Chapter 7:

"Umino-chan, why are you dragging me out here?" Naru grumbled. "And did I tell you how ridiculous you look?"

Her companion paused to push his slipping glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Gesturing toward a park directly ahead with the oversized magnifying glass he held, he replied "It's quite simple, my good Naru-chan. Criminals don't usually keep their stolen property with them after the heist. The goods are too hot right now. This park isn't far from your mother's jewelry store, and I think there's an excellent chance he hid the loot somewhere inside the park until the heat is off."

Naru was unimpressed. "You've been reading too many cheesy detective novels, Umino-chan! And besides, it's just a bunch of dumb crystals they stole, not the Hope Diamond!"

"The value of the theft isn't the issue" Umino insisted, emphasizing his point with a raised index finger. "If he can steal crystals one day, he could come back for your more expensive things later."

"Umino-chan, the police are already looking for the thief."

"Hai, but not here."

"They're not looking here because it's a really stupid place to hide things!" Naru glared sternly at the boy. "You're not using this as an excuse to take me to the park, are you? This isn't a date, you know!"

Umino grabbed Naru's hand and began dragging her toward the nearest entrance. "Let's go, Naru-chan! Time is of the essence!"

. . . . .

Akako slid open the closet door, impressed by the style and sheer quantity of clothing Rei had collected. 'She certainly has an eye for fashion!' she mused. Selecting a short charcoal-black skirt and teal top, she skipped over Rei's collection of stylish sandals and elegant stiletto-heeled pumps and instead slipped on a pair of nearly-new running shoes. One last check to make sure the all-important henshin pen was safely nestled in her small purse and she left the miko's bedroom. Outside, Rei's grandfather stood just beyond the shrine entrance where he chatted with several high school girls.

"I'm going out for a walk, Ojii-san. I won't be too long."

"Fine. But please be careful, Rei-chan. And if you happen to see Yuuichirou anywhere, tell him to get back here immediately. He still hasn't finished his daily chores yet."

"I will, Grandfather." She gave the old man a quick peck on the cheek and headed down the steps of the Hikawa Shrine toward the park.

. . . . .

Keeping watch for any sign of her meddling guardian cat, Ayame was also heading toward her rendezvous with Akako. She turned a corner only to see Chiba Mamoru standing across the street, talking to a young woman. For some unexplainable reason, the odango-haired blonde suddenly felt deep pangs of jealousy within her heart. At first she decided to ignore them, but her feet thought otherwise, and she found herself quickly crossing the street and walking up to the couple.

Mamoru spotted her and grinned, "Well hello, odango atama! Shouldn't you be at home studying for your next test?"

"My study habits are none of your business, Mamoru-san!" Ayame turned to the girl standing near Mamoru and waggled a finger, warning her, "You really shouldn't speak to rude people like him!" The girl looked back at her with a puzzled expression and Ayame suddenly realized the intruder wasn't Japanese.

"Usagi-chan, this young lady is from America. She doesn't speak our language very well and was asking me for directions to her hotel." Mamoru watched with amusement as Ayame's face reddened.

"Oh, I'm very sorry!" Embarrassed, she bowed to the gaijin tourist. "Gomen nasai!"

Mamoru finished giving the stranger directions in English and politely bowed to the young woman as she thanked him and left. He turned his attention back to the blonde. "So, where are you headed in such a hurry this evening, Usagi-chan?"

"For your information, I'm going to the park." Ayame replied, uneasiness in her voice.

"The park? What a coincidence, that's where I was just headed."

"You can't! I mean... you shouldn't..."

"We can walk there together." Mamoru gestured ahead. "After you, Usagi-chan."

Ayame's heart sank. 'Now what am I going to do?'

. . . . .

Overlooking the shimmering waters of a lake that backed onto the park grounds, Kamada Yuuichirou sat quietly on a bench near a small dock. He watched as a young couple floated toward the shore in their rental boat, the girl smiling and talking excitedly with her boyfriend as the teenage male carefully eased the rowboat up to its berth. 'How I wish that was Rei-chan and me!' he pined, as he observed the young man taking his companion's hand and helping her out of the tiny vessel.

Sighing audibly, his own hand absently reached for his face, only to annoy him as he felt the slight stubble on his chin. "I really should shave more often" Yuuichirou mused, but his thoughts quickly drifted back to dreams of the beautiful raven-haired shrine maiden he had fallen so deeply in love with from the moment they first met.

. . . . .

"Oh, look at the cute little kitty!" a woman exclaimed. "And out here all alone too. Are you lost?"

Trying hard to keep her dignity, Luna ignored the passer-by and continued on toward the tree line. She found the quiet tranquility of the nearby park a welcome relief from Usagi's antics, and she needed a little time alone just now to ponder the Dark Kingdom's latest plan, and the disturbing information Ami had just given her. But even now, out among the trees the interruptions continued. A boy and girl came tramping noisily through the wooded area, pausing every now and then as the pair she recognized as two of Usagi's schoolmates stopped to let the boy peer at something through a comically huge magnifying glass. 'What on earth are they up to?' Luna muttered. 'I can't find peace and quiet anywhere today!'

. . . . .

Nearing the park entrance, Ayame grudgingly admitted to herself that she felt comfortably warm and safe beside the eighteen-year-old who strolled along with her. She stole another furtive glance at Mamoru as she thought of the everlasting love he once held for Princess Serenity, a love that would soon blossom again in Usagi's tender heart. The glance lingered a little longer than she had intended and he returned her gaze, his eyes sparkling mischievously in the evening light. They entered the park together as twilight neared, and Ayame decided that accidentally meeting him today wasn't such a bad thing after all.

. . . . .

Akako spotted her Grandpa's helper sprawled on a bench near the boathouse, head tilted down and eyes nearly closed. 'Daydreaming again!' she muttered. 'Well, I'll soon put a stop to that!' Walking up behind the boy, Akako stood quietly looking at him. Despite his somewhat shaggy appearance and occasional lazy ways, she had to admit that he did hold a certain appeal to her. 'He really is cute... and always so sweet and kind to me...' Shaking her head to clear the thought, she spoke sharply to the daydreaming teen.

"Yuuichirou-chan!"

"Aagh!" He sprang to life at the sound, nearly leaping out of the seat. "Rei-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing! Do you know that Grandfather is looking for you?"

"I'm sorry, Rei-chan. I guess my break lasted a little longer than it should have."

She was about to further scold the young apprentice when Ayame's voice interrupted her. "Oh, what do I see here?" her friend hinted coyly as she walked up. "Could it be Rei-chan and Yuuichirou-chan out on a date?" Ayame was accompanied by a handsome male companion in a green jacket, whom Akako correctly assumed had to be Chiba Mamoru.

A silly grin appeared on Yuuichirou's face, only to quickly vanish at Akako's curt reply. "No, we're not on a date!" Akako spluttered. "Grandpa is looking for him, and I just found him loafing here on this bench." She regarded Ayame with amusement. "Maybe it's you who's on a date, Usagi-chan!"

"A date? Me? With Mamoru-san? As if!" Yet Ayame felt incredibly guilty at the harshness of her denial. Her voice softened, "He insisted on escorting me here, that's all."

"I guess I'd better get back to the shrine before Hino-sensei throws my belongings out onto the street." Yuuichirou said glumly. He reluctantly said goodnight to the newly-arrived couple and after another brief but heartfelt apology to Akako, scurried off to face the wrath of his Sensei.

"Well, we're here" Ayame said to Mamoru. "Thank you for the walk. That was... very sweet of you."

"It was my pleasure, odango atama."

"Ohh! Just when I try to be nice to you, you have to go and call me mean names!"

"You're absolutely right, Usagi-chan." Mamoru nodded to her surprise. "Please accept my apology. Well, I hope you have a wonderful evening. And you as well, Rei-chan." Ayame opened her mouth to defend herself against another unpleasant remark, but was left speechless at the young man's sincere reply. She stood staring at him as he walked away.

"You're a lucky girl, Usagi-chan" Akako teased after Mamoru disappeared from sight. "Your boyfriend is quite the hunk."

"First of all, Chiba Mamoru is not my boyfriend! Second, he's not Usagi's boyfriend either. At least not yet. And third," her long hair bounced and swayed wildly as she yelled at Akako, jealousy rearing up within her again, "he's spoken for! So you can just forget about him!"

"Usagi-chan, keep your voice down!" Akako cautioned. "Anyway, I'm only kidding. I know he's destined to be your future love."

"You had better be kidding!" Ayame surprised herself at her outburst and she blushed. "Gomen, Rei-chan." Calming herself, she remembered the locket she had found earlier. A note of sadness crept into her voice. "Anyway, his heart belongs to someone else, not to me."

Akako laughed, upsetting her friend further. "What's so funny?" Ayame demanded.

"Let's suppose we're trapped here forever. Then you will be Tsukino Usagi forever. Which would make him your boyfriend. And eventually, your husband!"

"What? Well that's not... I don't think.. Rei-chan, you're really annoying!" But Akako didn't miss the tiny smile that briefly flitted across her blonde friend's face.

. . . . .

"Let's go this way, Usagi-chan. There's a secluded place over behind those trees."

Ayame nodded, her earlier courage fading fast. "I'm scared, Rei-chan. Maybe trying to henshin will hurt us."

"Not as much as a youma would" Akako grimly replied. The two girls eventually found a small clearing well hidden from the pedestrian paths and glanced around nervously. Streetlights around the park flickered on as the late-day sun sank behind a distant building, forming long shadows in Tokyo's cool evening air.

Ayame removed the brooch from her pocket and held it tightly in her trembling right hand.

"I... I can't do this! Rei-chan, you go first. Please!" she pleaded.

"Don't be such a baby, Usagi-chan! We both know that your brooch is very powerful. I'm sure it will compensate for your inexperience with it. Besides, you're the leader, I think you should go first."

"Well... ok." Ayame extended her arm, raising the brooch above her head. "Here goes." She gulped, her mouth dry, and hesitated once more.

"Get on with it!" Akako hissed.

"Fine! MOON PRISM-" Ayame abruptly stopped as the terrified scream of a girl rang out from somewhere not far away. She gasped in fright, "What was that?"

From beneath the trees a small dark shape came bounding directly toward the girls. Ayame and Akako froze as it neared, only to realize the approaching creature was a cat. Luna halted in front of her charges. "Usagi-chan! Rei-chan! A youma has appeared near the lake! Henshin immediately!"

"We can't!" Ayame confessed with a sob. "We're not real Sailor Senshi, Luna! We only perform as them. We're just actresses!"

"Of course you can!" Luna insisted. She explained quickly, "Ami told me about the strange cloud you were both exposed to. She just discovered that the cloud has the power to alter your minds and make you forget your past. You only think you are other people because the Dark Kingdom took copies of the minds of two similar girls from some other dimension and replaced your memories with theirs!"

Naru's voice wailed pleadingly from somewhere just beyond their sight. "Someone please help us!"

Another girl's voice promptly followed, that of a very close and dear friend. "SHABON SPRAY!"

Deep within Usagi's mind, a faint spark of remembrance suddenly flickered and grew. She nodded and raised her brooch once more, but this time without fear.

"MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Beside her, a red henshin pen was also quickly lifted toward the darkening sky.

"MARS POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Glowing waves of pure energy flooded over and through the teenage girls as the uniforms of Sailor Senshi instantly materialized upon them. Usagi and Rei still held the minds of Ayame and Akako within theirs, and could sense the young actresses' feelings of utter astonishment as they experienced in reality what they could only pretend to do on stage.

Sailor Mars turned to the Senshi of the Moon. "Let's go get that thing!"

"Hai!"

Together, they ran toward a sheltering cloud of dense paralyzing mist that had crept between the trees, the product of Sailor Mercury's delaying attack.

. . . . .

Sailor Mercury smiled with relief to see her friends rush from the forest to join her in battle. She touched a blue ear stud, making her visor vanish after a hasty scan of the intruder. "That youma isn't a carrier of a rainbow crystal!" she exclaimed to them. "It can be destroyed!" In reply, the youma summoned a large crystalline sphere and hurtled it toward the girls. Its aim disrupted by Mercury's mist, the dangerous orb went wide, missing the Senshi and impacting the ground off to one side. With a loud crack, it shattered into a cloud of lethally sharp shards.

Wasting no time, Mars brought the tips of her index fingers together, forming a sphere of blazing-hot plasma near the end of her protective white gloves.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The monstrous creature had been standing near Umino, who lay face-down and motionless in the grass, the twisted frame of his glasses resting nearby. It staggered back from the full force of Mars' blast, its spidery limbs now scorched to uselessness.

Sailor Moon looked with alarm at Umino's unconscious body and that of Naru who had fainted beside him.

"How dare you hurt these innocent people!" she yelled angrily at the beast. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" She reached for her gold tiara before the youma could recover.

"MOON TIARA ACTION!"

The spinning weapon released a burst of energy as it struck the weakened youma, vaporizing it into a cloud of glassy fragments.

This battle now over, Sailor Mercury happily hugged her friends. "Usagi-chan! Rei-chan! Welcome back!"

. . . . .

Epilogue:

Usagi slyly looked left, then right before sneakily reaching for the last cake on the plate.

"Usagi-chan!" Rei yelled, making her friend cringe. "Must you eat them all?"

"But I'm hungry! Studying is such hard work, Rei-chan!"

"You shouldn't think of it as a chore, Usagi-chan. Learning can be a lot of fun too" Ami said. The other girls stared at Ami, causing a familiar blush to form on the blue-haired girl's cheeks. Her eyes quickly darted back down to the pages of her textbook.

Makoto asked, "So you and Usagi-chan lost your memories for a while? That must've felt weird! So who did you think you really were?"

Rei shrugged. "When we transformed back to normal, everything we experienced from that period completely faded away."

"Luna said you told her you were some kind of... actresses?" the tall brunette asked.

"Maybe" the miko replied. "I honestly don't remember anything from the last couple of days, before we fought that youma in the park, Mako-chan. And neither does Usagi."

"Oh?" A devilish grin appeared on Makoto's face. "That's too bad" she snickered. "Then I guess Usagi-chan doesn't remember the hot romantic date she had with Mamoru before her real memory came back."

The last daifukumochi cake sat frozen in front of the odango-haired girl's open mouth.

"I did what!?"

. . . . . . . . . .