've been going through every website downloading as many into the minicomputer as I can so I can see several at the same time. Do you realize there are still close to a ten thousand websites just for Sailor V?"

"So in other words you're looking for a needle in a haystack aren't you.", Serena conjectured.

Ami nodded her head up and down slightly as she continued skim through the information. Seeing the last piece of information on the computer she reconnected it to her normal computer and continued the process.

"Since this whole scenario has been revolving around Shawn I've decided that the best way to approach this is to get the websites that involve him. Fan clubs, biographies, things like that."

The mini-computer beeped again and the scouts started reviewing the information together hoping Ami's deductions were the right decision.

Not sure she was making the right decision Sailor Venus decided to stay in his room a little while. Sitting down on the bed opposite his they talked. In the beginning the talk was superficial to help break the ice so they could be at ease with each other. Eventually the discussion turned more substantial as they discussed the blessings and even a few of the pitfalls of being so well known to the public and shared their experiences in that regard. Some of the tales were lighthearted and involked a good laugh from both parties. Other were more sobering. Throughout it all Sailor Venus had a gut feeling that Shawn wanted to actually talk about something else but was looking for the right time to speak. In time he gave up trying to work the topic into the discussion and went with the direct approach.

"Can I ask you some personal questions?"

She wasn't sure how personal those questions were going to be and she also wasn't certain if she would even answer them but decided to allow him to at least ask so she nodded her head.

"I heard that you are also nicknamed the scout of love, is that correct?"

"Yes it is."

Shawn struggled for his next question.

"Can I ask you a personal question... as a girl?"

Sailor Venus began to squirm. This may have been more than she bargained for.

"If its not too personal I will."

"I need to ask you a question about love. You see I'm in love with this girl..."

The moment she heard this her heart sank. What she had feared was true. He had gotten over her and found another women to love.

"...only I didn't know how much I cared for her until it was too late and I had made a total fool of myself. The last time we saw each other we had a fight. A pretty bad one. I said some things I shouldn't have and I've regretted every word since. I've been wanting to apologize to her for what happened but then she moved away before I could apologize and even if I can find her one day I don't know if she'll accept the apology. Now so much time has passed I keep thinking she's found another guy and is happy, after all she is the prettiest women I've ever known and most men would give anything to be with her. She was something very special. Yet there is a part of me that wants to believe against all logic and hope that I can find her and that everything will be all right, maybe even better."

Shawn looked down and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly to get his composure back Shawn continued.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make this into a speech. I guess what I'm asking is after all that has happened I want to see her and try to make things right but I'm not sure if that would do more harm than good. If she's happy I don't want to mess that up for her and yet..."

He couldn't find the words to continue but he had laid out the problem plainly and clearly. Venus struggled with her own heart to share what she thought. Part of her wanted to tell him to leave the girl alone so she might have a chance to win back his heart if she could. As much as she wanted him to come back to her she couldn't lie. If she tried to win back his heart with such underhanded techniques it would bother her conscious forever even if it was successful. She would tell him the truth.

"I say that if you ever find her that its best to tell her. If she's happy then you can still apologize for what happened and at least clear your conscious because you'll know in your heart that you did your best to make it right. On the other hand if she is still available..."

Venus started to strain a little bit because she of what she was saying and what it would mean to her. The closeness that she was to the situation began to show in her voice.

"...perhaps you'll learn that she misses you as you do for her."

Shawn nodded his head and smiled at her.

"I hope you're right. Now all I have to do is find her."

"Do you have a picture of this girl?", Venus asked so she could satisfy her curiosity of who the women was that had taken his heart so completely.

Shawn went over to the night table where the picture was. It had slid down from its upright position. He picked it up and handed it to her.

"It was taken a couple of weeks before we broke up. I never got a chance to show this to her."

She looked at the image for a moment before she raised her eyes to Shawn in surprise.

For a while the scouts took turns at the computer to give Ami a chance to rest her eyes. Rei wasn't able to stay long because with Chad's injuries from the attack at the Laff Factory she had to head to the temple to do his chores as well as hers. Lita left a little later to take care of some personal business. Serena and Luna stayed until Serena's mom phoned her to come home.

Ami had been left all alone again to continue the investigation. Minute after minute passed by uneventfully as she got no closer to her objective. The lack of success was eating away at Ami who was becoming thwarted.

The mini-computer beeped yet again. Once more she grabbed the machine and scanned. She started to wonder that if she had found what she was looking for would she even recognize it or would the constant scanning of the material put her mind to sleep causing her to pass it by unknowingly.

Something flashed which Ami quickly passed by until she thought she saw something in it. Scrolling back up she looked intently on the data. Her eyes lit up as she looked over the information. No doubt about it. This explained a lot.

Grabbing her communicator Ami almost pressed the button to call the other scouts. Then a gut feeling told her that she shouldn't. Looking back at what she discovered her conscious started bothering her. How would she feel if what she was doing was being done to her instead? She switched off the communicator and switched on the tracking device for the wiretap she had placed on Sailor Venus. It beeped loud and clear showing her location.

Carrying Artemis on her shoulder Mina walked to her house. After the long visit at the hotel Sailor Venus exited the hotel the same way she went in. The security people announced on the walkie-talkies that she had indeed departed. She jumped up to the roof of a nearby building, leaping from roof to roof she made her way to the place where Artemis had waited faithfully for her.

She updated him on what had happened during her meeting with Shawn and the job offer he had proposed to her. Artemis was surprised and felt she should go through with it while Mina was not so sure if that would be the wisest course of action. The debate continued all the way to the front door of her house. Turning the doorknob the twosome quieted down as they entered.

"Mom! I'm home!" ,she announced.

The voice of her mother was heard from the kitchen.

"Where have you been? I was starting to get worried about you."

Entering the kitchen she prepared to hug her mother when the sight of Ami sitting at the dinner table surprised her. She stopped and looked curiously at the petite teen hoping that this visit was to be of a social nature.

"Ami's been waiting for you for some time now." ,her mother informed her.

Ami tried to look into Mina's eyes but the normal sparkling personality was not in her expression. In fact Ami would not even look at her. She kept her head down looking at her hands Even if she hadn't noticed that aspect of her body language, the shaking of Ami's clasped hands against her school uniforms blue skirt were the surest sign that there something was wrong. Her mothers though was too busy preparing the evening meal to notice Ami's changed condition.

"Can we talk in private?" ,Ami asked still not looking at her.

She agreed and the threesome moved from the kitchen to her bedroom. Closing the door Mina pressed her ear against the wall to make sure the conversation wasn't being overheard by her mother. Confident there was no eavesdropping Mina walked over to her friend while Artemis stood guard at the door.

Ami tried to raise her head up to look at her friend but had difficulty doing so. This was going to be very hard for her to do.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?" ,Mina finally asked.

"Yes...or at least I will be." ,Ami choked out.

She forced herself to look at Mina in the eyes. There was no way she could escape this and still be able to live with herself.

"You see I've discovered the truth about you and Shawn." ,she finally admitted," Now that I have I wish I had missed it."

Ami pulled out her mini-computer and began to press a few buttons. Handing it over to Mina it showed Shawn's back to the camera with his head turned to the camera and a hand extended outward to block its view. His body trying to form a barrier between himself and another person. Blonde hair and the tiniest section of a blue skirt were the only visible signs.

"Granted there isn't much to go on here but once I discovered this picture on the web I was soon able to find others as well."

Pushing another button the mini computer started a slide show. Every few seconds a new picture would be shown of Shawn and a girl. In each photo he tried to hide the girls identity but part of her was always visible. Several shots showed blonde hair and sometimes a red bow.

"From the composite of these pictures I compared the women with your known body structure and according to the computer there was a 93 probability of you being this women."

Feeling her face becoming flush Mina tried to pretend that this was all just a coincidence. Ami then plaid her trump card. One final picture taken from a newspaper.

The picture wasn't professionally done but the image was clear enough. The picture showed Mina in her volleyball uniform from her days in England and Shawn giving her a high five slap then another of the pair hugging. Both were smiling widely while the caption on the newspaper told of the teams volleyball victory.

"From what I've been able to gather so far it appeared you two were very close when you were in England as Sailor V. If you weren't why would he have been at your game and with you afterwards? Why all these shots of the two of you? I won't try to conject just how close the two of you were because it's none of my business but there is more to the story than this obviously. I'm guessing that something happened between you two, something you don't want to talk about, maybe a fight. That is why since it was announced that he was coming here you've been so distant to all of us. That is the reason why you got angry with Rei after the incident at the Laff Factory, and that is going to be the reason you'll be mad at me too for discovering the truth. I'm sorry, but now I have to tell the others what I know. I know you're going to think of me as a back stabbing Judas and I can only hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I came here first so you'd know what I did so you wouldn't find out from the others first. I felt you deserved that much. After all if the situation was turned around with me and Greg that is how I would feel."

Unable to continue her confession Ami wiped her tears away becoming still and waited for the reaction of the friend she came to see hoping that she would still consider her a friend after sharing this news with her.

Mina turned her head to Artemis seeking any advice to this situation. He looked back and shrugged his shoulders. He had already told Mina how he felt but if she wasn't ready to tell Ami he wouldn't intervene and she knew it. The stress she was feeling was becoming too much to bear alone and she was tired of carrying the burden. Her secret had been discovered and perhaps now was the time to stop facing it alone.

She took a deep breath then exhaled.

"Ami...I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I should have told you about this long before now. I didn't mean for this to get as out of hand as it did." ,she choked out

Her friend looked up with her still tear stained eyes seeing the expression of sadness on Mina's face. For the first time since this adventure began she looked a little relieved.

"Got to hand it to you Ami, if you weren't a scout you'd make a great detective. Your right, those pictures were of the two of us. You see he was my boyfriend."