With the jewelry store now completely destroyed, Hana's afternoons for the next two-to-three months were now free. Hana couldn't stand the thought of spending any more time at home than was absolutely necessary, so she decided to try the new fast food joint near her school.
"Hello. May I take you order?" asked the cashier.
"Yes. The #2, please, with no tomatoes or ketchup. Fries, with that."
"That will be 590 yen, please.. . .Thank you and enjoy your meal."
"I will." Hana took her change and headed down the counter for her food. She turned around to look at the place. Wow. The interior here is beautiful.
"Here's your cup, ma'am." At the sound of the employee's voice, Hana's head snapped around. No. It couldn't be him.
He handed her a tray. "Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy. . ."
"Jiro-chan? Is that you?" Hana interrupted. "Though I guess it's Jiro-san now."
"Hana-chan?" asked Jiro. "My gosh. It sure has been awhile, hasn't it? You know, . . .we never officially broke up."
"We stopped emailing each other, though," Hana pointed out.
"That's true," said Jiro.
An awkward silence passed before Jiro said, "Well, it was nice seeing you again.. . .Can I have a hug? For old time's sake?"
"Uh, sure. Why not?" They leaned over the counter and embraced. Oh, yeah. I still feel the same. But I bet he has changed. They pulled back. It's too late for us. We should not have lost contact. "Ja ne, . . . Jiro-san."
Jiro dropped his eyes. "Yeah. Ja ne, Hana-san."
As hard as it was to hear him say that, it's probably for the best. It's too late for us.

"Thoth! Osiris! In here! NOW!" yelled Ra. The two dashed into the room and kneeled before their unofficial leader. Ra approached them. "What was that? You two retreated from a little girl! You are an embarrassment to this group!"
"We apologize, Ra," said Thoth.
"It shall not happen again," added Osiris.
"See to it that it doesn't!" Ra turned her back to them. "Dismissed!"
Thoth and Osiris rose and left the room. "Why is she always like that?" asked Osiris. "It's not our fault we didn't know she was that strong!"
"Ra just wants to make sure that we succeed," said Thoth.
"So do I! Who do you think put this group together?!"
"You did, Osiris."
Osiris rolled her eyes. "You weren't really supposed to answer that."
"I apologize," said Thoth. "Now, if you will excuse me, I shall retire to my living space and finish reading 'The Yarnball Monologues'. Very interesting book." The two nodded goodbye and went their separate ways.
Osiris clenched her fist. "We will meet again, Sailor Earth. This time, I will kill you."

Hana stepped onto the city bus. She sat near the front and pulled out a book. She covered her mouth as she yawned. I can't believe Mama and Papa spent half the night arguing. I didn't get to sleep until, like, three.
At the next stop, Mamoru, only a few seats away from her, stood up. As he passed Hana, she looked up and realized he looked familiar. Without even thinking about it, she followed him off the bus. "Wait!" Hana waved her right arm wildly. Mamoru didn't turn around, so Hana continued to follow. "Wait!" she continued to yell as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Wait! Oh! Gomen nasai. Sir! Wait!"
She turned the corner as he entered the Eastern Café. Where did he go?
She heard the bus drive away. Quickly, she turned around. "No! Wait!" She chased after the bus. "Stop!"
"That's odd," said Mamoru.
Artemis leapt out of the satchel and onto the chair. "What is that?"
"That feeling I had," said Mamoru. "It's gone. I had it the entire time on the bus. Now, it's gone."

Thoth entered Osiris's quarters. "You requested my presence?"
"Ra wants me to attack another store," said Osiris. "I need you to help me distract Sailor Earth should she arrive."
Thoth was flabbergasted. "We just had a battle yesterday! We must review what went wrong before we attack again!"
"Tell that to Ra. I'm just following orders."
Thoth walked up next to Osiris. "You would attack without reflection?"
"If I am asked to, then yes." Osiris turned to face Thoth. "You problem is you are 40 reflection, 45 planning, and 10 action!"
"15," Thoth corrected.
"Whatever! The point is, if we were all like you, nothing would happen!" Osiris stormed out the room.

The bus stopped at the corner of Middle Earth and Tolkin Ave. Mamoru stepped on, paid the driver, and found a seat. "Well, that was a wasted trip," he mumbled.
The bus then stopped at the corner of Funky and Town. A few students from Gaea Jr./Sr. High School stepped on, Hana bringing up the rear.
Mamoru nudged the bag. "Artemis, I sense it again."
"Apparently, one of these students has whatever we are looking for," Artemis said.
"I remember the girl's uniform from this morning; I just don't remember what she looked like."
The bus came to a sudden halt, sending all its passengers forward. The noise level rose. "What's going on?" yelled a woman.
"The police have blockaded the road," said the driver. "Looks like a robbery."
Hana-sama! It is Osiris! She is holding a child hostage!
Gotcha! Hana dashed off the bus.
Mamoru stood up to stop her, but then stopped himself. It's her!
Hana ran into the building across the street from the robbery. Ducking behind some shelves, she reached into her pocket. My henshion stick! Where is it?
You put it in your school bag this morning.
"Which I left on the bus. Shit! Well, let's try without it. Earth Planet Power! Make Up!. . .Hey! It worked!"
Hana-sama!
"Gomen." Sailor Earth took a deep breath, then dashed out the door. She lept over the officers on her way to the jewelry store. "Hey! Come back here!" yelled an officer.
"That's Sailor Earth!" yelled his commanding officer. "Let's see what she can do."
"Osiris! Put that girl down!" ordered Earth.
"Only if you give me the Golden Crystal," said Osiris.
"The what?" asked Earth.
"You know what I am talking about."
"No, actually, I don't."
"Oh. Uh. . .then you for the girl!" Osiris's arms started to glow. "I was instructed to come back with something! And that could be anything! Including her!"
"Ow! You're hurting me!" yelled the girl.
"Stop it!" yelled Earth. "Alright. If you let her go, I'll go with you."
Hana-sama!
I can't think of any other way, Earth. Besides, maybe I can find the other Senshi.
Suddenly, a rose hit Osiris in the arm. She dropped the girl, who ran to her mother. "Who threw that?!" she yelled.
Tuxedo Kamen walked through the door. "Using children as hostages? For shame."
"Nile's Fury!" Tuxedo and Earth both dodged the attack. Tuxedo used his extend-o-cane to hit Osiris in the eye. Earth quickly took advantage. "Earth Leaf Cyclone!"
"Feather Hurricane!" Shanu's attack canceled out Earth's. "Need a little help, Osiris?"
"It would be nice," she grumbled.
He smirked. "Well, that's too bad."
Osiris's eyes grew wide in realization. "Shanu! You wouldn't!"
"Oh, but I would." His blue mist came out as a beam from his belt buckle.
Wait! He can't turn on his own! Earth quickly pushed Osiris out of the way. The mist hit a wall, causing that section to disappear. "Earth Leaf Cyclone!" An even more powered up version hit Shanu. He screamed as he slowly disintegrated.
Earth helped Osiris up. "I want you out of here as well," she ordered.
"Sailor Earth. Why did you save me?" Osiris asked.
"While I don't agree with what you're doing, teammates should never turn on each other." Earth's eyes clouded over. "It never works out."
Osiris thought about that as Earth headed towards the door. The Black Sheep of the Sailor Senshi learned her lesson? Does she now have morals? Is she the exception? Or are they all like that?
"Thank you for your help, sir," said Earth. "I really wasn't sure what to do there."
He nodded. "My pleasure. Your name?"
"Sailor Earth. Yours?"
"Tuxedo Kamen." He tipped his hat. "If you're ever in Tokyo, look me up."
She nodded. "I will."
Tuxedo left and Earth turned back to Osiris. "What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to leave."
"How?" asked Osiris flabbergasted.
"How what?" Earth asked back.
"You've never meet him before, yet you trust him?"
"It's more of gratitude. He helped me when I needed it." Earth lowered her eyes. "I don't have to let you go in one piece. You better leave before I change my mind."
Osiris nodded and teleported out.

Ra was confused. "You want to what?"
"I would like to follow Sailor Earth around, get to know her better," answered Osiris. "We need to know what she to truly like."
"You are just upset you lost," mocked Tut-Tut.
"Every time we fight her, she wounds us. Or kills us," Osiris said forcefully. "If we learn more about her, we may be able to figure out why. Unless you have a better idea."
Tut-Tut hung his head in shame. "I am sorry, ma'am."
"You'd better be!" snapped Osiris.
"Hey!" Thoth intervened. "Let us not get hostile. . ."
"You are not on my good side either, Thoth," Osiris stated.
"Silence!" Ra stood up. "Osiris. Your plan is excellent. Execute at once!"
Osiris, who had been kneeling, stood and nodded. "Hai!"
"Thoth, continue with preparations to start operations in Tokyo," ordered Ra.
"What about me?" whined Tut-Tut.
"You should return to your quarters if you know what's good for you!" Ra told him.
"Yes, ma'am." Tut-Tut ran back to his room.
"Baka," mumbled Ra. She turned her attention back to the hologram of Sailor Earth. We will get you, Sailor Earth. You will hand Artemis and Luna over. They will pay.

Chapter 5