Back at the Hikawa Jinja Temple, the more Rei watched Andi, the more
suspicious she seemed to be acting. She spent more and more time in her
room, she always had the door locked, and Rei frequently heard another
voice coming from inside that she didn't recognize; Lita and Ami had
confirmed that it was the same one they heard in the chemistry lab at
school. She still carried around that bag that she was so determined not
to let anyone see into, and she had recently been receiving mysterious
phone calls from "home" and taking them in her room.
Occasionally, Rei would here her say something like "Well, how much time do you think is left?" or "They haven't learned anything yet?" When she wasn't locked away in her bedroom like Quasimodo in the belltower, she was helping Rei's grandpa with chores around the temple, which made Rei even more suspicious. No one could clean the temple with a smile on her face. She was just waiting for the right moment to strike, and then she would use that orb to drain everyone's energy . . . or . . . at least that was the standing theory.
The day of the costume ball arrived, and practically the entire school and more were there! Tensions had been growing increasingly high between Andi and the scouts. Although Andi seemed to be trying to act nonchalant, the scouts had gone painstakingly out of their way to insure that she knew they were watching her constantly. This, they figured, would dissuade her from trying anything, at least until they had more time to figure out exactly what she was up to.
Rei walked into the gym and immediately began scanning the crowd for the others. She told them all to be there because a crowd like this would be the perfect opportunity for Andi and the others to strike. Besides, not that she would admit it, but she really wanted the opportunity to show off her costume. The dress was made of fine, fiery-red silk, as smooth and lustrous as a well-polished ruby, with golden flames embroidered all over it. The sleeves draped over her arms and hung loosely like delicate wings. She wore a feathered boa of the deepest crimson, and an eye mask decorated with twinkling sequins, scarlet feathers, and a false beak attached at the nose.
"Hey, Rei!" someone called from behind her. She turned around to face Lita and Ken, dressed to match as a cowboy and a cowgirl, just like they had promised. They wore matching vests, matching boots, matching hats, of course. Darien stood behind them in a suit of armor. "Whoa! Nice costume, Rei!" Lita complimented her.
"Yeah! You really went all-out! Firebird?" asked Ken.
Rei beamed and nodded, then suddenly turned serious. She was getting tired of waiting. "It's about time!" she exclaimed. "Where are the others?"
"Ami's around here somewhere. She's dressed as like a mermaid." Lita explained, then nodded at Darien. "Sir Darien here was looking for Serena too, but she's late again. And you know Mina; she probably wants to make an entrance."
Rei gave and exasperated sigh. "Well they'd better get here soon because . . . "
"Umm . . . am I missing something?" Ken interrupted.
"Nope, not a thing," said Lita as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Darien stepped forward and whispered to Rei, "Lita told me what's been going on. Keep your eyes open, but try not to jump to conclusions. I have a feeling there's something more to this situation than we know."
Just then, Serena stumbled through the door in a fairy costume, and Darien went over to her, so Rei started milling about in search of Ami. She wasn't particularly difficult to find, being the wallflower that she was. She sat well away from the dance floor, staring at her feet self- consciously. Of course, Rei knew she'd rather be at home studying physics or something, but this was sailor business. She had to be here. "Hi Ami. Nice mermaid costume."
"Thanks, Rei, but it's nothing compared to yours! It looks beautiful on you!"
Rei smiled a little. She just couldn't get enough of hearing that! "Thanks." Then she lowered her voice. "So, any sign of trouble yet?"
"No," whispered Ami, "Paula and Chris are over there on the dance floor, but Fred and Andi haven't gotten here yet, and neither have Mina and her date."
"Who is her date, anyway?"
"I don't know. It's a big mystery. All I know is that it's someone Fred set her up with."
"Fred, huh?" Rei commented with great aversion. "That's promising."
All of a sudden, a hush fell over the entire room, and all was still as a young man strutted through the entranceway dressed in a tuxedo with a fake mustache and sprayed gray hair and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Apparently, he was very much in the character of his game show host costume. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! My name is Zack Gilson and I'll be your host for tonight's show! Now, give a big round of applause for my lovely assistant, Miss Mina Aino!!!" Everyone applauded as Mina paraded through the archway in a flashy blue-and-gold leotard with a plumed headdress one might expect to see on one of the Rockets of New York City. She seemed to have her own personal spotlight focused on her, and loved every moment of soaking it up.
It was not, however, the sight of Zack and Mina that made Rei's jaw drop and her cheeks flush; it was the two people behind her: Andi and Fred. Fred passed through the archway first in the guise of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, leading Andi close behind him into view. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Her pulse quickened, and she felt herself begin to hyperventilate with rage. "Why that dirty little . . . "She clenched her fists at her sides and felt the blood rushing to her ears. Andi smiled at Fred as he spun her around on the dance floor, wearing the exact same costume as Rei!
Occasionally, Rei would here her say something like "Well, how much time do you think is left?" or "They haven't learned anything yet?" When she wasn't locked away in her bedroom like Quasimodo in the belltower, she was helping Rei's grandpa with chores around the temple, which made Rei even more suspicious. No one could clean the temple with a smile on her face. She was just waiting for the right moment to strike, and then she would use that orb to drain everyone's energy . . . or . . . at least that was the standing theory.
The day of the costume ball arrived, and practically the entire school and more were there! Tensions had been growing increasingly high between Andi and the scouts. Although Andi seemed to be trying to act nonchalant, the scouts had gone painstakingly out of their way to insure that she knew they were watching her constantly. This, they figured, would dissuade her from trying anything, at least until they had more time to figure out exactly what she was up to.
Rei walked into the gym and immediately began scanning the crowd for the others. She told them all to be there because a crowd like this would be the perfect opportunity for Andi and the others to strike. Besides, not that she would admit it, but she really wanted the opportunity to show off her costume. The dress was made of fine, fiery-red silk, as smooth and lustrous as a well-polished ruby, with golden flames embroidered all over it. The sleeves draped over her arms and hung loosely like delicate wings. She wore a feathered boa of the deepest crimson, and an eye mask decorated with twinkling sequins, scarlet feathers, and a false beak attached at the nose.
"Hey, Rei!" someone called from behind her. She turned around to face Lita and Ken, dressed to match as a cowboy and a cowgirl, just like they had promised. They wore matching vests, matching boots, matching hats, of course. Darien stood behind them in a suit of armor. "Whoa! Nice costume, Rei!" Lita complimented her.
"Yeah! You really went all-out! Firebird?" asked Ken.
Rei beamed and nodded, then suddenly turned serious. She was getting tired of waiting. "It's about time!" she exclaimed. "Where are the others?"
"Ami's around here somewhere. She's dressed as like a mermaid." Lita explained, then nodded at Darien. "Sir Darien here was looking for Serena too, but she's late again. And you know Mina; she probably wants to make an entrance."
Rei gave and exasperated sigh. "Well they'd better get here soon because . . . "
"Umm . . . am I missing something?" Ken interrupted.
"Nope, not a thing," said Lita as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Darien stepped forward and whispered to Rei, "Lita told me what's been going on. Keep your eyes open, but try not to jump to conclusions. I have a feeling there's something more to this situation than we know."
Just then, Serena stumbled through the door in a fairy costume, and Darien went over to her, so Rei started milling about in search of Ami. She wasn't particularly difficult to find, being the wallflower that she was. She sat well away from the dance floor, staring at her feet self- consciously. Of course, Rei knew she'd rather be at home studying physics or something, but this was sailor business. She had to be here. "Hi Ami. Nice mermaid costume."
"Thanks, Rei, but it's nothing compared to yours! It looks beautiful on you!"
Rei smiled a little. She just couldn't get enough of hearing that! "Thanks." Then she lowered her voice. "So, any sign of trouble yet?"
"No," whispered Ami, "Paula and Chris are over there on the dance floor, but Fred and Andi haven't gotten here yet, and neither have Mina and her date."
"Who is her date, anyway?"
"I don't know. It's a big mystery. All I know is that it's someone Fred set her up with."
"Fred, huh?" Rei commented with great aversion. "That's promising."
All of a sudden, a hush fell over the entire room, and all was still as a young man strutted through the entranceway dressed in a tuxedo with a fake mustache and sprayed gray hair and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Apparently, he was very much in the character of his game show host costume. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! My name is Zack Gilson and I'll be your host for tonight's show! Now, give a big round of applause for my lovely assistant, Miss Mina Aino!!!" Everyone applauded as Mina paraded through the archway in a flashy blue-and-gold leotard with a plumed headdress one might expect to see on one of the Rockets of New York City. She seemed to have her own personal spotlight focused on her, and loved every moment of soaking it up.
It was not, however, the sight of Zack and Mina that made Rei's jaw drop and her cheeks flush; it was the two people behind her: Andi and Fred. Fred passed through the archway first in the guise of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, leading Andi close behind him into view. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Her pulse quickened, and she felt herself begin to hyperventilate with rage. "Why that dirty little . . . "She clenched her fists at her sides and felt the blood rushing to her ears. Andi smiled at Fred as he spun her around on the dance floor, wearing the exact same costume as Rei!