Chapter 10: Ripple Effect

The darkness cloaked her as she ran. Born of shadows, thriving in shadows, the Shadow Archer felt alive only in the absence of light. She loathed it, shrank from it like a coward as she slid between worlds to the darkness of the Shadow Realm. It was a twisted world of pure shadow – it was her birthplace.

Shadow Archer leapt across the wasteland, searching for the hidden entrance to the castle. Two youma hissed as she approached but drew back when they recognized her. She glided across the hallways, down into the depths of the dark castle. A faint light emanated from the throne room as she approached and she hesitated, hating that light.

Bracing herself, she slipped into the well-lit throne room and dropped to her knees, bowing before the throne. A man sat on the magnificent onyx structure, one leg dangling over the arm of the chair and the other tapping on the floor. He held a crystal goblet in one pale hand, his long white fingers stroking the gems as he drank from it. His eyes were a deep crimson, his black hair long and straight. It pooled on the floor, a shadow against a shadow, as those eyes slowly turned toward Shadow Archer.

"Report," he said. Shadow Archer ducked her head and stared at the floor, her heart hammering in her chest.

"I had to kill one of our scouts," Shadow Archer said. There was a long silence with only the soft scuttle of dead things to interrupt the tension.

"That is ridiculous," the man said. "There is no need to do such a thing. Why?"

"The scout would have revealed information about us," Shadow Archer said. She slowly looked up, staring at a point over his shoulder. "Two enemies were torturing her. They wanted information."

"There is no living creature on this planet who could sense, much less torture, a youma. How did she get caught?" The voice was closer now, the long black hair trailing behind him like a cloak. Shadow Archer shivered, sensing the displeasure in her master. She ducked her head and clenched her eyes to avoid looking into his disapproving eyes.

"These were… strange warriors," Shadow Archer said with some difficulty. "They wore… strange uniforms. Spoke in… in your language," she looked up nervously. "They did not speak as humans with their limited meanings and garbled tongue. I could understand them perfectly." She looked down again. "And they used such weapons of strength that I did not dare show my face. They dispatched her easily… as if she were no more than a moth trapped in a bear trap."

"Oh?" the man said thoughtfully. He paused beside her and then walked back to his throne, resting on the arm as he watched her thoughtfully. "It has been many centuries since any humans had the power to fight youma. Perhaps they have resurfaced from Elysium? It would certainly be interesting… considering those strange beings in the military compound."

"My lord?" Shadow Archer looked up again. "Did you not say that those… creatures were mere actors? That the King and Queen of Earth would not be so stupid as to expose themselves so stridently? And with such few guards?"

"It was not just those fools who proved it," the man said with a sneer. "I have never heard of these Senshi who sully the name of warrior. Pluto and Saturn are lifeless planets… there was never proof that Senshi existed there, even a millennia ago."

"… the warriors I saw…" Shadow Archer said slowly. "They wore the same uniform as the Senshi on the television. They were powerful."

"They are liars," the man said dismissively. "Perhaps for humans they have a certain amount of strength to attack and defeat youma, but they cannot dream to possess the terrifying power of a Senshi. You are young… you have never seen the power they possess. Stars tremble before them…" his eyes glazed over, seeing something from long ago.

"They were a strength unparalleled by any other. The only ones who could fight them were other Senshi." He shook his head to clear a memory. "I do find it interesting that these abominations dare to use the Senshi name. If nothing else, they must have knowledge of the outer planets. Certainly no humans know of the Senshi… except for those of Elysium."

"Is there no possibility that the women posing as Senshi might actually BE Senshi?" she asked.

"Certainly not," he said with a snort. "It is impossible. Not even the inner planets have been fooled. I have intercepted numerous messages between Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus that testify against their validity. Their Senshi are long dead. To even respond to the humans now would be an insult to their memory."

"What would you have me do, Sire?" Shadow Archer said. She felt relieved that her report had not resulted in a brutal punishment – her master so hated to be disappointed.

"Watch them for now," he said. "Watch all of them… the actors in the military compound and those stupid fools who use the Senshi name. If nothing else, I will entertain myself with their deaths."

"Of course," Shadow Archer said. Excitement built in her blood, making her eager to leave. The sooner she could return to the human world, the sooner she could kill those who displeased her master.

Minako's eyes snapped open before her alarm, just as they did every morning. She stared at the ceiling, wondering as she always did, why was she awake? Nothing had woken her, nothing seemed out of place or a danger. She was simply awake before the rising of the sun and she was perfectly calm. Her muscles were also extremely tense and ready to spring her out of bed with the slightest sound.

This had happened ever since she was a little girl. She would wake up right before dawn and stare at the ceiling, wondering why she was awake when she had a good few hours left to rest before she had to go to school. Her mother would come in screaming for her to get up, at least in the beginning, and she would pretend she had been asleep the entire time. But she never was – she could never sleep once the sun decided it wanted to come out.

It didn't even matter what she had done the previous day. If she had a brutal battle, if she stayed up until three in the morning cramming for a test, if she hadn't slept in two days, she still awoke the next morning before dawn, staring at the ceiling without a hint of sleep left in her. And she also pretended, every morning, that she had been asleep all along whenever someone found her in that state.

"Minako," a sleep voice next to her pillow said. She looked over at Artemis, watching him stretch and yawn. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eye, pretending she just woke up. "Mmm… are you up? Wow, it's early. Did I wake you?" he yawned. Blinking at her alarm, he looked back at her. "You sick?"

"Nu uh," she said. "Must have had a bad dream," she supplied as she got out of bed. With a long stretch, she opened one eye and glanced out the window. It was still dark out… but she wasn't a bit sleepy. "I guess I can take a shower," she said.

"Mmm," Artemis said, already curling up on her rumpled bed, snuggling into her leftover body heat. "Wake me before you leave. I'll walk you to school."

"Okay," Minako said distractedly as she headed for the shower.

She went through her usual morning routine, only about an hour earlier, and came back to her room just in time to turn off her alarm as it went off. Couldn't disturb her parents… Artemis sat up and yawned at the first noise of the alarm, eyeing her sleepily.

"It's still pretty early," he said. "Did you get any breakfast yet?"

"I'm fine," Minako said. "Actually… do you mind if I walk alone? I want to go by the Shrine and talk to Rei before she leaves. If I catch her, maybe I can finally make her late to class." She grinned at the idea.

Artemis snorted. "Unlikely. The only one who'll be late is you." He paused and glanced at the clock again. "Or maybe not today. Are you sure you aren't feeling sick?"

"Of course," Minako said without pausing to look at him.

"Should you tell your parents?" Artemis asked, watching her flit across the room. She didn't look at him for a moment and then smiled at him.

"They won't even notice I'm gone," she said as she waved and hurried out the door. Artemis started to follow her but she closed the front door after her before he could get a word out. He watched her blonde hair through the window, a worried pinch forming on his forehead.

"Minako…" he said softly. "I wonder what's the matter…"

The sun slanted over the skyscrapers, ricocheting light in the darkest of alleys. At first it didn't bother her as the day perked up and shook itself like a bird rising from its nest. But then her shoulders grew tense and she jumped every time she heard a car horn or the skid of walking feet. Minako felt the gloom sinking into her bones, making her resentful of the bright sky and the occasional cheerful joggers who passed her. She plastered a bright smile on her face and forged ahead, desperate to reach Rei's temple before she strangled someone.

She wasn't normally this annoyed in the morning; she just couldn't get a nervous kink out of her system. She didn't know why but she had a strange feeling, an itch between her shoulder blades where she couldn't reach. Whenever she felt that way, she sought out Rei – her presence soothed her normally frazzled nerves and helped her to be herself. It also helped to know that Rei often had bad moods at the same time as Minako, usually as a result of heavy youma activity developing in the area.

Or it was spring and all the lovey dovey couples seemed to pop out everywhere they turned. But it didn't feel like the second one… despite passing at least five couples walking demurely in the park. It was enough to make her feel a little crazy. She picked up her pace and jogged around some buildings, sidestepping the tables of a small café, and taking a shortcut through an alley before she stumbled to a halt in front of the temple stairs. Taking a deep, calming breath, Minako carefully looked around. To her left, the street had three cars parked along the curb but there were no people. To her right, trees… and one fairly innocent-looking squirrel. So… alone. She took one final look around before she grinned mischievously. With a quick intake of breath, she leapt up the stairs at superhuman speed. What should have taken ten minutes only took ten seconds.

Taking one final look around to make sure no one had seen her little stunt, she flicked her long hair over one shoulder and walked ahead slowly, as if she hadn't just broken one of the big rules every Senshi had drilled into them since day one: don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Hell, it was a rule she usually enforced. She was the Senshi who had worked the longest so she knew the value of secrecy. But for some reason, today was setting her on edge. She grinned, thinking of how she could smoke anyone on the track team… if only she would allow herself to compete. She sniffed, feeling pretty content with herself.

Minako hesitated in front of the torii, drinking in the soothing shade and the soft cawing of Phobos and Deimos overhead. She smiled at the birds as she humbly walked towards the shrine, offering a quick prayer before walking on. To her right was the public hall of worship, where an elderly couple stood poised beneath a large bell. They clapped their hands, bowed, and rung the bell to complete their prayers before they smiled at each other and walked back towards the entrance. Minako waited until they had descended the staircase before she went around the hall and past the offering hall where Rei meditated, towards the sacred sanctuary where the sacred fire was kept.

The fire was burning brighter and stronger than usual, illuminating the raven-haired priestess who knelt before it with her hands clasped in meditation. Minako removed her shoes and bowed humbly before stepping over the threshold towards Rei. She felt the gentle ebb and give of a barrier as she sat behind Rei, feeling her friend's power in the room. Of all the Senshi, Rei had the most awe-inspiring presence, especially when she meditated.

"I'm having nightmares," Rei said quietly. With a soft whoosh of breath, she expelled her aura into the fire, which blazed for a moment and then quieted. "I was meditating before bed… asking if the people in America are who they say they are."

"Did you find something out about them?" Minako said. "Are they youma?"

"I don't know," Rei said, sounding a tad frustrated. "Normally the fire answers questions that I ask, not questions that I DON'T ask…"

"Eh?" Minako said intelligently. Rei finally turned away from the fire and looked at her, power crackling all around her. Minako's heart stopped for a moment, staring at the being… the totally alien being… sitting right next to her.

"I asked the fire about the people in America," Rei explained. "But it warned me about something completely different… there is an evil presence coming, SOON." She scowled, looking more like the Rei she knew. Minako relaxed a little, taking in her words.

"Any idea how much time?" Minako said.

"No," Rei said, shaking her head. "I just have this great sense of urgency. Something bad is going to happen soon, something that we've only marginally suspected. It's bigger than anything I've felt in a long time."

"Organized youma?" Minako said, dread building in her veins. They hadn't faced an organized attack since Galaxia, and that had been a while ago. They'd thus far only seen the occasional, weak youma who served only to get them all riled up for nothing.

"I think so," Rei said. "But I can't be sure. The fire isn't… accurate."

"At least we have the warning," Minako said. "Right… we'll have a meeting today. I'll let Usagi and the others know at school – we can meet up in the evening when everyone has finished their club activities."

"I wish we could meet now," Rei said, frowning. "I don't like this feeling… but it's like I'm being blocked. I can't see what's coming."

"I understand," Minako said, licking her lips. "But as much as I'd like to drop everything for a meeting, I'm not sure it's necessary to disrupt our lives so suddenly in case a youma attack occurs. It might be unified but it doesn't mean youma will drop from the sky everywhere and force an immediate response from us. I think we'll have a little more time than that…"

"… you're right," Rei said, shaking herself and then smiling. "Tonight will be soon enough… I'm sure the others will grumble a little even at that." She glanced back at the fire, her eyes unfocused for a moment. "I just can't shake this feeling…" While she stared at the fire, Minako took the opportunity to observe Rei. She looked a little tired, her skin slightly pinched around the eyes and her lips pursed with worry. But she looked hyper alert and tense, waiting even now for an attack.

"Keep your transformation pen handy," Minako said as she unfolded her long legs under her. Rei followed suit, biting her bottom lip. "I trust your feelings… I'll send out at least a warning to the other Senshi right now so they're ready too." Rei looked as if she was about to protest but stopped, hunching her shoulders for a moment before relaxing them.

"Thanks," Rei said. "I don't mean to cry wolf, I just can't shake this feeling. I think its worse because the fire won't give me anything specific. If I knew what to expect, it would be easier."

Minako draped an arm around Rei's shoulders and laughed, loud and obnoxious. "Now you know how the rest of us non-psychic people feel!" she said. Rei arched an eyebrow and shoved Minako away, only to have the blonde girl laugh at her. Rei cracked a smile and followed Minako out into the blinding light of day. Minako stretched, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She glanced back at Rei, who was rubbing her eyes and squinting as if she had just come out of a cave. They stared at each other.

"How did you know I needed you here this morning?" Rei asked softly. Phobos descended from a nearby tree and alighted on her shoulder. Deimos cawed and looked behind them, hopping on the branch.

"I… just did," Minako said, feeling strangely helpless. Why had she immediately wanted to go to Rei this morning? She could have gone to see Makoto, she lived closer to Minako and was much better at getting her into a good mood than Rei. With Rei, it was a toss up – sometimes she was a great friend to make her feel better and sometimes she was a bossy jerk who made everyone, especially herself, miserable. So why…?

"You look exhausted," Rei mumbled. They stared at each other, neither moving. A soft breeze stirred their hair and shifted Phobos's feathers but neither reacted. "You should try to get more sleep."

"Can't," Minako said, grinning without humor. "But thanks anyway."

Usagi thought she knew now what it meant to wake up in heaven. A light, warm feeling hummed in her body as she awoke to Mamoru's arms draped around her and his handsome, sleeping face pressed into her hair. She carefully tilted her head back and stared at him, feeling his body heat soak her in happiness as his breath stirred her bangs.

He awoke moments later to tell her good morning, give her a gentle kiss, say he loved her, and then he made them breakfast. It was very early and neither wanted to go back to sleep, so each took a quick shower and changed into some clothes. Usagi had to wear the same thing she'd worn the day before, as she hadn't exactly had time to get anything new to wear with Mamoru's hands roaming all over her body for the majority of the day. She didn't mind too much.

They departed from Mamoru's apartment, neither in too much of a hurry, towards Usagi's house. Mamoru had one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other hand in his pocket, grinning at everything. Usagi had entwined her fingers with the ones at her shoulder and had her other arm wrapped around his waist, leaning against him as they walked. It was already sunny and while Usagi should have been rushing to go home and change into her school uniform, she couldn't help but enjoy being pressed up against Mamoru like this. He never let her be this close to him in public – he was always so conscience of what other people thought – but his good mood blinded him from the curious or disapproving stares of those they passed.

"I won't take too long," Usagi said, smiling at Mamoru. She didn't want to let go of him but she was already in her neighborhood, only three houses away from her own. As if programmed, Mamoru's fingers gently disentangled from hers and he released her, putting both hands in his pockets and giving them a good foot of personal space. Usagi sighed with regret but then brightened, remembering their date… and the entire next day they had spent in bed together. Her mom would kill her, and her father would kill HIM if he knew, but she just couldn't let anything spoil her good mood.

"Bye," Usagi said, leaning up to kiss him. Mamoru carefully took a step back, making it look natural, and smiled warmly at her. She felt the sting of rejection, mentally going through placations for his desire to remain platonic in public, and walked to her front door.

"I'll be here," Mamoru said. Usagi blinked and glanced over her shoulder at him, rummaging in her bag for her keys. "I'll walk you to school."

"Oh," Usagi said, her previous annoyance melting away. "Okay!" She hurried into her house and up to her room. As she changed, her mother loomed in the doorway of her room with her arms crossed and a spatula in one hand. Usagi cringed with her head halfway through her shirt, sensing the angry presence.

"Where have you been?" her mother demanded imperiously.

"Um," Usagi said meekly as she finished adjusting her shirt. "O-Out?"

"I can see that," her mother said in a dangerous tone. "Why didn't you come home yesterday?"

"I… I…" and then, Usagi broke down completely into full-grovel mode. "I'm so sorry Mama! It's just, Mamoru and I had such a great time, and then we spent the day together, and it just felt right to spend the night again because I didn't want to wake you, and then he swore he'd get me back in time to change and get to school before I was late, and PLEASE DON'T BE MAD!" She promptly dropped into a deep bow, hiding her face behind her hair.

"You spent the night at Mamoru's?" an incredulous voice said from behind Ikuko. Usagi's face burned as she rose from her bow to see Shingo ogling her, his mouth hanging open. "And Mom KNOWS?"

"I gave my consent," Usagi's mother said with a sniff. She didn't appear quite as menacing now that they had an audience but the humiliation intensified with Shingo there.

"Does Dad know? He'll completely flip out!" Shingo said, sounding more and more awed. Normally, he would have hung this over Usagi's head for years just to get some worthy blackmail material. Sure, he liked Mamoru, maybe even hero-worshipped him a little, but that wouldn't stop him from endlessly tormenting Usagi for the rest of her days in exchange for keeping quiet.

"Your father will not know about this incident," Ikuko said in a frightening voice. The command in it reverberated throughout the house, into the Earth, and out to the universe. It was the sort of thing Usagi and Shingo knew never to cross.

Sufficiently cowed, Shingo looked down and fiddled with the straps of his backpack. "Yeah… he'd completely lose it. And he'd probably kill Mamoru."

"I want grandchildren," Ikuko said with an insane glint in her eye. This normally would have made Usagi roll her eyes, as Shingo was rolling his eyes, but the subject was a tender one ever since Chibi Usa had waltzed into her life, so Usagi only stared at her socks and bit her tongue. "Just don't do it again," her mother was saying, waving the Spatula of Doom in Usagi's general direction. Usagi nodded quickly, keeping her eyes down.

"I have to go," Usagi said, risking a glance at her mother. "Ah… Mamoru's still outside. He said he'd walk me to school."

"You guys spent the day together and you STILL can't stand being two minutes apart? Jeez," Shingo said teasingly. Ikuko, preening at this, casually looked out of Usagi's window and waved to Mamoru. Mamoru must have waved back because Ikuko giggled like a schoolgirl and hurried down to the kitchen. A second later, Usagi heard her mother open the front door and invite Mamoru for breakfast.

"I think she's trying to kill me with embarrassment to punish me," Usagi grumbled as she grabbed her school bag and hurried down the stairs, Shingo at her heels. Her brother snorted and lightly bonked her on the head between her odangos.

"Serves you right," he said lightly. He immediately went to greet Mamoru, who had politely declined breakfast, and discussed something Usagi couldn't quite catch. She paused by the stairs for a moment, smiling faintly as she watched her mother, Shingo, and Mamoru talk comfortably for a few moments. It was nice… not sneaking around, having them talk to her boyfriend as if they were all one big family. Then she heard the chime from the kitchen clock and screeched, rushing to grab Mamoru's hand.

"Sorry gonna be late bye!" she said in a rush as she dragged Mamoru behind her, leaving a dust trail in her wake.

Even though she was going to be late, even though her mother had embarrassed her shamelessly, Usagi just laughed and laughed. Mamoru chased after her, has wrist captured in her grip as they rounded a corner. Usagi tripped over her own feet and shrieked, even as Mamoru dragged her back against him. They paused for breath, staring at each other incredulously, then they laughed and continued running.

Usagi hurried to her desk and slumped in her chair, still breathing hard and grinning. She hadn't been late – somehow. It didn't seem possible. Part of her wished she HAD been late, if only to spend a few more seconds with Mamoru smiling at her. She grinned and waved as Minako dashed to her seat and Makoto shook her head at them. Usagi grinned and turned to Naru, her smile widening.

"I can't believe you weren't late!" she said by way of a greeting. She leaned on her palm and stared at Usagi, her smile widening. "Wow… you look so…"

"Eh?" Usagi said, blinking.

"… radiant," Naru finished, struggling for words. That was about as close as she could get. Usagi looked like a sun goddess, her golden hair a little wild around her face and her cheeks bright with healthy color. Her eyes danced merrily around the room and she just… her smile was just so… "why are you so happy, huh? Did your date with Mamoru go that well?"

"Oh," Usagi said, a pleasant blushing spreading over her cheeks. She curled her fingers under her notebook and grinned at Naru. "Our date only ended about… ten minutes ago."

"Ten-, wait a minute," Naru said, blinking as she lifted her chin from her hand. "I thought you went on a date last-,"

"I stayed the night," Usagi whispered happily. She glanced around to make sure no one else was listening, then added, "and all of yesterday, too."

"Oh," Naru breathed, her eyes widening as she blushed. She had a very sudden, very graphic image of her best friend having the most outrageously satisfying sex with her boyfriend. It wasn't a scene she wanted played out in her imagination so early in the morning, but it was also such a disgustingly romantic idea that she sighed happily. "You lucky girl!"

The door slid open and a new boy entered the room. Usagi glanced up briefly, surprised to see such a good-looking guy come into their classroom. He looked a bit nervous, his brown hair framing a decidedly masculine face, and bright brown eyes. He seemed a little lost as he looked around the room. Some of the girls had started hurriedly whispering to each other, staring at him.

"Oh!" Usagi interrupted Naru's dreamy tirade about satin sheets and the moonlight doing crazy things to people. "Who's that? Is he new?"

Naru glanced behind her and froze. The smile that had moments ago lightened her face remained physically, but the joy behind her eyes promptly died. She just stared at the boy, her hand shaking slightly. The boy's eyes landed on her and he smiled so brilliantly, half the girls in class melted and sighed. He walked purposefully towards Usagi and Naru, completely ignoring the people who tried to get his attention, and promptly sat down. In Umino's desk.

"Naru!" he said happily. "I'm so glad to see you on this bright morning. Usagi," he looked at her and smiled wider. "It's good to see you, too."

"Eh?" Usagi said intelligently, staring at him. His voice was Umino's voice, he was sitting in Umino's desk, and he was staring at Naru with that same besotted expression he always wore around her.

"U-Umino?!" Usagi squeaked, her eyes wide as she stared at him. And pointed at him. And generally drew attention to her gaping mouth. "W-What did you do?"

"I had a little makeover," Umino said rather casually, winking at Minako. In return, Minako beamed and waved cheerfully from her desk. "I thought I could do with a little change," he said, puffing up a little. Normally, this would have made him look ridiculous. Without his glasses and with his new haircut, he just looked really, really yummy. Even Usagi felt a little nervous around him. "Do you like it, Naru?"

Naru remained frozen, a glimmer of her old smile still plastered on her face, as if she had forgotten to take off a mask. She was staring at him, her eyes very wide and her hands shaking. Umino's normally unbreakable optimism tipped, his eyebrows slowly drawing together into a pinch. "N-Naru?" he tried.

Usagi looked from Naru to Umino and back, gauging her friend's immobility and struggled for a response. "You look really good, Umino! I'm impressed… with those huge glasses, no one could see your face before."

"Motoki and Mamoru took me to an optometrist," he explained, his eyes fastened on Naru even as he smiled at Usagi. "I've got such terrible vision, my mother has been badgering me to get contacts for a while. She said it would help if my vision stabilized, so I could get corrective surgery in a few years. Then I won't ever have to wear glasses again."

"Why?" Naru said in a flat voice. Usagi felt the tension in the room as if an elephant had sat down on top of them. Umino, still grinning like a mad man, didn't look so happy anymore.

"W-Why what? Why would be vision get worse? Well, Naru, see, if you wear glasses all the time and read in the dark like I do, sometimes by accident, and if you take into account the number of times my vision has gotten worse over the years-,"

"Why do you want to stop wearing your glasses?" she interrupted, the smile now gone to be replaced by a frown. No… not a frown. A scowl. She looked angry. Usagi shifted uncomfortably, looking from Naru's angry face to Umino's dwindling smile.

"I thought it'd be nice to change a little," Umino said. He looked directly at Naru, his eyes soulful and honest. "I wanted to… look good for you."

And that was just so Umino, Usagi felt her heart go out to him. He was so honest… so in love with Naru… and he was so transparent about it too. It was obvious to Usagi that he was telling the truth, that he had undergone this little transformation for Naru. Most of his actions revolved around pleasing her and this seemed logical, really. Except when Usagi looked at Naru's face, it was obvious that that wasn't enough.

"I hate it," Naru said sharply. She turned away, as if disgusted at the sight of him.

"N-Naru," Umino said, his eyes widening with hurt.

"Class is starting. Don't talk to me anymore," she said. Usagi felt a little like she was very far away, watching a horror movie play out in front of her. Had a youma usurped Naru's body or something? Because it was just cold the way she was kicking Umino down like that.

"But Naru-," Umino said pitiably. Naru glared at him once and then turned away again. Umino slowly sat back in his chair as the teacher called attendance, his eyes glued to the desk in front of him. He didn't even bother to respond when the teacher called his name. Usagi quickly drew attention to him, speaking for him, but it didn't help. Umino didn't once look up the entire morning.

Usagi felt as if she was trapped between a blizzard and a thunderstorm. On one hand, Naru was practically radiating cold indifference, keeping her face firmly turned away from Umino the entire time that they were in class. On the other, Usagi felt the press of buzzing excitement from her classmates as they directed all their attention on Umino. How Umino looked so GOOD without his glasses, how his haircut made him look just that much more delectable, how his uniform actually fit him now instead of being a little baggy like he always wore it before. He had never cared about making a good impression on his classmates before, opting instead for comfort. Usagi watched Umino tug insistently on his collar, which was great for showing how wide his shoulders were but probably also made him uncomfortable.

The more and more she sat there, feeling Naru's anger and Umino's depression and the insane gossip all around her, the more Usagi got angry. How could Naru treat Umino the way she just had? Couldn't she see how he was suffering? And why did they have to ruin her amazingly good mood after her time with Mamoru?

When class ended and everyone drifted into groups to organize their lunch buddies, Naru swiftly stood. Without a word to anyone in the classroom, she grabbed her lunch and stalked out the door as if she were alone in the room. Everyone stared after her and then whispered excitedly to each other. Umino stared after Naru with such a tortured expression on his face, Usagi immediately went to him. Minako and Makoto hurried to surround them, their expressions sympathetic.

"Don't worry, Umino," Usagi said as she awkwardly patted him on the shoulder. "Naru was just… surprised. You know she loves you."

"She hates me," Umino said in such a destroyed voice, Usagi immediately forgot her discomfort and hugged him. He didn't react, just stared over her head at the door where he had last seen Naru's red hair disappear. "She always told me to keep my glasses on at school… she told me, but I didn't listen."

"Huh?" Makoto said, blinking owlishly. The hand she had just used to scratch the back of her head paused, making her look rather comical. "Naru told you to wear glasses at school?"

"Yeah," Umino said. The one word held so much sadness, Usagi had to hug him again. "I must look ridiculous to her… I should have known. There's no way she'll forgive me now for embarrassing her in front of everyone. I mean… someone as beautiful as Naru, dating someone like ME."

"Why would she treat you like that?" Minako said, a hint of anger in her words. "Umino, stop it. You are the best looking guy here! Remember what we talked about!"

"It's no use, Minako," Umino said. "Thank you for trying. I appreciate it… you didn't do anything wrong. You did everything you could to make me look more attractive. But I get it… I'm ugly. Not wearing my glasses anymore isn't going to change that."

"That isn't true!" Minako said fiercely.

"Yeah! You look really handsome, Umino!" Usagi said quickly. When he wouldn't meet her eyes, she ducked her head to look at him. "Hey, really! You do! But that isn't the point at all. Even if you WERE ugly, it wouldn't matter. Umino… Naru loves you just the way you are. Wearing your glasses or not has nothing to do with it!"

"It isn't the glasses," Umino said softly. "It's ME. I embarrass her. All the time…"

"Umino," Makoto said sympathetically. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do!" he said. "I always do!" He broke away from Usagi's lingering hug, Makoto's comforting hand, and Minako's pitying eyes. He didn't look sad anymore, he looked angry. "I've ALWAYS embarrassed her… embarrassed ALL of you! I KNOW I'm ridiculous, okay? I know none of you wanted to be friends with me. I'm a geek! And I never cared about what other people thought of me! But Naru… she's so…" he moved his hands helplessly. "She's so beautiful… and so good. And wonderful. She's supposed to date someone as beautiful and wonderful as her. And I've always known that that person isn't ME. I'm not good enough… and I know that. I know she was just being kind… to be with me. I KNOW that… I just… I thought maybe… if I could only… do something to deserve her. Make other people see me in a different way, so that I wasn't always embarrassing her…"

"Umino, stop," Usagi said. "That isn't true, not at all. Naru loves you! She didn't date you because she was being kind, she genuinely wants to be with you."

"Then why did she act like that?" Umino said angrily, shoving a finger in the direction of the door. At this point, everyone in the classroom was just staring at them. Staring at him. But he couldn't see them. Umino had that gift – he could only see those forthright in his mind. Naru, Usagi… he saw them more clearly than most. But everyone else staring at him now served no other purpose than the desks they sat around.

Usagi bit her lip, speechless. What could she say? Naru HAD reacted in such a horrible, unnecessary way. And why? Despite Umino's rage and hurt, he STILL looked handsome. Even more so, with his features twisted to something wholly unrecognizable. It was an unfair irony, Usagi thought, that he would see himself ugly at a time like this when all the girls in the room ogled him.

"Just accept it, Usagi," Umino whispered. "She's been anxious for weeks now… this was just the last straw." He turned and walked dejectedly out of the room, leaving his lunch behind. Usagi tried to go after him but Makoto grabbed her arm.

"Let him cool off," she murmured. "Maybe he'll find Naru and they'll work it all out. Don't get involved in their problems, Usagi."

"But they're my friends," Usagi said. "I hate to see them like that… especially over something so stupid. Why did Naru act like that?"

"I don't know," Minako said worriedly. "He talked to me before, when I was giving him his makeover. He told Mamoru and Motoki about it actually, that Naru didn't want him to take off his glasses during school, not even by accident. He thought she was just trying to protect him because he's so forgetful he might have dropped them. At least, that's what he thought. I don't think that's the reason though."

"You think Naru told him that on purpose, so that people wouldn't know how good-looking he was without his glasses?" Makoto said incredulously. "Why the hell would she want to do a stupid thing like that? Her boyfriend is gorgeous! I'd want him to walk around blind if it meant people could see how good-looking Umino was, if he were MY boyfriend."

"Naru doesn't care about looks," Usagi said valiantly. "I'm sure there's another reason."

"This is where Umino sits, right?" a girl interrupted them. Usagi looked up and frowned, trying to place the name of this girl. No name popped into her head so she just stared blankly at her.

"Yes," Usagi said. "Why?"

"Then this must be his lunch," the girl said, completely ignoring them now. She wrapped perfectly manicured fingers around Umino's lunch and held it against her chest. When she ran her hands through her long black hair, Usagi remembered who she was.

"Oh… Yuki," she said. "What do you want with his lunch?" Right… Yuki. She'd forgotten all about her – the pretty girl all the boys wanted. She was a bit of a spoiled brat… but she hadn't spoken to Usagi enough for her to know the girl very well.

"I'm going to give it back to him, of course! I'm sure he's hungry," she said with a brilliant smile. A smile that made Makoto stiffen and Minako stare.

"I can take it for him," Usagi offered. Yuki hugged the lunch closer to her chest and took a visible step back.

"That's alright," she said softly. Usagi blinked and lowered her hands, frowning. "Do you know where he might be?"

"Usagi-," Minako said in a warning voice.

"The computer lab, probably," Usagi was already saying. Yuki smiled brilliantly.

"Thanks, Usagi!" she said. She then flounced – there was no other way to describe the way she left – the room and headed off for the computer lab. Usagi tilted her head and jerked when Makoto hissed.

"That bitch…" she grumbled.

"I can't believe her!" Minako said sharply. "Who does she think she is? They're still dating!"

"Huh?" Usagi said. "What are you talking-,"

"Usagi, don't be stupid," Makoto said. Her grim expression took the bite out of her words as she stared worriedly at the door. "Yuki's got a reputation, you know. And she didn't get it by sitting back when an opportunity presents itself."

"HUH?" Usagi repeated.

"Yuki's going to try to put the moves on Umino," Minako said just as grimly. "That bitch! And when he's so upset, too!"

"What?!" Usagi gasped. "But… but she wouldn't! What about Naru?"

"She won't care," Makoto said darkly. "Come on… we'd better find Umino before she does. Or Naru, if we can. It won't be a good thing to leave those two apart while Yuki is looking for them."

"She's the worst," Minako said darkly. "I've seen what she does… trying to steal boyfriends from other girls, especially if they're good looking. She probably never approached Umino before because he was such a geek all the time. But now… you don't think Naru kept him hidden so that Yuki wouldn't know about him?"

"Don't go running off in your imagination," Makoto said, rolling her eyes. But she still looked worried as she stared at the door. "Let's just find them."

"Thank God Ami's in the computer lab already," Minako said. "I just hope Yuki doesn't find Umino somewhere on his own right now. He's in really bad shape."

"Have a little faith," Makoto said. "He's been in love with Naru for years. He isn't the type to go after a prettier girl just because she looked at him."

"Yeah… but he also has no idea how to handle something like that," Minako said. "He won't know what to do."

"You're all crazy," Usagi said with a nervous laugh. "And paranoid! Nothing's going to happen, Yuki was just being nice! I'm sure this is all just one big misunderstanding."