Chapter One

She woke to the sound of her own heart beating against her ribcage. Quickly, frantically, she groped for the light beside her bed and, finding the small silver chain, she clicked the dim beam on. She bent over, her heart finally slowing down, her hair falling on either side of her face as she drew in ragged breaths. "I'm going for a walk," she announced softly, speaking to the cat lying asleep at the end of the queen-sized bed. It flicked its velvet white ears in answer and she slipped downstairs. Pulling on a raincoat, she crept through the front door and jumped down the front steps two by two, her shoes smacking against the wet pavement. Days in England were always rainy, it seemed to her as she walked down the sidewalk dark with morning light and rain. For the past few days, she had been waking from a distant nightmare that she could only remember pieces and parts from. Still, her heart and subconscious seemed to remember it and she always awoke with a pounding heart and frenzied fingers in search to wake the light. Funny though, her cat, Artimis, never seemed disturbed or waken by her frigid movements as she writhed in bed. She ran her fingers along the cold metal window frames of long-closed shops. The small circles of water droplets smeared and ran into each other as she continued to walk down the deserted English streets, streetlights above her, beautifully bright against the stormy night. Rain was coming. The wind picked up her red scarf and she bit her lip as it ripped at her blonde hair. As she passed a video arcade, Crown Game Center, an amusing picture caught her eye. 'New Sailor V video game coming soon!' the bold letters screamed. She stopped and stared at the poster, eyes taking in the picture of England's heroine, Sailor V. The world around her was eerily quiet without the click- click-click of her boots but she reached out to touch the arcade display window and her hands met with the raindrop-dotted glass. There were so many movies and comics worshipping this beauty of a masked heroine. Sailor V's face dotted movie theatres, awed girls' rooms, in-love boy's rooms, book stores and even grocery stores. Yes, she was a hero here.

And it was funny. As she looked into the glass window, staring at the poster, Sailor V's face was reflected back at her, mirror-image. Codename: Sailor V! Yes. She was quite popular in England. The soldier of justice, sailor-suited beautiful soldier! But now, Natsuna o-nee-san was sending her off to Japan where she had envisioned her helpers, the sailor scouts of the new millennium. She slowly slid her hands in her pockets and her fingertips touched the slightly- crumpled edge of some slightly-stiff paper. Slowly, she pulled it from her pocket and stared at it, tears welling up in her eyes. It was the ace of hearts. "Adonis," she whispered, a lone tear making a shining streak upon her pale cheek. She clenched her fist, crumpling the card. "Your true battle begins now." Why? Why was he haunting her? Not now. No, she would be on her way to Japan in a couple days, Hikaru-chan seeing her off, her best friend since elementary school. She didn't ask for this life. No. She was chosen. She would have landed her gymnastics move perfectly if that odd white cat hadn't walked in front of her. Hikaru-chan tried to blow it off as always but that stupid white cat had kept appearing at all the bad times. Then, one night during a hot bath, the white cat had appeared at her window and had spoken to her. 'The boss,' he had called her and handed her a crescent moon talisman. That's where it all started. The Dark Agency came next, attacking England and transforming her precious late-crush, Higashi-senpai. The most popular guy in school, he had told her that her hair was beautiful. She touched her red bow. He had also told her that she should wear it back with a bow. She had and, of course as all habits are, habitually tied it in her hair every morning. Speaking of morning, the sun was beginning to rise behind the storm clouds. She could barely make out the vibrant red and fuchsia bands that made a halo about the orange sphere. It was going to rain again. "Morning Minako-chan!" greeted Hikaru cheerily as they walked to their school, the Glory Cram School. Her friend was silent, her light blue eyes burning holes in the cement. "Oh? Minako?" "Gomen Hikaru-chan," sighed Minako, slouching over. "What's wrong?" asked Hikaru, cocking her head. "Did you fail another test?" "No!" said Minako with a scowl. "I'm just tired. That's all." "Cheer up! You're going to Tokyo soon," said Hikaru with as much cheer as she could muster. Minako hung her head, her blonde hair flipping over her skull. "All this is making me want to play Lovely Fight," she groaned as they headed to their class, Class B. The day was long and dragging. Even volleyball during gym class couldn't stir Minako's seemingly-constant depression. Hikaru bumped it to the zoning girl, in hopes of her once-hyper friend springing into action and spiking it with godlike speed over the net. But it bounced off the top of the other girl's head and as the gym filled with laughter, Minako blushed and backed to the bleachers. "What's with you Aino?" called the sensei, looking over his clipboard. "I don't feel like playing much," she said back, her voice soft but carrying across the gym. "Then sit on the bleachers and watch." And she did so, her eyes seemingly seeing the ball but not really seeing anything at all. "How was your day?" asked the white cat from her bed as she stumbled into the room. She dropped her schoolbag and threw herself onto the bed. "I'll take that as bad?" "Awful!" she corrected, staring up at the ceiling. "Absolutely awful." The cat, faithfully and fondly called Artimis, was silent, large eyes below a yellow crescent moon mark staring intently at the girl. "Until tomorrow," he said, curling in the crook of her neck. Suddenly, she hated tomorrow. "All ready Minako-chan?" asked Natsuna o-nee-san as Minako was ready to go on the plane. "Hai," she whispered, smiling. "I am." And she was, she thought, as she rolled down the runway into the Tokyo Airport, Artimis snug in the bag on her lap. Already, she was missing tomorrow's school day, Hikaru-chan's bright smile and their giggles as they pointed out eighth grade guys and watched Minako play games at Crown Game Center. The back of her eyes pricked as she remembered her o-nii-san, her Motoki, back at Crown Game Center. She had said but a brief goodbye to him, the one who took her breath away at each movement he made. "I'm surprised I'm still alive!" laughed Minako as she unzipped her lap bag. Artimis leapt out and draped himself around her shoulders, meowing. "I don't know," he said, obviously cross from lack of air and space over the long airplane ride. "You sure sound alive to me." "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! Come on you grouch!" she laughed and sped off towards the exit, Artimis clinging to her jacket. The train ride to the apartment was bumpy and people stared at her, or the cat upon her shoulders. Everyone else was carrying newspapers and children but in her arms she cradled a cat. "This is great!" she exclaimed, stepping off the train onto the plank. "Just a small walk from here, Artimis." "I don't care," he said with a yawn. "You're the one walking, after all." "I'll make some sticky rice! Oh, and sushi and--" "Where are you getting this money?" Artimis asked as they walked towards the apartment buildings. "Oh that's right!" Minako said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm flat broke." Artimis almost fell of her shoulder, an exasperated look on his face. "Oh, who cares! Natsuna o-nee-san said I could get a job! I'll just work at a store or something." "Nani?? Minako??" "Come on you lazy kitty," Minako said cheerily, fitting the key into the lock. "We've got a room to break in." "Oh-h-h-h! Sailor V!" sighed a teenager as she stared longingly at the heroine in on the poster. "She's so great!" "She's not so great," snorted another, shaking her mane of black red-hued hair. "Nan? Are you serious? She's only the best ass-kicking super hero ever!" declared the teen, crossing her arms. The other rolled her eyes with annoyance. "She is not." "Is so." "Is not." "IS SO!" "IS NOT!" "Would you two cut it out?" barked their third companion, a blue-haired girl whose azure eyes scolded them from above a text book and behind thin glasses. "Personally, Usagi-chan, I think you're obsessing." "Oh-h look! A food shop!" gasped the fourth girl, a very tall, slender girl with a brown ponytail. She stared longingly at the quaint shop across the street with jade eyes. "That's off subject," scoffed the blue-haired teen, closing her book with a snap. "We should be studying, not shopping! I hope you've been doing well on your tests so far, Usagi-chan, because Juuban is a school with very high standards." "Oh maa-maa," Usagi said, uncrossing her arm to place her hands on her hips. "While we're talking about obsession!" "Come on," said the tall girl. "If you come to my apartment, we can study and I'll cook for you!" "You're the best cook ever, Makoto-chan!" said the black-haired girl fondly, smiling widely. Makoto blushed and fondled her ponytail. "Arigato Rei-chan!" "I suppose that's fine," sighed the blue-haired teen as she placed the book she had been reading under her arm. "As long as we can get some studying done. That math test is coming up soon, Usagi-chan." "I know, I know," grumbled Usagi, slumping over. She disliked being reminded of such events when she'd rather be playing the new Sailor V game at the arcade. "Lighten up Ami-chan," said Rei. "I'm sure Usagi will manage a D at least." "Rei!" growled Usagi and Makoto laughed. As they trailed into the apartment building floor, there was a flash of blonde and they stopped to look over their shoulders. A girl with long blonde hair and a big red bow was standing outside the door at the bus stop. A white cat sat beside her, watching the passing cars. "Who's that?" asked Usagi loudly, pointing a finger. "Shh!" hissed Rei. "You're so rude, Usagi-chan! She could hear you! Stop pointing!" "Gomen, gomen," apologized Usagi but trailed behind the others to steal one last glance at the girl. She was gone.