Chapter 7: The Water Senshi Is Revealed
Usagi, Makoto, Minako, and Rei met up at the library. Minako was gathering some books for a report while the other three sat in the lobby, waiting for her. "So you think the new girl is a scout?" Makoto asked Usagi.
Usagi shrugged. "I'm not sure. I felt a strange energy off of her, but I couldn't recognize it. As the day wore on, she seemed to get extremely tired."
"Maybe being in a new environment is wearing her out," remarked Rei. "I mean, I know if I moved to a new school, I would feel pretty drained by the end of the day."
"Hm, perhaps you're right."
Minako came over to them, with books in her hand and a blue-haired girl next to her. "Hey guys, this is Ami. She told me she knows where a cram school/computer lab is. Apparently the one we were looking at is now closed for renovations."
Ami smiled a little, holding her books to her and looking very shy. "I can show you if you like," she said very quietly. "I'm going to class now, in fact."
Rei nodded. "Thanks, that would be fine."
As the five girls walked to the lab, Ami did not speak much. When she did, however, it was so quiet and low that the other girls had to strain to hear her. "So," Ami practically whispered, "why are you interested in the cram school? Do you plan to attend?"
Makoto shook her head. "Not really. We're trying to find an old friend of ours."
"Oh. What's his or her name?"
Rei replied, "Um…Well, she changed her name some time ago when she was adopted, so we're not really sure." This was technically the truth, considering all of the scouts had been adopted by Earth parents.
"Oh." Ami looked ahead. All of this sounded very strange to her—perhaps these girls were lying to her. That wasn't fair; after all, she was the one helping them find the new lab. She brushed it off, deciding that it wasn't really any of her business.
Eventually they arrived in front of the computer lab. Outside of it was a big sign with computer screens filled with equations. Ami announced, "We're here."
Rei nodded. "Okay, thanks for your help, Ami."
"No problem." Ami smiled and went inside to her class.
"How did you figure out she went here, Minako?" asked Usagi.
Minako raised an eyebrow. "Did you not see the books that girl was carrying? 'Physical Chemistry and the Environment', 'Physics Strategies and Understanding of Eventual Motion,' and 'An Essay on How Literature Is An Expression of the Human Soul.' They all sound very complicated, do they not?"
Usagi gulped. "Wow, she is smart."
Rei declared, "All right now, we're going in."
"Shouldn't we buzz Artemis and Luna?" asked Minako.
"Yeah, you do that. The rest of us are going to have a look inside and around the classrooms. Come on, Makoto and Usagi." The three girls went inside, leaving Minako outside, fiddling with her watch.
"This is a nice place," stated Usagi. "Our school is nothing like this."
"That's because a very rich man donated a grant for them to build this," replied Makoto.
"How do you know that?"
"Look at the wall." Makoto pointed to a plaque with a name on it and the amount of money that had been donated for the construction of the school.
"Wow…" Usagi said admiringly.
Rei snapped, "Come on, let's go. Don't you want to find Mercury?"
"I guess you're not the kind of person to stop and smell the roses," Makoto remarked.
"We don't have that kind of time. Come on!"
Minako arrived, clicking her communicator off. "The cats are on their way." Noticing Makoto and Rei glaring daggers at each other, she asked, "What's going on?"
"Nothing," replied a resigned Makoto. "Let's just go."
Minako shrugged and looked around. "Wow, don't you think this is a nice school?"
Rei rolled her eyes.
On the first floor, none of the classrooms were being used. On the second, however, there were several computer classes being held at the same time. "How are we going to know which one is our girl?" asked Minako.
"Do you feel any vibes? Because I feel drawn to this classroom here," said Rei, pointing out the class behind her.
Usagi remarked, "That's the one that Ami is in."
"Hm, maybe she knows our girl after all."
Just then, Artemis and Luna came up the stairs and approached the girls. "Wow, cats in a school," Makoto observed. "This is an interesting sight."
"It's probably not the first time for us, but it's the only time we can remember so far," said Luna. "Have you found Mercury?"
"Rei feels she's in there," Usagi stated, pointing at the classroom Ami was in.
"What about you?" asked Artemis. "What do you feel?"
"I feel…" A shiver went down Usagi's spine. "Trouble!"
Minako agreed. "Me too."
"Then let's go transform," Rei ordered. "Come on, in this empty classroom." The girls went in, and took out their henshin pins (for Rei, she took out her locket).
"Moon Cosmic Power! Make-up!"
"Venus Star Power! Make-up!"
"Mars Star Power! Make-up!"
"Jupiter Star Power! Make-up!"
A scream pierced the air. "All right girls, let's go," commanded Sailor Moon, marching out of the empty classroom and towards the source of trouble. The classroom that Rei had pointed out was the one that was being attacked. A large plant monster, one that Makoto would have classified as a Venus fly-trap, was inside, holding up people with vines and draining their energy. The senshi burst into the classroom. "Stop right there! You have no right to take these peoples' energies while they are trying to study! I am Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, and on behalf of righteousness and justice, I will stop you!"
"I am Sailor Venus!" announced the love senshi, holding up her trademark V for Victory sign. "And on behalf of Venus, I will punish you!"
"I am Sailor Mars! On behalf of Mars, I will toast you!" Makoto/Mars held up her fist in a fighting pose.
"And I am Sailor Jupiter, senshi of lightning! I will too punish you!" Minako/Jupiter put her hands on her hips, glaring at the monster.
"Heh, heh. You think you can stop me?" replied a growling voice. "I am far more powerful than you pathetic senshi. Watch this!" With that, the plant sent four vines out to wrap up the girls.
"Ah! I can't move!" cried out Sailor Venus.
"We're stuck!" exclaimed Sailor Jupiter.
The monster laughed evilly, then sent out other vines to gather energy from other students.
"Let us go!" shouted Sailor Mars.
"If you insist…" said the monster, flinging the girls against the wall. They all collapsed in pain. The plant continued to drain energy from more people. It reached Ami, who looked rather terrified. She ran, trying to avoid the vines from reaching her. Eventually she got herself into a corner with nowhere to run. She sat down in despair, waiting for the vine that would eventually grab her.
"Luna, look!" Artemis pointed out. On the forehead of the blue-haired girl, the symbol of Mercury appeared. "It's her!"
"Well, what are you waiting for? Give her the pin!" Luna declared.
Artemis ran over to Ami. "I don't have a lot of time to explain right now, but take this and shout Mercury Star Power!" He somersaulted and a blue pin appeared.
Ami nodded, and without question called out, "Mercury Star Power! Make-up!" Streams of water wrapped around her, forming her blue sailor suit. She stood rather awkwardly in her new boots and outfit.
"It's her!" exclaimed Usagi/Sailor Venus. "We found Mercury!"
"Now what?" Mercury asked Artemis.
"Your power is Mercury Aqua Mist!"
"Okay. Mercury Aqua Mist!" A fog filled the room, causing the monster to become confused.
"I can't see!" it growled.
"But I can," declared Sailor Moon. "Moon Tiara Action!" She threw her tiara, and sliced the monster in half.
The fog cleared, and Sailor Mercury walked over to her new teammates. "Hi, there. I feel as if I've met you before," said the shy girl.
"I think you have," replied Sailor Jupiter with a smile. "Come on, we'll explain everything later."
"But what about class?" asked Mercury worriedly.
Sailor Mars looked around at the wrecked classroom and replied, "I'm pretty sure it's canceled now."
….
Later, at the arcade, Ami was sitting in shock after Rei finished telling the story of the Moon Kingdom for what felt like the umpteenth time. "That all seems to make sense. I wouldn't have guessed you were a Princess, though, no offense," Ami said to her.
"Ah, well, it's because I don't act like I'm better than everyone else," replied Rei nonchalantly. The other three girls snorted into their milkshakes.
Rei was oblivious to this, and stared as Mamoru walked through the door of the arcade. Watching his every move, she sighed. "Isn't Mamoru handsome?"
Usagi's eyes widened, and she shared a worried glance with Makoto. Minako asked Rei, "You like Mamoru?"
"Of course. He's so mature, smart, and good-looking. I heard he wants to be a doctor one day." Rei turned to see Usagi looking at her strangely. "What's wrong, Usagi? Mad that I like the guy who picks on you? Or do you like him as well?"
"I don't like him," Usagi lied. "Not like that, anyways. We're not arguing as much anymore, but it doesn't change the fact that we don't get along."
"Okay good," replied Rei, turning her attention back to Mamoru.
Makoto gave Usagi a look, but Usagi shook her head. "Not now," she whispered to her friend.
Mamoru, after talking with Motoki all this time, walked over to the girls' booth. "Hi there," he said.
Rei batted her eyelashed. "Hi Mamoru. Would you like to join us?" she inquired sweetly.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to Usagi." He stared at the blonde, who felt her cheeks grow warm. Rei turned to stare at her as she got out of the booth.
"I'll be back in a minute," the blonde said quickly, getting out of the booth. She and Mamoru walked away from the booth.
"What the heck is that all about? Isn't it obvious that 'Odango Atama' doesn't like him?" demanded a rejected Rei.
"Look, about last week…" Mamoru started to say.
"It's fine, really. Just a bad day," Usagi replied.
Mamoru stared at her for a moment. "How did you know there was going to be trouble?"
Usagi's face turned pink and she laughed nervously. "Uh, sixth sense?"
"Are you psychic or something?"
"Heh. Not really. I wish."
Mamoru said, "Well, I don't know if you heard, but I didn't listen to you, and I should have. Fortunately, Sailor V saved me."
Usagi tried to act like she didn't believe him. "Really? An arcade character?"
"I'm serious. I just wish I could tell her thanks myself."
Inside, Usagi's sailor self was growing pleased with this news. The other part of her was asking why the heck she was still talking to this guy. And then, a third voice—You know that you like him. Why not say it?
Shut up, Usagi told herself. Aloud, she said, "Well, I'm sure you will one day. Is that all you wanted to talk about?"
Mamoru sighed, disappointed. "Yeah, that's it."
"Okay. Well…are you doing anything this weekend?"
Mamoru's eyes lit up. "No, nothing special. Why?"
Don't even think about it! "Uh…'cause…um…well, you see…it's like this…" Usagi stammered. Then an idea hit her. "You see my friend over there? The girl with the black hair?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Um, I was wondering if you would like to take her out. She's been having a rough time lately, and I figured since you were in a generous mood, maybe you can cheer her up." Oh yeah, good cover, Usagi.
"Oh…" Mamoru turned to look at the booth again. "Okay, sure. It's really nice of you to ask me to help you friend."
"Ah well," Usagi said nervously, "that's how I am! Always thinking of my friends!" She giggled, sweating at the same time. "She lives at the Shrine, a priestess."
"Wow, that's interesting." No, not really, Mamoru. He was hoping if he pleased Usagi, perhaps she would take more of an interest in him.
"Okay, then…so it's a date?"
I wish it was our date, he thought. "Sure. Absolutely."
Usagi breathed a sigh of relief and headed back towards her friends. Rei snapped at her, "What the heck were you doing? I thought you had no interest in Mamoru! I like him, not you! What are you trying to do, steal my crush?"
"For your information," Usagi retorted, "I got you a date with him." She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out.
"Wha-what? Usagi!"
"I told him you were having a rough time right now, which is technically true. He's going to cheer you up."
Rei dropped her jaw. "You're not going to hear me say this often," Rei stated, "but you are a genius."
Ami inquired, "How is she a genius for getting you a date? It doesn't seem that difficult to me."
"Then why don't you ask someone out?" asked Minako.
The blue-haired girl stammered, "B-because…I don't like anyone right now."
"Uh-huh. Sure," Minako teased with a wink. "Might want to talk to Usagi over there—after all, she is the goddess of love!" The other girls giggled.
