Chapter Eight

O be less beautiful, or be less brief
-Sir William Watson

Humming happily, Usagi trotted down the hallway. All around her, students were shutting their lockers for the final time before the weekend. She caught snippets of conversation as she drifted by: of students making plans for the rest of the Saturday afternoon, squealing over the sale at a trendy clothing store, discussing the latest C.D. that had come out from a popular songstress, and giving out final details for a Halloween party one of her male classmates was having (costumes required). She passed Brenna and Alyson, whose heads were bent together as they bickered animatedly. They paused long enough to wave and smile at her before diving back in to argue.

Usagi passed them without comment. Her mind was filled with Mamoru, as it so often was. The thought of being with him, even now, sent her senses into overdrive, as if she couldn't think properly unless she was physically near him. Lately being able to carve out segments of time that were solely devoted to each other was rare. That night he was taking her out to dinner at a new Thai restaurant he had discovered. She was looking forward to spending time alone with him, away from senshi business and away from the increasing drama surrounding Jenny and Nick that had lately dominated their conversations.

Several disgruntled cries caught Usagi's attention. She looked up. A storm cloud in the form of a tall American girl thundered down the hallway, dark hair blowing behind her. She walked determinedly, either unaware of or not caring about the slighter Japanese students who had to leap out of her path. Her expression was dark and forbidding. The few boys who were tall enough to meet her eyes averted their gazes. Seeing her gave Usagi a sinking feeling. She could sense her perfect night with Mamoru crumbling beneath Kelly's feet. Wondering what could possibly have gone wrong, Usagi plastered a bright smile on her face.

"Hi, Virida-san! Where are you – hey!" She broke off with a cry of surprise when Kelly grabbed her wrist and, without slowing her pace or even bothering to look at her, proceeded to drag her down the hallway. Hordes of curious students, some giggling and pointing openly, watched them go.

"Wait, what are you–"

"Just shut up," Kelly said roughly, rounding a corner and tugging Usagi along with her. Usagi shut up. She said nothing while Kelly pulled her up a flight of stairs, past their wide-eyed classmates. Down the second hallway, she chanced a glance at Kelly's furrowed brow and stormy green eyes. No need to guess what was making her nearly shake with tension. It had to be Jenny. It was always Jenny.

Only last week Kelly had furiously cornered Usagi after lunch after Jenny had happily described to them how she had spent the previous afternoon sketching various sculptures in downtown Tokyo. Alone. How this was her fault, Usagi was still unclear. Kelly was the psychic one. If Jenny was going to skip class to run off and draw, Kelly should have known. But nothing had happened, and after Jenny proudly displayed her drawings to her later that night, Usagi couldn't help feeling that the afternoon hadn't been wasted.

The final door they burst through opened up to the roof. Swirling grey clouds danced in the sky above their heads, a perfect complement to Kelly's dark mood. Kelly peered around the roof to make sure that they were alone before releasing her. Without looking at Usagi, she strode forward to thread her fingers through the chain-link fence that surrounded the edges of the roof. She stared out onto the school grounds without speaking. Usagi pulled her wrist in to her chest to cradle it. She massaged it with her other hand. She was a little resentful of Kelly yanking her around, but she did her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice when she spoke.

"If this is about Jenny-san, you know she always spends Saturday afternoons with Gordon-san. I'm sure she's been picked up by his driver, and is on her way there now." Usagi tried to keep her voice light and reassuring, but Kelly still did not move. Suddenly, Usagi was struck with a terrible thought. What if Kelly was not there to yell at her for failing to take Jenny's security seriously, but to tell her some terrible news? What if Jenny had snuck away from school again and gotten herself captured, or worse? What if they were too late to save her, and all their weeks of plotting and planning for Jenny's safety were worth nothing?

"Virida-san, tell me," Usagi said quietly, creeping up beside her. Kelly turned her head and looked down at her. Her mouth was set in an expressionless line, but her eyes were serious.

"Do you have anything to wear for Halloween?"

At first, Usagi just stared, trying to work the remark around in her brain. She failed almost instantly to make sense out of it, and let out a politely incredulous, "What?"

"A costume," Kelly said, turning to face her fully. She placed her right hand on her hip and looked Usagi up and down, frowning slightly. "It's this thing we do. Every Halloween you're supposed to dress up and–"

"I know what it is," Usagi said a little sharply. Who didn't know about Halloween? The holiday had never quite caught on in Japan, but there was the occasional party at a Tokyo club or a private residence.

"Good. Well, if you don't have a costume, you're going to need to get one. I need you with me tonight."

It took Usagi a moment to understand what Kelly was talking about. And then she remembered. Of course. Jenny had been chattering about it all week. She, Kelly, Brenna and Alyson along with Brenna's two roommates were going out to a club that held an annual Halloween celebration. Jenny seemed to be caught between excitement and apprehension about it. The apprehension mainly came from the fact that she had agreed to a makeover that Brenna had suggested, after Brenna heavily hinted that she would be embarrassed to go anywhere in public with Jenny without some drastic changes.

"I need you there," Kelly repeated. Her fingers tightened on the fence as she looked at Usagi pleadingly. "I think something's going to happen."

"To Jenny?" Usagi asked, surprised. The vision of her evening with Mamoru was deflating slowly like a balloon with a pinprick. "But you're going to be in a club. Surely he's not going to try anything in such a crowded place."

"That's exactly the point. It's crowded, and everyone is going to be in costume. Think how easy it'll be for him to lose himself in the crowd. And with so many people around, it'll be harder for me to lock in on his presence. He could take her in an instant, and I'd never know." Kelly snapped her fingers. Her eyes looked slightly wild.

"If you think something's going to happen, why not just try to talk her out of going?" Usagi asked reasonably.

"You think I haven't tried? She's really looking forward to this. Besides breaking her arm and creating a reason for her to stay home, I can't stop her."

Usagi swallowed uneasily. Kelly's expression worried her. It was clear that the thought of something stalking Jenny in a dark club where she couldn't keep her constantly under watch was making her unhinged. "You know," she started hesitantly, knowing how Kelly was going to react, "if we just tell her what she's facing, all this precaution is unnecessary-"

"Out of the question. We've discussed this enough. The timing isn't right."

Usagi sighed. "Okay. Well, what do you think is going to happen tonight?"

"I don't know, but it feels like a trap. I can feel him drawing closer, closing in on her – on us. I can protect her at school. I know she's safe at home with you. But I can't be there watching over her every second in a crowd where anyone wearing a mask could be the enemy. I'd feel a lot better if you were there to back me up."

Unexpectedly, Usagi's eyes began to sting. It was Kelly's confidence in her, the plea in her eyes. The fact that Kelly trusted her enough to want her to be her partner in what she saw as the most important job in the universe. Usagi felt her head jerk in a nod. How could she say no? Instantly, some of the tension left Kelly's shoulders.

"Good. I'll get you directions to Brenna's apartment. We're meeting there at nine before we walk over to the Starfire Club. I'll let her know to expect you. Wear a costume. Don't worry about the cover fee. Brenna's roommate knows the bouncer, and she's pretty sure we can all get in for free. And Usagi - thanks. I mean it."

Usagi nodded again after the flurry of speech as Kelly strode past her. She didn't move from her spot by the fence. She was wondering how she was going to explain to Mamoru that their plans had changed.

0 0 0

Jenny stared at her reflection on the glassy surface. A room full of candles glimmered light to shine back at her. Returning her gaze was an angel with eyes blue as a pale spring sky and silvery-blonde hair that shone like a metallic liquid as it rested against her shoulders. A long sleeveless dress of pure white fell from her shoulders to the floor, softly clinging to her body. Silver wings sprouted from the back of her dress, and a golden halo rested above her head. She looked like an angel in a classic depiction of the paradise-dwellers, but the expression marring her features was anything but heavenly.

"Didn't I tell you?" Brenna said proudly. "You should have believed me before. You're a hottie."

That was a matter of opinion. Jenny leaned closer to the mirror above Brenna's ancient and scratched vanity table and itched her left shoulder. The dress might look softly divine, but the fabric was actually quite scratchy. She straightened her halo (it had been resting lopsided on her head), and blinked suspiciously at the effect. The angel stared unhappily back at her.

She shook her head. "I can't do this."

"Don't be stupid." Brenna examined her nails, painted black and scarlet. Except for her red hair, she could have stumbled out of the pages of a steamy Arabian tale. She was dressed as a belly dancer in a light gauzy fabric that jangled with beads and showed off her stomach. She looked beautiful and very sexy, even while glaring at Jenny with eyes hard as jade. "You can't back out now. Do you have any idea how much time and money I've spent on you? Hold still."

Jenny sighed and allowed Brenna to continue fussing with her hair. All afternoon she had been subjected to one torture after another, starting when Brenna dragged her to a salon called Pink Diamond after school. One look at the vivid pink décor and Jenny had tried to escape. She had protested, argued and even pleaded, but Brenna piled enough guilt on her already leaden conscience that she'd had to agree. Jenny had spent the next two hours staring miserably at a shocking display of painted fuchsia flamingos on the walls while a girl in a pink wig stripped the red color from her hair and re-dyed the strands to match her blonde roots. Angels, Brenna had explained, didn't have bad dye jobs. Her look had to be all natural.

"There!" Brenna said triumphantly, standing back to look at her protégé. Jenny felt like a show horse as Brenna examined her. Her friend's expression was pleased, but Jenny felt naked without her familiar clothes and hair. The dim lights and the smell of scented candles overpowering the room made her dizzy. Her reflection blurred and rippled in the mirror. She had always thought she looked too young, too innocent, too scared. But the girl she saw in the mirror was in no way reminiscent of the fourteen year old girl who had turned to multicolored hair and piercings as a way of masking herself. She appeared older, wiser, prettier. It scared her, in a way, to see her familiar eyes peering out from the being in the mirror. She appeared otherworldly and unrecognizable, a sprite all in white with pale hair, skin and eyes.

At least Brenna was satisfied. She hummed to herself as she shoved her scattered cosmetics into an empty drawer, signaling an end to Jenny's misery. "I'm going to see if the others are ready," she announced before exiting her bedroom, beads jangling all the way. She left the door slightly ajar, and sounds drifted in from the living room, a soft murmur of voices and clinking glasses. Jenny recognized Usagi's nervous laugh and smiled. She had been surprised but pleased when Usagi had told her that afternoon that she and Mamoru were coming out with them.

Jenny turned to the mirror one final time to fiddle with her halo. That was when she heard it. A smooth male voice followed by a rich warm laugh. Jenny stopped dead, her arms poised awkwardly above her head. She listened, initial warmth giving way to icy-cold horror. Her heart slammed against her ribcage like a small bowling ball. Slowly, she lowered her hands to Brenna's dresser. Her nails dug into the wood. It sounded like him. But no, surely not… of all the places in Tokyo, he couldn't be there.

Of course he could. That was the problem. Aside from his incomprehensible ability to pop up in places he shouldn't be, Nick could have easily come along with Usagi and Mamoru. If Usagi had brought him… oh, Jenny was going to kill her.

Jenny slipped around the back of the open door and peered through the crack between the door and the doorframe. Her friends were scattered around the living room. Alyson stood in front of the mirror hanging on the opposite wall, examining her reflection. Her golden hair was pinned up and she wore a long frilly red gown with a feathered scarlet mask, a princess preparing to go to a costume ball. Brenna was standing with her roommate, Dalila, near the front door. Dalila Adia Eshe was an beautiful nineteen-year-old ballet instructor from South Africa, with flawless dark skin, curly dark hair, stormy blue eyes and a calming aura. She was wearing one of her ballet costumes, pink with delicate silk roses decorating the waist. Kelly was sitting on the worn leather sofa talking to Brenna's other roommate, Lyyli Viljo, a tall twenty-one-year old English teacher's aide from Finland. Lyyli had a perpetual look of sparkling mischief, eyes of a vivid cerulean and long light blue hair that she rarely wore out of a ponytail. Right then she was donning plastic fangs and a long black cape. Kelly wore no costume: she had refused to participate from the beginning, despite Brenna's pleas. Behind them stood Usagi and Mamoru. Mamoru looked very dashing as a cowboy, and Usagi wore a head-to-toe, puffy pink bunny suit that resembled Ralphie's pajamas from A Christmas Story. Jenny couldn't even bring herself to chuckle properly at Usagi for missing the point of Halloween. Her attention was caught by only one person.

He was talking to Brenna and Dalila. His back was to Jenny, but she knew him. The way he confidently stood, one hand on Dalila's arm as he laughed, the way his dark hair brushed the back of his neck. When he turned his head slightly to say something to Brenna, Jenny felt nauseous. His face still bore the faint marks from the beating he had received three weeks ago. The bruises on his cheeks had faded to a sickly yellow and there was a scab above one eye that was nearly healed. Jenny hadn't seen him since that night. She had managed to push the incident to the back of her mind, but suddenly the guilt and the horror were back, tearing at her more strongly than ever.

Okay, breathe. You can do this. Jenny took a step away from the door, her hand pressed to the base of her throat. Her pulse vibrated beneath her fingertips. She cast a nervous glance at her reflection, and saw herself shrinking and pale by the candlelight. A wave of horror rushed through her; he couldn't see her like that. Slowly she breathed in and out until she was able to stand straighter and unclench her fingers. She knew she was being stupid. Her surprise at seeing him was justified, but there was no reason to worry.

No reason at all. Except that she had avoided Nick and ignored his calls and refused to see him repeatedly when he came over until a deeply regretful Usagi was forced to tell him the truth - that Jenny didn't want to see him. If he hated her now, he was right to do so.

Oh God, Jenny thought, her confidence wavering again. So many times, in the past few weeks, she had wondered what she would say to him when she saw him again. It was for his own good that she had avoided him, and hers as well, for nothing positive ever came into her life when he was involved. That was what she had told herself, even as she frequently pestered Usagi to get updates from Mamoru on Nick's health. She had found herself thinking of him at odd moments, his face popping before her mind's eye, bloodied and swollen. And the way he had looked at her before he fainted, content through his pain simply because she hadn't left him. He had thought they were friends. He couldn't possibly be that deluded any longer.

Since Brenna's bedroom didn't provide a convenient escape route, the sooner she got it over with the better. Clenching her teeth, Jenny nudged open the door and stepped into the living room. Alyson was the first to notice her. Her eyes met Jenny's in the mirror across the room and her jaw dropped. She spun around, her violet irises completely surrounded by white as she took in Jenny's new look. Jenny self-consciously brought a hand to her hair, pressing her fingers against the silky strands. Brenna hadn't told anyone what she was planning.

"Do you like it?" she asked worriedly. She kept her eyes glued to Alyson, forcing herself not to turn her head. She was very aware of Nick's presence in her peripheral vision.

"Like it? It's fantastic. The hair, the clothes." Even as she spoke the compliment, Alyson looked jealous. She frowned down at her own costume, as though Jenny's had put hers to shame.

"Of course it is. It was my idea." Brenna peered smugly over Nick's shoulder. At her words, the others in the room curiously turned and looked Jenny over with various levels of surprise and admiration. Lyyli whistled softly. Beside her, Kelly wore a very strange expression. Her lips were twitching, but not as if she was about to smile or laugh. Usagi's reaction was almost comical: one look at Jenny and her cheeks paled until they were white as eggshells. She made a sudden movement, but Mamoru grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back. They both stared.

Jenny was too focused on Nick to worry about it. He was the last to turn. He had been smiling at something Dalila whispered to him, but the instant he saw her, his smile leaked away. He was surprised to see her (maybe Usagi hadn't brought him), and from the look on his face, it didn't appear to be a good thing. Jenny couldn't meet his eyes. She focused on his costume: green hat with a red feather poking through the top, a long forest green cape and a brown tunic that reached his knees over soft brown slacks. A plastic bow and a satchel of arrows were slung over his shoulder. Robin Hood. She had seen him wear a similar costume before, the Halloween when they were six and nine. She had gone as Maid Marion.

Without so much as a blink, Nick turned back to Dalila. Whatever he said made her laugh. Jenny stood very still, looking at them. She felt oddly hollow inside. She had expected… something more. Some acknowledgement, whether disgust or scorn. Anything. But from his lack of reaction, they may as well have been strangers.

Conversations resumed after the brief interlude. Jenny hovered alone near the doorway to Brenna's bedroom. The worst was over. She should be relieved, but she didn't feel any more relaxed. She spotted several empty glasses on the coffee table beside Kelly and Lyyli, and busied herself with collecting them. She didn't look at Nick as she passed him to bring the cups into the small kitchen.

Once inside, Jenny placed the glasses in the sink and then leaned her hands against the counter, drawing out a long breath. What had she been thinking to agree to this? She had known, some part of her had known, that the night would be a disaster. To think, rather than subject herself to this Halloween nightmare, she could have stayed in with Max and tried out her new oil pastels…

The dark window above the sink reflected movement. Jenny looked up. Robin Hood had entered the kitchen. Feeling like a trapped bird, she swung around. If only the wings on her back were real, she would soar out the window and escape into the night. She gripped the counter behind her. Her eyes darted behind him to the doorway to gauge the distance back to the living room. It was too far. Resigned, she braced herself for him to speak.

Nick didn't look at her as he carefully placed his empty can of Coke on the counter. He stood still for a moment, his fingers playing with the metal tab of the can. Finally, when Jenny was getting ready to sprint, he looked up. "I thought you would go for green this time," he said.

Jenny stared at him. "What?" she finally said, failing to make sense of his conversation starter.

"Your hair. How many has it been now? Blue. Black with bleached streaks. Red. I suppose I missed a few more colors after I left. Why did you go back now?"

Unexpectedly, Jenny was having a hard time catching her breath. He sounded so casual. His forced calmness told her he was trying to be as polite and distant as he could. Was it possible that he was going to let her get away with the way she had acted towards him the last few weeks? "Blame Brenna," she said finally, watching him closely. "I didn't have much choice, to be honest. Personally, I thought it was time for violet."

A flash of a smile crossed Nick's face as he glanced quickly up at her and then back down at the Coke can. He detached the tab from the top of the can and dropped it neatly into the metal opening. Encouraged by the lack of animosity, Jenny started speaking again. "Um… Did Usagi invite you?" She wanted to determine what level of pain her host sister was entitled to later.

"Lila, actually. We used to live together." He didn't quite meet her eyes.

Memory flashed through Jenny's mind. Nick's hand on Dalila's arm, the two of them laughing together as she spied from behind Brenna's door. They had looked so comfortable together, like siblings… or something entirely different. Jenny had a wild desire to ask him what that meant, but stopped herself. What did she care?

While she was trying to work out what to say next, Nick removed his hat and restlessly ran a hand through his dark hair. He replaced it, flattening down his bangs. "If you want me to leave, I will," he said suddenly. Jenny was stunned. Of all the things she had imagined would come out of his mouth, that wasn't even close. The knot squeezing her lungs loosened slightly.

"Stay. Why would I mind?" At that moment, she meant it. They looked at each other for another few seconds before Jenny shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, if that's all…"

"No, that's… Jen, wait!" As Jenny made a movement to walk past him, Nick actually took hold of her wrist to prevent her from leaving. She wrenched her arm out of his grip as a reflex, but immediately regretted it from the hurt look that flashed across his face. Nick looked down at his hand, his expression grim.

"I see. I guess I was right." He sounded so bitter that Jenny was taken aback.

"About what?"

"You. It's just that part of me thought we were finally friends. You seemed to really care when… you know." He made a light punching motion with his left hand – as if she needed the reminder. "And I thought for days that there had to be an explanation for why you didn't call or come by to see if I was okay. Stupid, right?" He laughed humorlessly.

Jenny felt stung. "Nick…" she started, but he rushed on.

"Did you care at all? Like, maybe for a second feel sad or pity or something?" When she didn't respond, he added glumly, "No, why should you? That's the point, isn't it?"

Something stirred in Jenny's chest as she realized. He wasn't angry or annoyed with her. He was hurt. She had hurt him beyond her imagining by refusing to see him. In the past, this would have given her pleasure, but now she felt no sense of triumph.

"Of course I cared. You know I did," she said before she could stop herself. They were standing so close that Jenny could feel his heat rising from beneath his Robin Hood costume. She was suddenly struck by the physical nearness of him. He was so handsome…his black hair falling haphazardly across his forehead…the smooth line of his jaw…his chocolate eyes framed by thick dark eyelashes…those lips, soft and slightly parted to exhale quickened breath that made his chest rise and fall. She found herself leaning towards him, caught by his gravitational pull…

Jenny felt her cheeks warm. She quickly averted her gaze. "I knew you were okay. Mamoru told us. I was glad to hear it."

"But you didn't–"

"What was I supposed to do, Nick? Nurse you back to health?"

"No, I just thought–"

"Well, next time you get beaten up by some crazy guy I'll send you flowers, okay?" she said irritably.

A mask slammed down across Nick's face. All emotion was squelched from his expression. She knew he was an actor, but it was still startling to see just how dead he could make his eyes. "Next time? It only happened because I was with you. Not exactly a repeat occurrence, is it?" Without another word, he turned and strode from the kitchen. Jenny watched him go, curiously numb. Why though? This was what she had wanted, to break all ties with him. If Nick had accepted it, all the better.

After all, she thought bitterly, it's not my responsibility to help him ease his conscience over letting them all torment me for so many years.

She forced a smile onto her lips and followed Nick back into the living room.

0 0 0

It was as loud and chaotic as she had thought it would be. Jenny felt light-headed as she entered the club. An army of goblins and ghosts danced and writhed before her eyes like a scene from hell. Colored strobe lights flashed, making the dancers move jerkily and glow with unnatural light. The pounding music of a techno dance tune throbbed through every nerve in her body. The very air seemed foggy and charged with crackling electricity. Jenny could see how someone like Brenna, who thrived on excitement, could get high on the atmosphere.

Her friend's cheeks were flushed as she grinned. "Isn't this great?" Brenna shouted. Jenny didn't respond. Alyson was showing signs of interest as she peered around, but Kelly was frowning at the crowd, her eyes appearing almost black in the dim light. Usagi and Mamoru had already disappeared.

Brenna wasn't the only one responding to the surroundings. Jenny could see the same reckless excitement light up Nick's face. The quiet detachment that had clouded him during the walk over disappeared as soon as he walked through the door. He winked at a group of girls hovering nearby, and they responded with giggles and blushes. This was more the Nick she remembered, carefree, flirtatious and vibrantly alive. Dalila tugged on his arm and jerked her head towards the bar on the far side of the club. He nodded and followed her and Lyyli. Jenny watched them go with narrowed eyes.

"Come on," Brenna said, grabbing her arm. She pulled her to a miraculously empty table and they sat down along with Alyson and Kelly. A waitress with a pumpkin mask walked hopefully up to their table, but Brenna impatiently waved her away. Jenny looked at her expectantly, but she only reclined gracefully in her chair and twirled a lock of her red hair absently with her fingers.

"What do we do now?" Jenny asked seriously, and was slightly affronted when Brenna and Alyson looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"We wait," Brenna said with an air of saintly patience. And indeed, barely a minute passed before their table was approached. A couple of boys, nice-looking, although a little hesitant. The first had high cheekbones and gorgeous eyes. He was dressed like a knight. His plastic sword swung on his belt as he leaned in to say something to them. Jenny couldn't hear his words over the pounding music, but Brenna giggled and responded enthusiastically. His friend, a slightly awkward-looking boy who had a painted face to look like a zombie stared at them with his mouth slightly parted, his eyes darting between Alyson and Jenny. Kelly gave them both scornful looks.

"Come on," Brenna said standing up. She grabbed Jenny's wrist and tried to pull her to her feet, but Jenny resisted. This was the moment she had been dreading.

"Oh no. I don't dance. Really, I…" She broke off with a little gasp of pain. Alyson had kicked her under the table, and the violet eyes behind the mask were glowering at her, furiously communicating disapproval.

"I mean, I'd love to," Jenny finished weakly. She cast a worried look at Kelly but the other girl shrugged, her full lips pursed together. Options run out, Jenny stood and allowed Brenna to pull her onto the dance floor, following the two boys.

It was a lot less awkward than she had thought it would be. Jenny had always avoided going to school dances, so her experience was limited to watching (but not joining) Melissa dance in her bedroom along to music videos. Fortunately, skill didn't seem to be necessary to the kind of dancing the crowd around her was doing. As long as she raised her arms and swayed her hips she seemed to blend in. She stepped on toes in the beginning, and once she tripped and fell straight into the arms of the zombie. But unexpectedly, she began to enjoy herself. The music surrounded her, like a living heartbeat of the club itself. People smiled at her whenever she happened to meet their eyes. Bubbles of laughter began to escape her throat as she and Brenna swung each other around.

After twenty minutes of solid dancing, Jenny pushed a clump of hair off her forehead. Beads of sweat dotted her hairline. The heat from the bodies packed in the club and the flashing lights were making her feel faint. She could feel her halo laying crooked on her head. It was time for a break. She needed some water.

"Water," Jenny mouthed to Brenna, and her friend nodded. Her eyes sparkled with laughter as she turned back to the two boys.

Jenny pushed through the crowd with frequent "sumimasen"s. She knocked a pirate straight into the arms of a dominatrix, but neither seemed to mind. A hand closed over her wrist but she shook it off without looking back to find the culprit. The rotating colored lights briefly lit a crown of twisted blonde hair with a rosy glow twenty feet ahead of her. Alyson had made it onto the floor. She was dancing with an abandon her usually poised persona rarely allowed.

Jenny extricated herself from the mass of dancing bodies. She breathed in the fresh air and began making her way towards the raised bar along the far wall. She felt buzzed with endorphins. She climbed the few steps, parched, and then froze at the top of the stairs. Nick was sitting at the bar on one of the silver stools between Lyyli and Dalila. His left hand toyed with a nearly empty cocktail glass with an orange drink in it. The flush on his cheeks and the animated way he waved his arms as he spoke to Dalila made Jenny think it wasn't his first. Dalila smiled at him and tossed back her curls, while Lyyli leaned in and flirted with the bartender.

Abruptly, Nick leaned forward to kiss Dalila on the neck. She tilted her head back indulgently. He pulled back and laughed; his next kiss found her mouth.

Jenny swung around and hurried down the steps. Her face felt hot. The music seemed almost muted against the ringing in her ears. The dancers were swaying in slow motion, arms raised over their heads. Her muscles felt weary after the adrenaline rush. She pushed her way back into the crowd, trying to get to the center, trying to get away.

What do I care? He can kiss whoever he wants.

The music started back up, a techno beat. Jenny tossed her hair out of her face, and started dancing. She exchanged a grin with a girl dancing beside her who also had wings, dressed as a fairy. They bumped their wings together and laughed. An arm encircled her waist and swung her around. It was a guy in a toga with a wreath of leaves in his hair, beckoning to her. Jenny looked up at him coyly. He danced closer. She found herself looking at his mouth, wondering if she dared.

A hand pressed down on her shoulder. Jenny turned to see Kelly. Her lips were moving, "Jenny, come on," but Jenny couldn't hear her over the powerful throb of music. She shook her head and pointed to her ear. Kelly pulled gently on her shoulder, but Jenny shrugged her off. She gave her a grimace before turning back to her new friend in the toga. When Jenny glanced over her shoulder again, Kelly had gone.

A moment later, she wished she hadn't. The guy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, her back against his front. She tried to pull away, but he clung to her more tightly, moving, trying to get her to grind with him. His hand slid down the front of her body, grazing her thigh. Startled, Jenny gave a violent jerk and pried herself loose. That was it, she thought angrily as she moved away. She felt dizzy as she made her way through the bodies caught in the heat of movement. The atmosphere, which had only a while ago felt full of life now seemed oppressive. She was going to find Brenna and make up an excuse about why she had to leave. Food poisoning, she decided. That always worked.

Jenny glanced up at the bar as she passed. Nick and Dalila still sat there, facing each other as they laughed and talked. Dalila's hand was on his thigh. Jenny abruptly changed direction, moving away from them. She scanned the room for one of her friends, but they had disappeared somewhere into the colored darkness. She pushed blindly through the crowd in her search. Part of her wanted to cry, but she bit her lip and doggedly moved onwards.

She bumped into someone. Jenny lifted her head and automatically opened her mouth, but the apology died in her throat. Standing before her was a tall figure, still as stone. A long black cloak covered the person from head to foot. The face was concealed, but Jenny could feel the eyes fixed on her, drinking her in. She paused as she gazed up at the figure, some instinct telling her to pay attention. As she stared, it seemed as if the dancers around her slowed and the haunting melody of the song became muted. The longer she looked, the more her heartbeat quickened. She felt a sense of menace from the figure. All of her senses were screaming at her to get away. Despite the heat, chills spread along her skin. She backed up slowly, not caring who she bumped into, before turning abruptly and running in the other direction.

She had only gone a few paces before she was brought up short with a gasp. The black figure rose up out of the crowd, looming in front of her again. Wildly, she looked over her shoulder to where she had been. She saw only a group of girls wearing black dresses and blue lipstick, dancing together. In the few seconds that it took her to look, the black figure closed the gap between them and clasped a hand over her shoulder. He was wearing black gloves, but she could feel the imprint of his fingers against her skin, cold as ice.

Jenny tried to jerk away as she had from the toga boy, but her efforts were unsuccessful. His fingers gripped her shoulder like a vise. He pulled her towards him, and with his other arm gathered her in to his chest, enfolding her in the cloak. She could feel him laughing as his head bent down and his lips brushed against the top of her head. His breath warmed her hair. He was whispering to her. Her chest heaved as her breathing came quickly, but she was unable to move. She recognized the voice and those whispers. She had heard the same low tones and the strange fragmented language at the airport before she had been attacked. But this was no shadow – he was a solid being, holding her so lightly but firmly. The music was cut off to a dim in her mind. She could hear nothing but the whispers filling her head, making her so sick with fear that she felt like throwing up. The crowd pushed in on them, jumping up and down with raised hands.

This whispers gained intensity and Jenny began to make out the words: I said I'd come for you.

Reanimated by fresh terror, Jenny again tried to break away from him, but the man's hands tightened on her upper arms. Don't, he said, his voice uncomfortably loud and commanding in her mind. Look around you. It would be a shame if something were to happen to them.

Jenny looked around frantically. The dancers were smiling and laughing, poking each other. Almost fifteen feet away, she saw Brenna talking to a very handsome Japanese boy whose arm was around her shoulders. Her mind flashed back to Nick and Dalila, lounging against the bar, drunk on each other's company. She remembered Snake-Eye and the orange demon who had come after her. The damage they could do if let loose in this crowd…

Come with me. Nobody needs to get hurt. Dizzily, Jenny realized that he was slowly walking with her, skillfully winding through the dancing crowd. She followed the cloaked man numbly, her legs moving mechanically. Around her, the dancers seemed to move in slow motion, taking ages to make simple movements, their mouths open as they laughed eternally. She was drifting along with him as if in a dream – a nightmare. She wondered how it was possible a single person didn't notice the terror on her face and try to stop them.

He was leading her towards the back of the club where a black light shone out from a deserted hallway. The purple glow opened up before them as they walked into it, swallowing them whole. The music was only a distant rumble back there, pulsing along the walls like a heartbeat. Jenny started to wake up as cool air brushed her skin. Her muscles were trembling violently. The cloaked figure had been pulling her along, half guiding her, half carrying her. Now, Jenny gave a sudden lurch to the right, throwing all her weight to the side. She may as well have tried leaping through the bars of a jail cell. Not a soul was in the hallway to help her. He pulled her towards a glowing sign indicating a back exit, and before she was able to make another movement or scream, he pushed open the door and they stepped out into the night.

The door shut behind them with a clang. He had brought her out into an alley between the club and a dark shop. The moon shone overhead, a giant pearl casting light onto the blackness of his cloak. Immediately, Jenny was released. She brought her hands to her upper arms and rubbed her skin – it was stinging unpleasantly where he'd touched her. Jenny swung around on the figure and backed up a few paces. He stood silent and unmoving in the center of the alley. Ahead in the distance, Jenny could see streetlights and the road. A car zoomed by. She would never get past him.

Jenny turned the other way and ran. Not far ahead of her was a padlocked metal fence between the two buildings. She reached it and shook it desperately, hoping for a way through. She tried to climb, but the holes between the metal links were not large enough for the toes of her shoes to slip through. She swore in frustration.

There's no need for that, said the voice in her mind. I have no intention of harming you.

Heart pounding, Jenny turned back to the cloaked man. Man? Spirit, demon, shadow and mist – any of those were better descriptors for what he probably was. She had yet to see his face.

"Lord Ahriman," she said, remembering the name his servants had called him. Her voice shook. The man bowed his head in acknowledgement.

You know who I am. Good. That makes it so much easier.

"I don't know anything!" Jenny burst out. "What do you want from me?"

Nothing but to see you. You look lovely tonight, you know.

Jenny glanced at the metal door that led back into the club. She could hear the music softly pounding into the night. Maybe if she kept him busy talking long enough, someone would come out and help her.

"Who are you?" she said weakly. "Not… I know your name. But I still don't know who you are."

Hasn't she told you yet? I'm surprised at her.

"Who?"

Sailormoon.

Jenny felt even dizzier. If he thought she had close personal contact with Japan's champion of justice, he was crazy. But his obsessive interest in her alone proved that.

Come here, he said. One arm extended, one gloved hand beckoning.

"Why?" Jenny's fingers tightened around the metal links of the fence, willing it to wrap around her and protect her. Her heart was beating so quickly that she felt she would faint. "Why are you doing this?"

Don't you know? The voice sounded regretful. You called me to you. Your hair, the way you're dressed… how could I stay away? You look so very much like the way you used to. All you need are firestones draped across your arms and throat. Do you remember firestones? They were colored like rubies but sparkled like diamonds. It was a stone that in the beginning of creation must have been made for you alone. They were your favorite; you used to wear them often. But I always thought that the girl outshined the stone.

Jenny didn't know what the hell he was talking about. She didn't like the tone of his voice. It had become very gentle, like a caress that brushed the inside of her mind, willing her to be calm when she needed to keep her fear.

I'm drowning in thoughts of you, he continued softly. And you ask me why I'm here? I couldn't be anywhere else.

Jenny pushed her hair off of her forehead with shaky fingers. She felt her halo dangling against the side of her head and tried to tug it off, but it had become tangled in her hair. She gave up and looked back at the man. His arm was still outstretched towards her in invitation. She couldn't get past the unreality of the situation. She had heard his words, but still couldn't believe that they were meant for her.

"I think you're making a mistake," she told him. "I'm not who you think I am. I don't even know what a firestone is."

That's only because your memories have been blocked. I understand why. It would have been too painful for you to understand parts of it without being able to have what you lost. But I can show you. The power. Your identity. Your destiny. If you'll trust me, I can open up your forgotten world so that you can understand who you are – and what we were to each other

Jenny hesitated. She was starting to shiver as the coolness of night absorbed into her skin. Although her fear of him didn't lesson, curiosity started to rise within her, mingling with her other feelings. What if it was true? What if she had been another person who wore ruby-diamonds, and made men in dark cloaks fall passionately in love with her? He wanted to show her… but how could she believe him, the same person who commanded Snake-Eye and countless other demons?

I would never hurt you, he said, as if in answer to her thoughts. Come to me. Just a few steps, and I can show you our destiny.

Startled, Jenny found that she was already halfway down the alley to him. She took the last few steps cautiously, peering up into his face. She wished a beam of moonlight would light his features beneath his cloak, but his face stayed lost in inky blackness. His hand remained in the air reaching for her, but he stayed still, waiting for her, wanting the final steps to be her own. Jenny looked one more time at the door that led back into the club. She knew that even if she got away now and rushed back to the safety of other human beings, he would come again. Maybe not that night, but some other time, when she was feeling alone and vulnerable. He would never stop until she gave in. She could feel it.

Jenny shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. She took his hand. His fingers closed around hers tightly for an instant, as if he was startled by her willingness.

I love you, he said, and Jenny felt the wonder and truth of it.

For an instant, they simply stood together in the night, unspeaking. And then a rush of memories flooded into her head, and Jenny, as she knew herself, was lost.