Chapter 7

Usagi snored loudly, her body stretched oddly across her bed as she slept.

"Usagi," Luna said as she tapped her on the shoulder with her paw, "wake up Usagi." Usagi groaned, but just turned over and went back to sleep. "Usagi!" Luna yelped as she was almost crushed by the sleeping moon princess. Luna barely escaped and sighed, getting on top of Usagi and digging her claws in, "Usagi."

Usagi shot up in a sitting position, almost catapulting Luna off the bed, "Hai!"

Luna composed herself and frowned, "Usagi it's time to get up for school, and you're going to be late." Usagi winced at the word late and looked over at her clock to see that she only had thirty minutes before class started. She quickly got out of bed, whining about Luna not getting her up earlier.

Luna shook her head as she ran around the room getting ready, "I've been trying to wake you for almost an hour and you should be responsible for getting yourself up in time for school, you are sixteen years old Usagi, you are fully capable."

"Yeah yeah," Usagi said as she grabbed her school bag and hurried out the door. Luna sighed. Usagi panted as she finally made it to the school building with only five minutes to get to the classroom. Usagi stopped for a breather than hurried into the building with only three minutes to spare.

She started to whine, "I can't be late! If I'm not there in time again..." she stopped her sentence as tears filled her eyes, causing her legs to speed up faster through the hall.

She finally made it with one minute to spare as she reached her desk and slumped down into it, breathing hard. "Congratulations Usagi, you made it on time," she heard Makoto tease her from behind. Ami looked over at Usagi and smiled.

Usagi smiled back then looked over to see that Mina was looking down at a piece of paper as if concentrating hard on it; she didn't even act as if she saw Usagi enter the classroom. Usagi looked at her curiously, "Mina?" but she didn't look up from the paper.

"Miiiina," Usagi tried again and waved her hand between Minas eyes and the paper. This got her attention and she blinked before looking over at Usagi, "Usagi? I didn't know you were here already." Usagi laughed, "That's because you were staring at this," she took the paper from Mina to inspect it.

Mina tried taking it back from her before she had time to read it but it was too late and Usagi read the headline out loud, "Talent contest?" then a smile formed on Usagi's lips, "it looks like fun." Mina nodded a little and took the paper back and put it in her bag.

Usagi looked at Mina confused, she wasn't smiling, did she do something wrong? "Sorry I'm late class," the teacher announced as she entered the room. Usagi focused her attention on the teacher, anxious to ask what was up with Mina after school.

When school was over, Usagi, Makoto, Mina and Ami walked through the hall together as they were leaving the building. Usagi looked over at Mina and spoke first, "Minako-chan," she started as she turned and started walking backwards in front of the group, keeping her eyes on Mina, "why were you trying to take that leaflet from me when I was trying to read it?" Usagi turned and started walking normal again, "I mean it's only a talent contest."

Mina looked down, her hand tightened on her school bag. Makoto glanced over at Mina, "Is something wrong? You've been really quiet today." Mina shook her head, "It's just, I was thinking of entering the contest, but I guess I didnt want to say anything because if a talent agent offered me a singing career, well I still have to be a senshi."

Ami smiled at Mina, "Just because we are senshi Mina doesn't mean we cant pursue our dreams." "Yeah and we owe it to ourselves after all we went through with Galaxia," Makoto added. Usagi looked back at Mina and nodded with a smile.

Mina finally smiled and gave a nod that she agreed.

"So what's everyone going to do today?" asked Usagi with her hands behind her back as she walked down the street still in front of the others.

No one had time to answer as they heard a scream from nearby and they stopped on alert. They hurried off in the direction of the scream to find a youma attack people at the park. The four looked at each other and nodded before transforming into Sailor Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus.

They couldn't see the youma too well since its back was turned to them but as far as they could see the youma was a skinny, almost a skeleton like creature that had shiny black skin. "Leave those innocent people alone!" yelled Sailor Moon, "I stand for love and justice, I am Sailor Moon..." "and we are the sailor scouts," the others added. "And we will punish you," concluded Sailor Moon with her usual ending pose. The youma turned to them, revealing the same black skin covering its entire face except for its eyes and white markings on its cheeks and forehead.

The creature quickly shot a slimy green substance towards the scouts who had no time to get out of the way.

"Mars fire ignite!" came the sound of Sailor Mars' voice and fire engulfed the substance causing a small explosion as it disappeared only inches from the others. The explosion caused them to fall back, but otherwise remain unharmed.

Sailor Mars hurried over to the others and helped them up, "Are you guys ok?" she asked. They nodded as they stood then they all turned their attention back to the youma. Sailor Moon delivered the final blow to the youma and it disappeared then she whined as she turned to the other scouts, "Youma again?"

"I wonder why it was here," thought Sailor Mercury out loud.

Soon Luna and Artemis ran up to the scouts, "We sensed a youma around," informed Artemis. "Is everyone alright?" asked Luna. They nodded, "We took care of the youma," Sailor Jupiter told them. Ami looked down at the two cats, "Luna, Artemis, do you know why the youma attacked and where it came from?"

Luna shook her head, "We're not sure, but this isn't a good sign, usually youma don't just come to Earth for any reason, we should figure out what's going on and quickly." The scouts nodded, "Right."

"Luna," Rei spoke after they transformed back into their normal states, "have you heard anything from Haruka, Michiru or Setsuna lately?" Usagi eyes widened as she remembered something, "Oh Setsuna said that Haruka and Michiru have been busy with something when she came by with Hotaru for a visit, it was kind of weird."

"Weird?" Ami repeated questioningly.

Usagi nodded, "Yeah like she was worried or something." "Well I think it would be a good idea to inform them about these youma attacking although I'm sure they know already, we should all be on alert," Luna announced. "I agree," said Artemis, "the sooner we figure this all out the better."

Back at the apartment Haruka and Michiru were talking in their bedroom and by the sound of their raised voices, it wasn't going well. Setsuna sighed softly as she sat on the couch sipping her tea, she was glad Hotaru was out with Chibiusa and Mamoru.

Soon the phone rang and she got up and answered it, "Hello, Tenoh residence."

"Hey Setsuna-san," Usagi said in a cheerful tone. Setsuna blinked, "Oh hello Usagi, is everything alright?" Usagi nodded, "Mhm, well I guess you could say that, we had to fight off this youma earlier." "What?" Setsuna asked with surprise in her tone, "a youma attacked?"

"Yeah it was at the park, but we took care of it and Luna said we should let you guys know incase it's some kind of sign, but I mean you knew right?" Setsuna was looking down in thought and raised her head back up after Usagi finished talking, "No, actually we didn't, but I'm glad you called and I will let the others know," and with that Setsuna hung up the phone without another word.

Usagi looked at the phone surprised and confused by the sudden hang up, but quickly shrugged it off.

Michiru opened the bedroom door and walked out away from Haruka with a frown, "I can't believe you would want me to get an abortion." Haruka shook her head with a sigh as she followed Michiru, "I said nothing about an abortion, I said maybe it's not such a good idea to keep the baby."

Setsuna looked at them but didn't dare say a word and just sat back down on the couch, she knew better after all.

Michiru however stopped and turned to Haruka with a look of disbelief, "and that's supposed to be better?" "We talked about this Michiru, between our professions, our senshi duties and all the other things we have going on, we both agreed no children right now," Haruka shot back, "I thought you understood that."

"You act like I planned this," Michiru started getting tears in her eyes. Haruka sighed, "I know, I know this wasn't planned, I hate that some guy did this to you, but we need to deal with it," she looked over at Setsuna as if asking for help.

Setsuna looked down," Usagi called and said there was a youma attack at the park which they took care of," she stood up and went to the kitchen to get more tea. She knew that response probably would have been safer to give than her opinion on whether Michiru should give the baby up or not.

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other surprised and followed Setsuna.

"Why would a youma attack now after we took care of Galaxia," asked Haruka. Setsuna shook her head as she poured her tea, "I'm not sure, but I didn't even sense anything wrong, did either of you." Michiru looked down, "I haven't sensed anything unusual from the sea, I've been so focused on knowing the results of the tests, I guess I didn't realize it."

Haruka looked away guiltily, "We've all been distracted, it must have happened suddenly while we were occupied," she then looked at Michiru, "if there is a new enemy that is more reason to do this." Michiru looked up at Haruka saddened.

She quickly had to look away from Haruka's eyes, she knew she would have been pulled into them and she might just give in to what she was saying. She then closed her eyes and spoke so softly that the other two almost had to get closer to her to be able to hear, "No, I will not give this baby away to someone else," she looked back at Haruka, "I've decided to keep this baby, I'm sorry if you disapprove," and she rested both her hands on the middle of her abdomen as if protectively.

To both Michiru and Setsunas surprise, Haruka smiled and put her hand on Michiru's soft cheek, "You can be so stubborn." Michiru softly laughed and gave a playful little smile, "I learn from the best."