The Magic Force
Moon Crystal Reunion
Part 2: Reunions and Ramifications

Back in Electro City, Ace and the others were very busy preparing the Magic Express for the welcome party planned for Serena and her friends.
"Okay, Cosmo," said Ace, "put the banner just a little more to the left."
The young man moved the sign, which read, "Welcome to Electro City, friends," as Ace instructed. "How's this, dude?"
"That's it…perfect."
"Aw, man…this is gonna be such a wicked party! I can't wait to see Lita again."
Angie walked in and noticed the banner. "The banner's beautiful. It'll help in more ways than one, especially from accidentally revealing too much to Rini and Diana."
"Right," said Ace with a smile. "Now, we need to make plans to have them meet a party at the airport…I'd like the two of you to do that."
Angie said, "Uh, what time?"
"The plane will be arriving in about two hours. How far are you on making the dinner?"
Mona walked into the room and said, "Nearly done. It was a great idea asking both of us to cook. Angie's end is completed, and I just have to finish up the cake."
"Great. I've already called for two rental vans. One will hold seven people and another will hold nine people. Whatever happens, I think it's best to keep Serena and Rini separated so they don't kill each other."
Cosmo agreed with that idea. "I'm driving the vehicle Lita's taking. Maybe Darien will go separately from both of 'em."
"Who knows," said Angie with a laugh. "It may be up to Darien to keep the two girls from killing each other in the first place."
Mona said, "I can't wait to meet Rini and her kitten Diana. They seem to be as interesting a pair as Serena and Luna. It'll be nice to see that cat again. I still remember how shocked I was when Luna actually spoke to me."
"The most shocked was Ashley, when she first heard Luna and Artemis talking to each other. Oh…and I need to figure out how to introduce Victor to the others. They still don't know I have a boyfriend yet."
"You know, Ang, you're right. That would be a shocker to them." Ace then noticed the clock. "Okay, Angie, Cosmo. I'll drop you off at the van rental place to get the vehicles ready. You'll both need to use the valet parking for the airport, and I've already got that arranged. Shall we go ahead and get started with the surprise party?"
"You bet, dude!" said a very excited Cosmo. "The sooner we get a-movin', the better!"
"I'll hold down the fort here with Zina," said Mona.
"Thanks, Mona. I'll return as soon as I've dropped them off to pick up the vans."
After a nod, she noticed Zina growling in slight discontent. "No, girl. You can't go along. Ace will be back in about 20 minutes. Don't worry."
Ace then sent a thought to the beautiful panther. She's right, Zina. I'll be back very quickly.
Zina calmed herself down and understood her friend's words.
With Mona and Zina staying at the Express, Ace, Cosmo, and Angie all left in the Magic Racer for the van rental place.
The Magician got the car there without any incident, which was a rarity with his tendency to drive wildly at times.
All three friends went into the rental company to get their vans ready to pick up Serena and her friends at the airport.
The manager of the company walked up to all of them. "Ah, Mr. Cooper. Glad you and your friends are here. We just finished cleaning out the two rental vans, and they're ready for use. Um, just whom are you bringing? An army?"
"Oh, no. We have a group of 10 coming; seven young people and three cats."
The mentioning of the three cats made the manager cringe. "Mr. Cooper, please take no offense by this, but I don't like cats being in these vans. When Electro City hosted the International Cat Show last year, it was a nightmare for the rental vans, with all the scratches and everything."
"Don't worry, sir. One is just a kitten, and the other two fully-grown tabby cats have both been declawed."
With some hesitation, the manager reluctantly agreed. "All right, I'll let you rent them out. However, if any cats have damaged the van in any way, you will be held responsible."
"I understand. In fact, any damage done to either or both vehicles…just tell me how much damages are, and I will pay for them up front."
The manager liked Ace's attitude. "Very well, Mr. Cooper. I guess I can trust you with these two vans. Who will drive which?"
"I'm driving the seven-passenger van," noted Angie, "while Cosmo takes the one for nine."
"Very well, Miss Jacobs. I'll give you both the keys in a moment."
Ace then turned to his friends. "Will you two be all right on your own? I want to head back to the Express and finalize everything for their arrival."
"Sure, dude. We can take it from this point. We'll see you back at the Magic…with everybody else."
Ace then left Angie and Cosmo to handle the rental vans.
The manager returned with the keys. "Okay, Angie, here is the seven-vehicle van key for you, and Cosmo, you receive the nine-passenger van key. Now, please, don't drive too fast with these."
"We promise, sir," said Angie. "Besides, we'll have to stay slow going to the airport."
Cosmo concurred. "Yup. Thanks again."
Angie and Cosmo took their places in the driver's seat of each van and soon started making their way towards Electro City International Airport.

Meanwhile, on the plane coming from Tokyo, each of the Sailor Scouts and Darien were each doing something different.
Darien had put on a pair of earphones and listened to some jazz music. "This airline sure does good when it comes to a musical variety. I'll just check to see what else they've got in terms of music."
Mina looked through all the magazines at least twice and quickly got bored. "I wish they'd have a better reading selection. They don't have any magazines I like on this plane. Nothing about cute guys or anything. Next time I bring my own stuff to read."
Serena had plenty of thoughts about Rini on her mind during the trip. I'll make sure that little brat keeps away from my Darien while we're in Electro City. Maybe then she'll know who's boss. After all, I'm her mother…at least in the future. She then went to reading her manga magazine, which actually had to be read right to left instead of the standard left to right. "Ha ha! This is so funny!"
Other passengers had said, "Shhhh!" They were growing a little tired of hearing her screaming with laughter.
Rini had her activity book with her to pass the time during the flight. "Okay…a word-find puzzle. Maybe I could—no. I need to try to do this myself without any help from anyone." Especially Serena. The little girl with her pink hair went on to start circling the words whenever she found them.
Amy had on her earphones and watched the channel on technology on the small television screen. "I can't wait to talk to Angel about what has been making advances on the technology front. We didn't get to do much the last time." She continued watching the screen, including latest advances for medical emergencies. "Neat idea, having at least five defibrillators in schools. Nowadays you don't have to be old to have a heart attack, which in itself is scary."
Lita had only one thought on her mind through the trip: Cosmo. I am so excited to see my love again, she thought. I can't believe it's been nearly three years since we met. It all started when we bumped each other in the video arcade. This time, though…I think we'll make certain we don't bump into each other. I really hope I'll end up seeing him at the airport.
Raye also had only one thought going through her mind: the dangerous threat. I'm still not getting any visions or anything about the danger. I wonder if Sailor Saturn just might be wrong this time—no, I can't believe that. Sailor Saturn would never lie about something like this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have told Mr. Cooper, either. If only I could get more information. I'll have to discuss that with Mr. Cooper when we get there, but it must be kept private between us. If any of the others knew, it could bring panic…especially to Meatball Head. I just wish there were more to go on.
An announcement was soon heard throughout the plane. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing at Electro City International Airport in 20 minutes. We would advise you to start preparing to land, so please return your seats to the upright position and fasten your seat belts."
Mina basically slept through the remainder of the trip until she heard the announcement. "I guess we're almost there, aren't we?" she asked while yawning.
"Mmm-hmm," answered Darien calmly. "You sure had a good sleep."
"I know. I wanted to reserve energy for all that shopping I'm gonna do in Electro City! Ever since Amy won, I've been carefully saving up money to spend on this trip, and I'm not about to forget that."
"Me, neither," said an excited Serena. "I didn't spend any money for the past three weeks because of this. Rini was actually shocked I could save all my money. Of course, I promised the family souvenirs from there, so I'll make sure they get taken care of first."
"If I know you, Serena," Rini spat, "you'll spend it on yourself before you do it for Mommy and the others."
"Watch it, slimeball," the older girl snapped. "Or I just might send you back to Japan…air mail."
"Don't bet on it," Rini said with her temper growing shorter. "I'm gonna make sure you don't—"
"Enough!" yelled Raye. "We're going to be landing soon, and I think the last thing these passengers really need is for you two brats to go at it again!"
The other passengers applauded her speech, as they had to deal with both of them for the majority of the ride.
"Now sit down and be quiet!" Raye said angrily.
The two girls quickly got to their seats and buckled their safety belts, remaining quiet for the rest of the trip.
When Raye sat in her seat again, a woman in front of her asked, "Miss, are you a school headmaster?"
"Oh, no. I've put up with those two for years. They're always going at each other, but it seems they've forgotten this is Amy's trip, not theirs."
"Really?"
"Yes. Amy won a trip anywhere in the world after getting every question right on our national game show called Who Wants to Travel the World. She decided on going to Electro City, California."
"Well, I think she'll like it there. My husband and I are returning from a trip to Japan. I must say your country is beautiful."
"Thank you. Of course…if Serena and Rini hadn't come on this trip, it would've been a lot more peaceful. I'm afraid they could create an international incident."
The two girls stared at her, as if to say she were lying.
"I'm serious, you two. Now grow up." Raye then returned to her seat and looked outside the window as the plane was about ready to land.

On the ground, Cosmo and Angie both arrived at the airport in the two rental vans.
"Okay," Cosmo noted as he looked at the printed e-mail message, "according to Amy, they should arrive at Gate 34 any minute now."
"Then let's get over there before they think we've forgotten," said Angie with a giggle. "Remember, we have to keep Serena and Rini apart."
"Never mind that, I'm more excited about seeing Lita again!"
As he started running into the terminal, Angie just said, "Boys will be boys."
The two friends quickly got to the gate and saw the plane getting into docking position from which passengers would exit the plane and come into the terminal.
As passengers left the plane, Serena and her friends were instructed to go to the customs area first in order to declare all their belongings, including the three cats. Fortunately, Darien was legally old enough to be the chaperone on the trip, so he could vouch for all the girls being between 9 and 16 years old.
"Passports, please," said the customs official. He looked them all over very carefully. "Ah, first time to the United States?"
"Yes, sir," Darien said. "We're here to visit some old friends."
"Very well. Now, do you have anything to declare? In other words, do you have anything with you that may be considered as a threat?"
The girls looked utterly confused, all except for Amy. "Well, we have three cats with us, but we made sure they were declawed before we left Japan. We…kept them with us because we wanted them to stay close to us. We hope we haven't done anything seriously wrong."
"Well, normally pets are supposed to stay in the cargo hold in kennels, but I guess this once we can make an exception, since I received word of only two girls being too loud on the plane."
Serena and Rini both blushed in embarrassment.
"Can I see the three cats, please?"
Serena, Mina, and Rini took their cats out of their carry-on bags and allowed the official to check them out.
"Well, this cute kitten you wouldn't have to worry about. The other two cats…yes, they have been declawed. However, what are these strange crescent moon markings?"
Serena was quick to answer. "They're from an extremely rare breed of tabby cat, all of them born with the marks on their foreheads."
Luna thought to herself, Good going, Serena. You're getting good with your excuses.
"One last thing: do you have medical records?"
Amy took them out of her bag. "Yes, sir, here they are."
The official looked them over very carefully. "Good work, Miss. They all had their shots just three weeks prior to leaving. All right, I don't see anything wrong at this point. You're all clear."
"Thank you," Amy said with a smile. "Come on, we need to find Cosmo and Angie, since they're waiting for us."
The group found themselves lost because of how large the airport was.
Angie and Cosmo waited patiently for the others to find them. "You think they got lost?" asked Cosmo with concern.
"No, silly. They probably had to go through customs first. They'll be here before too long."
Sure enough, when a girl with long blond hair walked around, Angie yelled, "Mina, over here!"
She turned and saw the female magician. "Angie! Hey, girlfriend!"
As they hugged each other, the rest of the group caught up with her and found Mina and the others.
Rini then approached with a little apprehension, but Angie was able to calm her fears. "Hi. You must be Rini. I'm Angela Jacobs, and this is my friend Cosmo. We've heard some good things about you." The female magician then bowed out of respect for the Japanese customs.
The little girl took a similar bow and said, "Thank you. This is the first time I've really left Japan."
"Well, I think you'll like it here in Electro City. Just wait until you see the Magic Express. We've got room for at least 20 people there, and you won't have to stay in any expensive hotel. Besides, Lita and I can team up for some dynamite meals."
"Amy told me you could cook some of the best meals possible. I can't wait to try your dishes."
When Lita came through, Cosmo screamed in joy. "Lita!"
"Cosmo!" She ran up to him and hugged him as tightly as possible. "Oh, how I've missed you so much…"
"Me, too, Lita…me, too."
It only took a few seconds for them to touch lips, but three years being apart felt more like an eternity to them.
Rini quickly noticed the two lovebirds. "I've never seen Lita like this before…is that her real boyfriend?"
"Let's just say," started Darien, "three years apart has made them more determined to see each other."
When they finally let go, Cosmo spoke. "C'mon, guys. We need to get the luggage and go. We've got a huge party waitin' at the Magic!"
When the group reached the two vans, Serena and Rini both yelled, "I'm with Darien!"
Angie shook her head, though. "I'm sorry, you two, but we have strict orders to keep both of you apart. Darien, will you ride up front with Cosmo while—"
"Aw, come on," pleaded Cosmo. "Can't Lita sit up front with me and Darien go with you in your van?"
Shaking her head, she gave in. "Okay, Cos, you win. Lita can sit up front with you while Darien rides front passenger with me."
That did not sit well with Serena or Rini. "What!? Why?"
"To maintain the focus," answered Darien. "Remember, Amy won this trip, and she was gracious enough to let all of us come along."
Amy smiled at Darien's thoughtful comment. "Thank you, Darien. Serena, you have to ride in the rear of Angie's van while Rini sits in Cosmo's van. This way, we have no quarrel over Darien, and the trip to the Express will be a peaceful one."
"And I'll sit in the back with Meatball-Head," said a cocky Raye, "so she doesn't try anything ditzy."
Serena went into one of her usual tantrums. "That's not fair! I should be sitting with Darien! Rini only wants him for herself!"
Angie had already grown tired of Serena's jealousy. "That's enough!" With a simple hand gesture, she made tape appear Serena's mouth, making sure she would stay quiet. "Try to remove that tape and you'll be in a lot of pain. Now, can we please get to the Express? Mona's going to flip if we don't hurry back for the dinner."
Cosmo, Lita, Serena, Luna, Raye, and Amy all rode together in one van while Angie, Darien, Rini, Diana, Mina, and Artemis rode together in the other van. Even though the total trip took approximately 45 minutes, the trip was very peaceful because of the tape Angie created over Serena's mouth.
In the back of Cosmo's van, Raye laughed at how Serena tried to mumble through the tape. "Face it, Meatball-Head. Even Angie figured out how to keep you quiet."
Serena was on the verge of exploding when Luna shouted, "Stop it, Serena! I'm glad Angie did tape up your mouth so you wouldn't have to run it on the way to the Magic Express. We don't need to hear you drooling over Darien every passing second."
At the front of the van, Cosmo and Lita started their own conversation in the front.
"So," he started, "how have things been going with you?"
"In terms of boyfriends, so-so. After I met you, it was getting harder for me to find anyone like you. In terms of Sailor Scout business, though, it's been hectic. We just had to put up with a weird woman named Queen Nephrenia. She wanted to steal everyone's dreams just so she could stay beautiful for all time."
"You know, I kinda noticed things getting a little weird lately. I mean, the skies grew really dark on a couple of occasions, but I sure didn't know all that was goin' on."
"Believe me, she was the most dangerous being we've had to face since that goofy Doom Phantom and the powerful Mistress Nine."
"Mistress Nine? Who's she?"
Lita went on to explain the story behind the stealing of pure heart crystals by dark forces, along with the eventual battle against Mistress Nine, and the summoning of Sailor Saturn. "We almost didn't get through that one, but Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were so determined to keep Sailor Saturn from coming along. Turns out Saturn was a good Scout, but misunderstood because she had enough power to destroy a planet."
"Sheesh, you'd think people would've stopped jumping to conclusions. But it sure looks like you've had your hands full since we last saw each other."
"No kidding. A Sailor Scout's work is almost never done. When one threat is gone…a new one seems to come out of nowhere."
When she heard Lita's remark, Raye could not get the warning out of her mind. What threat will come this time? I'm still not sensing anything yet, but Sailor Saturn knows something's up. We have to be on our guard, since Electro City is at the center of this potential danger. If only I knew what it was…perhaps Mr. Cooper can shed some light on the subject.
Meanwhile, Angie drove her van with Darien as her front passenger. Because of Rini and Diana, the others could not talk as openly about the recent events with him and the others. "So, Darien, how's Japan been lately?"
"Pretty good. The cherry blossoms during the spring were more beautiful than ever."
"That's neat. Of course, I haven't had a chance to really see cherry blossoms. They're only in Washington, DC, as a present from the Japanese in the 1960s." I'd better not tell them what happened to me in Washington. It's too risky, since something could happen here before too long.
"Washington, DC…I'd like to go there sometime. All those monuments and memorials."
"Right. Our nation's capital is the home to the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, you name it. I would love an opportunity to see all those sites. I never did go during my school years. Budget cuts back then were awful." I did see Washington, but not in the way I wanted, not after being kidnapped.
"How much longer before we reach the Express?"
"Should get there in the next 15 minutes."
Cosmo then contacted Angie via the wristwatch communicator. "Hey, Ang, Serena's got one mean face right now."
Angie looked on the monitor and could see Serena sitting with a pout-look on her face. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but Amy warned us not to take any chances. You'll be released from the spell as soon as we're in the Express."
Raye could not help but laugh about it. "Boy, when you take charge of a situation, Angie, you do it in style."
"Well, being around Ace for the past four years has certainly helped me in more ways than one." If you only knew how much of a brother he has been to me for the past year, when my powers exploded…
Darien noticed the look on Angie's face. "Hey, are you all right?"
Angie snapped back into reality and responded, "Oh, yes…yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
"Feel like talking about it?"
From the rear of Cosmo's van, Serena noticed Darien looking into Angie's eyes on the monitor and started fuming. That girl magician's going after Darien! He's mine, sister, so get outta the way!
"No, it's okay, Darien. My friends have been helpful to me as of late, so I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, though."
"So how about you and your friends? Still doing all those crazy shows?"
"Of course. The input between Ace, Cosmo, and myself gives us the opportunity to create more tricks to bedazzle the mind. We're currently working on a rather dangerous illusion involving three rings of fire and juggling fireballs between Ace and me. Cosmo, of course, is providing the special effects for that part of the act. I'm still a little prone to making my fireballs too big for myself, so Ace has been helping me keep total control of the size."
"That's great. Your powers have been steadily increasing, then?"
"Yes, with Ace's help and knowledge." She then noticed the tunnel. "Okay, we're almost there. We just go through the tunnel, and we'll be at the Magic Express at last."
The two vans went through the tunnel and reached the mysterious bullet train of just two cars.
Rini noticed it in surprise. That's the Magic Express? It looks like a train, but I guess I'll just have to take their word for it.
The two vans could not fit into the garage of the Magic Express, so Angie and Cosmo parked both vans next to the garage door. Soon, everyone started unloading their luggage from the vehicles and entered the famous home to Ace Cooper.
Angie notified Angel to tell Ace and Mona of their arrival.
In the living room, the couple were ready for the meal when Angel appeared to them. "Miss Amy Mizuno and her friends have arrived and are currently in the garage area."
"Thank you, Angel. Patch me through to the garage, please."
"Right away, Ace."
The living room monitor was turned on to see the garage. "Hello, everyone," Ace spoke.
At the garage, everyone except Angie and Cosmo jumped at the sound of the voice. "Hey, Ace," said Cosmo, "we're back and ready for dinner. I'm starvin'!"
"Okay, Cosmo, okay. Everyone, for now leave your luggage in the garage. We'll take care of that after dinner. Now, if you'll follow both Cosmo and Angie, you will come to the living room, where dinner is waiting."
As they went up, Serena pleaded with Angie to remove the tape from her mouth.
"All right," said Angie, "I'll remove the tape only if you don't talk about Darien every five minutes. Is that understood?"
When Serena nodded in agreement to the terms, Angie quickly released the spell. "Okay, you can breathe normally now."
"Whew…thank you," said a relieved Serena.
As the group continued on, Serena's eyes started turning angry red. If Angie thinks she's going to steal my Darien away from me, she'd better think again! He's my future husband!
When the group all entered the living room, they were greeted with a surprise banner.
Amy was first to react. "Mr. Cooper…this is beautiful. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"After three years, why not? It's great to see you all again." He then noticed little Rini shying away. "Don't be shy, little one. I'm not going to hurt you."
With a little nudge from Lita, Rini came up to the Magician. "H…hi."
"Hello. You must be Rini."
"How did you know my name?"
"Amy e-mailed me her guest list. She told me that you and a kitten named Diana were coming on this trip as well. Am I right?"
"Yes, you are, sir." Rini bowed in respect.
"Well, Rini, I have a little present for you." Ace cupped his hands and blew a small breath, instantly creating a beautiful red rose. "Here you are, Rini. A rose just for you."
The little girl took the flower and smelled it. "It's a real rose," she gasped. "You're cool, Mr. Cooper."
Ace blushed. "Oh, you're just saying that."
Mona had to giggle at Rini's admiration. "Hey, Ace, do I have some competition?"
"Sorry, Mona. Rini, this is my girlfriend Mona Malone."
"How do you do, Miss Malone. It's nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure for me, too, Rini. Your hair is beautiful."
"You really…like my hair like this?"
"Yes, I do. Makes me want to be a kid all over again. Now, uh, I suggest we eat. I'm getting too hungry."
Angie added, "So am I. I—"
The female magician was interrupted by the approach of a beautiful black panther.
Rini and little Diana both stepped back in fear, both believing the panther would attack them.
"Relax, Rini," said Cosmo. "Zina's our friend. She won't attack unless Ace or anyone close to him is being threatened. She knows you're no threat to any of us."
Zina came up to the little girl and rubbed her fur against her legs. "Hey, I think she likes me." Rini then petted the creature. "Soft fur…she's pretty."
Serena then spoke for the rest of the group. "Trust me, Rini. I was the same way when I first saw Zina. Once you get to know her, she's really a kitty cat like Luna and Artemis."
"And hopefully Diana, too," Rini noted. "Hi, Zina. Sorry about that."
She growled as if to say, "No problem."
"Now that we've all made acquaintances," said Amy, "I believe it's time to…dig in!"
Everyone gathered around the table and started eating the huge dinner created by Angie and Mona.
All the while, Ace, Angie, and Raye could not get Sailor Saturn's warning out of their minds.
Ace, thought Angie, have you felt anything different?
No. Besides, you being the empathic mage, you could sense this better than I could.
What about Raye, though? She probably knows about this, too.
We'll talk with her later on tonight. For now, let's just enjoy dinner.
You're right. I'm sorry for worrying like this.
It's okay, Angie. You have every right to worry about this situation.
Raye was still preoccupied about the threat. Mr. Cooper obviously knows about this situation, but how to talk to them without arousing suspicion to the others…
After the dinner was completely gone (thanks mostly to Serena's huge appetite), Serena and her friends felt very tired.
Ace knew exactly what had happened. "You've all been on that flight for too long…jet lag. How about Mona and Angie show you to your rooms while Cosmo, Darien, and I gather the luggage from the garage."
Serena and her friends agreed, so the two women showed their guests to their rooms.
Darien would get his own room by himself, with no Serena or Rini to bother him. Serena, Mina, Luna, and Artemis all shared one room. Amy, Rini, and Diana took another room, and finally Lita and Raye took in one other room. Ace, Angie, and Cosmo would all have their individual rooms as normal. Cosmo was a little upset that Lita did not want to bunk with him in his room.
Lita, however, said, "Sorry, buddy, but I don't do things like that, no matter who the guy is."
"Okay, Lita, I'm sorry. I guess it shouldn't be too easy."
Mona then looked at her watch. "Oops, it's getting late for me. I'd better be on my way home."
"Sure thing, Mona," said Ace with a smile. "Thanks again for your help on this."
"Glad I could do it, Ace." She then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left the Express for the night.
Meanwhile, the others were getting settled into their rooms.
Before Raye went into her room, though, Ace made a note magically appear from her right ear. "Don't read this until Lita's asleep, okay? It's very important."
Raye nodded in understanding and then went into the room with Lita.
Ace sent a mental message to Angie. Raye's got the message. We'll discuss the situation in the garage at 1 a.m.
Okay, Ace. 1 a.m. it is.

Hours after everyone went to sleep, Raye took the note Ace had created and read it carefully. Meet Angie and me in the garage at 1 a.m. We have something very important to discuss. It's best that only the three of us chat about this, as Angie and I fear it could cause panic between the others. Sincerely, Ace.
At 12:57 a.m., Raye quickly grabbed her robe and snuck out of her guest room. Angel's holographic image led Raye back to the garage area, where Ace and Angie waited patiently.
Raye almost immediately knew about what they were going to talk but was surprised Angie was also there. "You received Sailor Saturn's warning, too?"
"Actually, I did," Ace noted. "Angie's sensitivity knew something was up, so I told her the truth. She hasn't told anyone else, though. What kind of message did you get from Sailor Saturn?"
"All she told me was that a new danger was coming towards Earth, and that Electro City would be the center of the chaos. She never said what the threat was or when it would happen."
"I received the same message from her, but at first I thought Sailor Saturn was Sailor Moon, that is until I saw how shorter she was. In any case, though, we have to take this seriously. We have to be prepared for anything, since we still don't know all the details."
"Wait a minute," said Angie. "What about the two visitors we had a couple months back…Haruka and Michiru?"
Raye gasped in surprise. "Are you talking about Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Keioh?"
"Yes. They came out of nowhere a couple of months ago when we needed musicians for one of our shows. We also realized they must've been Sailor Scouts themselves."
"You're right. Haruka's known as Sailor Uranus while Michiru is Sailor Neptune. Why did they come here, though?"
"Just before they disappeared, they left a note. It said that our only chance to save Earth was to join forces with the Sailor Scouts again. They were checking to see if in fact Electro City was the center of this potential menace. They were right, but we still don't know what to look out for, at least not yet anyway. Have you sensed anything, Raye?"
"No, not yet. Whatever threat is coming, we may or may not realize it at all."
"I guess all we can really do is wait…and pray nothing happens."
"Agreed. I think we need to keep this to ourselves for now, at least until we're sure of what happens."
Ace then let out a yawn. "It's late, girls. Let's get some sleep for now, since we've got a tour to give you all starting tomorrow."
Raye smiled. "I'm looking forward to that, Mr. Cooper. Well, good night."
"Good night, Raye."
Ace and Angie soon returned to bed themselves, but the danger would remain in the back of their minds.

Meanwhile, in the deepest reaches of space, a strange light traveled through the galaxies, as if it were looking for something. "Life…I must find…life," it whispered. "No planet…has given me what I want…I need life…to stay alive…"
It had been on the journey seemingly for a long time, and it was rapidly tiring out. "I have to find…a place to rest…and food…must have food!"
The being then noticed a planet of blue and green color. "Land…water…life! At last, I can feed…I can feed!"
The light then started traveling faster, using up much energy, but it only wanted to make it to the third planet from the sun…Earth.
At approximately 3 a.m., the light traveled easily past Earth's atmosphere and landed in the pond at Keaton Park. After a few minutes, the light emerged into a being of darkness…an alien demon-like vampire. "Finally…I can feed!" He immediately started with some smaller animals like squirrels and raccoons. He was fine for a couple of hours, but then the sun started to come up in the eastern sky. "No…I cannot stand sunlight. I must find a host body in order to survive the daylight."
Running out of time, the vampire's spirit floated into the early morning sky and sought a body that would keep him in check during the day. He then noticed someone sleeping soundly in his house, but could tell about him. "He is the one I seek. Cold-hearted, unfriendly…"
The spirit quickly penetrated the window and entered the man's body through his nostrils.
The gentleman awakened an hour later, and put on his glasses. "What a strange dream I had," he said. "Oh, well, I can't worry about that now. I'd better make sure the city's crime bosses remain in check as usual."
After eating breakfast, he was fully dressed and ready to go to work. Getting into his car, he left his home and arrived at Electro City Police Headquarters 30 minutes later.
With a retinal-eye scan, the computer identified him. "Captain Howard Friedrichs, Chief of Police. You may enter."
The doors opened for him, and he was ready for another long day at work. He had no idea he was about to become a major part of the dangerous threat against Earth, with Electro City at the center…