Usagi had called for an emergency meeting at her house for the inners. She had things to discuss with them regarding the recent events- without the outers and Nyanko.

"So… I know we said we would respect your decision, but we would still appreciate it if you give us some clues about the identities of the remaining Animamates," Minako said.

Usagi hesitated. Even since Nyanko told her who the other three Animamates were, she was left in doubt. She knew she should say something but at the same time, she wasn't sure what was the right thing to do.

"I… I do know them. All three of them," Usagi began. "And so do you."

"Huh? We know them?" Rei said.

"So one of them is playing dumb around us to deceive us," Makoto concluded.

"I'm not sure about that… none of them acted suspicious towards me or as if they knew I was Sailor Moon," Usagi replied.

"Usagi-chan, no offence but you didn't notice who Nyanko-san truly was," Minako said.

"None of us did," Ami added. "Appearance can be very deceptive."

"That… that doesn't mean any of them is up to no good," Usagi insisted.

"Answer us this at least: were any of them at the party the other day?" Minako asked.

Usagi remained quiet, looking away nervously.

"Usagi-" Rei tried to insist.

"They were all there," Usagi finally answered.

"...what?" Minako reacted.

"All three of them?" Rei wanted to confirm.

Usagi nodded.

"Okay, now this is definitely suspicious! What next, they all exited the party mysteriously before the attack?" Minako said.

Usagi didn't answer, simply looking down at her feet. Her silence said it all.

"Usagi-chan! One of them ought to be the culprit!" Minako exclaimed.

"Maybe it's just… a coincidence…" Usagi said weakly.

"One may be a coincidence, two is odd, but all three… it is no mistake. Something intentional happened here," Rei said.

"I understand you not telling Haruka-san and the others, but you have to tell us who they are now. If only it is so we can confirm their alibi and which ones of them are innocent," Ami declared.

Usagi remained hesitating for a moment. This knowledge was confided to her by Nyanko and her alone- but also with the possibility of sharing it with whom she deemed trustworthy. She looked back at her friends and sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Usagi finally resigned herself. "But only so we can prove their innocence together."

"Bonjour, mes amies!" Shigekane Hirari welcomed them. "For what do I owe the pleasure? I'm glad to see you all are both okay after what happened at the party."

Usagi went to Hoshi Agency with Nyanko after letting the latter know her recent decision to tell her friends the truth. The Mautian had gladly agreed to help them verify her old companions' innocence by establishing their alibi for the party.

"Hey, Shigekane-san! Speaking of that party, there was a model there I really wish I could have spoken to, but my journalist rival got faster than me," Nyanko explained before grabbing Usagi's shoulder. "And my friend over there insisted on coming. You see, she's kind of a fangirl regarding models…"

Nyanko was still living up to her credentials as a talent agent at Ginga TV, so she had no issues getting in contact with someone like Shigekane. It wasn't suspicious for her to be interested in a model, especially one who was at the party.

"Oh, so you're interested in one of my models. I am flattered, chérie. Which one might it be?"

"Relatively tall, lean, with short ashen hair and a somewhat handsome face, if that rings any bell."

"But of course! I see you have your eyes on Handa-san. Very popular with the demoiselles so I'm not surprised."

"Mhm," Nyanko nodded nonchalantly. "If possible, I'd like to speak with this Handa-san."

"Bien sûr. I'll go fetch Handa-san right away! Just wait here, mesdames."

Shigekane unceremoniously left the room, leaving Usagi and Nyanko by themselves.

"So, this model, you saw Nezu-san leave the party with them right?" Usagi asked.

"Yep. If we can confirm it, then it'd mean she indeed left the area altogether and can't be the culprit."

Usagi nodded. They waited for a few more minutes until someone came to the room.

It was a woman around Haruka's height, lean with short ashen hair. Despite being a girl, she did have a handsome appearance.

"Is that… the model?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah, that's her."

The woman stepped closer to them, offering them a warm yet professional smile.

"Shigekane-san told me you wanted to see me. I am flattered to be requested by two charming ladies. I am Handa Mitsune. How may I assist you?"

Maybe she was more Haruka-like than just on appearances. Nyanko surprisingly looked uneased by her behaviour but she smiled back nonetheless.

"Hi, Handa-san. We met at the charity party the other day. My name is Suzu Nyanko."

"Yes, I do remember. You were with this adorable little journalist. Nezumi was it?"

"Nezu Chuuko," Nyanko corrected.

"Right. I'm expecting a call from her."

"Oh, is that so?"

Nyanko somehow seemed annoyed.

"Yes, for an interview. How could I refuse such an offer from a cute journalist? We discussed our terms during the party, a little bit before she left."

"Right, she did leave the party a little earlier, and so did you," Nyanko commented.

"Yeah, after we talked Nezu-san said she was tired and wanted to go home. I walked with her to her bus stop and she left."

"So you saw her take the bus and leave?" Nyanko asked.

"I mean… yeah?"

"So she's unlikely to have come back later to the party?"

"... Yeah? I guess? That'd be weird after she got on her bus…"

Both Nyanko and Usagi sighed. It seemed they had confirmed Nezu's alibi for the party. Mitsune suddenly showed a sly smile as she leaned toward Nyanko.

"I know what this is all about," the model said.

"You… you do?" Nyanko said nervously.

"Yeah. You're jealous."

Nyanko looked at Mitsune in shock.

"J-jealous…!? What…? No…! Of who…?"

"Of Nezu-san, obviously."

"... Eh?"

"You wanted that interview with me, but she was faster than you. Is that right?"

Nyanko remained silent for a moment and exchanged a glance with Usagi.

"I… haha, you… got me!" Nyanko replied.

"Aw, don't beat yourself up about this. There's enough of me for the two of you…r interview."

Mitsune suddenly pulled out her business card, slipping it gently into Nyanko's breast pocket. The model had closed the distance between them, now whispering in her ear. Nyanko shivered.

"Feel free to give me a call whenever you're ready for this 'interview', Suzu-san."

"Handa Mitsune, model at Hoshi Agency," Usagi read on the card.

"This pretentious- who does she think she is!?" Nyanko fumed.

After leaving the agency, the two were heading for Usagi's house.

"I thought she was being nice," Usagi said. "And you know… she seemed to really appreciate you."

Usagi handed her back the business card.

"Yeah, well, that's the issue," Nyanko grumbled.

"I thought that you'd, you know… Handa-san is pretty attractive and handsome and you- so I thought that'd make you happy that would flirt with you…"

"Just because I like girls doesn't mean I'd settle for any girls- I have standards. Just like anyone I have my own preferences. And Handa-san isn't my type."

It was true that Nyanko had shown no interest in Haruka, even when the latter did her charming act.

"Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that, sorry…! So then, what… what kind of girls do you like?"

Nyanko started to fidget, nervously playing with her fingers as she looked away.

"I… I like cute girls. The really girly-looking ones. The gorgeous types like Kaioh-san and Aya-san are fine too, but my big preferences are the adorable ones."

Usagi started blushing despite her. She remembered all the teasing her friends said, who Nyanko said she had a crush on, the fact she knew she was Sailor Moon…

"A-Anyway, we proved Nezu-chan's alibi for the party," Nyanko quickly changed the subject. "Now it's up to your friends to do the same with the other two."

"Yes," Usagi nodded.

"You know, for someone who said she'd never bother me ever again, you appear awfully a lot in my sight," Karasuma complained.

The talent agent was parking her scooter near a store when she was accosted by Minako and Rei.

"Aw, don't say that," Minako replied. "I'm not here to bother you, I just want to talk."

"Your mere existence in my presence is a bother," Karasuma retorted.

"Ouch, that was harsh."

"You did bother her a lot in the past, Minako-chan," Rei replied.

"Yes, but…!"

"Anyway, Reiko isn't with me, so whatever you want with her-"

"Actually, you're the one we want to talk to, Karasuma-san," Rei suddenly interrupted.

Karasuma glanced at her, a little bit taken aback.

"Me?"

"Or rather, we'd like to talk with you, Lead Crow," Minako added.

Karasuma remained speechless, staring at both Minako and Rei with a blank expression. The silence felt interminable until Karasuma finally spoke.

"... Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Huh…?" Minako reacted.

"'Red Crow'... really? You're making fun of my name now?"

"...what?"

"Karasuma Akane… karasu means crow and aka means red," she replied.

"Ah…"

"She meant 'lead', the metal, not 'red', the colour," Rei corrected.

"Oh. Then I'm not quite sure I get the reference. Isn't lead a pretty heavy metal? Wouldn't a crow made of lead be counterproductive? Wait, is that some subtle way to call me fat…!?"

"No…! Ah, forget it, I messed up okay."

"What's your name again? Aiko Minato?"

".. Aino Minako…"

"'Beautiful child of love' huh… well you certainly don't fit your name."

"H-Hey! Lead is a pretty toxic metal and it sure suits you!'

"You…!"

"Minako-chan, enough!" Rei reprimanded. "Sorry, Karasuma-san, she was just trying to make a bad pun that didn't land. But we do need to talk to you."

Karasuma grunted, crossing her arms.

"Tsk! What do you want?"

"The night of the party, did you hear what happened?" Rei asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, there was an attack."

"Good thing you left a little earlier, uh…" Minako said. "Why did you leave by the way?"

"That idiot Reiko drank too much and I couldn't let her be drunk in public. I shouldn't have trusted her to handle herself… but usually, she's able to hold her liquor better than this…"

"Huh-uh," Minako mumbled.

"What's up with all those weird questions? Did something else happen that night that I'm unaware of and that I should know? Does it involve Reiko?"

"It's nothing, we were just wondering why you left," Rei replied. "We didn't see you after the attack so we were just worried something might have happened to you, or Aya-san. We weren't sure if you left the party temporarily or not."

"Ah. Yeah, no, we left and went back home. As I said, Reiko was pretty wasted. She was in no shape to stay. She went straight to bed right away and slept until the afternoon."

"Mhm. And what about you? You were not drunk, right?" Minako asked.

"Obviously. I was our ride. I just made sure Reiko was alright then I went to bed too."

"How nice of you. Your dedication to your 'client' is truly remarkable," Minako sarcastically commented.

Karasuma suddenly glared at her.

"What's this? Why do I feel like I'm being interrogated?"

"Why? Do you have something you feel guilty about?" Minako taunted.

"You… my relationship with Reiko is strictly professional! And she was passed-out drunk! I don't know what you're insinuating, but I would never- it's true that we share the same apartment, but I'm taking care of her! I would never take advantage of the trust she has in me!"

"Woah, I think there was some miscommunication here," Minako said.

"We're not accusing you of anything, she's just being an idiot," Rei tried to salvage.

"H-Hey, Rei-chan…!?"

"Whatever. I got errands to do. I don't have time for you. I really hope this is the last time you ever bother me."

Karasuma walked away, visibly upset.

"Great job, very subtle in your questioning," Rei said sarcastically.

"Hey, it's not my fault if she misinterpreted what I meant and got offended! All I implied was that it is suspicious that she'd spend all night by Aya-san's side. It's not like she can prove it, Aya-san was passed-out drunk. That's just awfully convenient. Who's to say she really was with Aya-san all night and not the one who attacked us?"

"It's true that it doesn't guarantee her alibi, but she didn't seem to be lying. She genuinely looked to have no idea what Lead Crow meant or what we were suspecting her of."

"Could still be just an act," Minako argued. "She didn't react right away when I called her Lead Crow and became quite aggressive the more we questioned her. Feels like she's hiding something to me."

Rei remained pondering for a moment.

"I guess we'll have to see what Aya-san will tell the others," Rei simply replied

Minako nodded.

"I guess you're right."

"You're Aino-san's friends, right? I remember seeing you with her."

Sitting down in a cafe, Aya Reiko was eating some muffins.

"Please, sit down with me," Reiko offered with a kind smile.

Ami and Makoto accepted her offer and sat in front of her.

"Sorry if we are bothering you, Ami began. "Minako-chan gave us your phone number and we needed to speak with you."

Ami had called Reiko and the latter had told her she would be at this cafe for her lunch break.

"Oh, no need to apologize. I don't mind. I like having some company while I'm having lunch," Reiko said.

"So, Karasuma-san isn't with you?" Makoto asked.

"No, she's doing some errands. She's the one who takes care of those. You see, she doesn't really trust me to take care of our finances."

"Is that so…"

"You probably heard of what happened at the charity party, about the attack," Ami said.

"Yes, I did. Those monsters again, right? How awful. I hope nobody got hurt…"

"Those monsters attacked you before, I heard. Multiple times. So we were worried that you might have been attacked again," Makoto explained.

"Oh no, I hope this monster wasn't looking for me," Reiko said. "I left earlier with Karasuma-san so I wasn't there when it attacked… for once I got lucky I guess. Still awful that it attacked anyway."

Ami and Makoto exchanged a glance while Reiko took another bit of her muffin.

"Why did you two leave?" Ami suddenly asked.

"Ah… that's a little embarrassing to admit, but… I may have drunk too much. I ended up too tipsy for my own good so Karasuma-san brought me back home."

"You drank more than usual?" Makoto asked.

"Well, I don't think I did, but somehow I did feel way more tipsy than I usually am when I drink. Maybe the alcohol served was stronger than I'm used to."

"Hm, that's strange… did something happen before you got drunk?" Ami asked.

"Nothing unusual. I talked with a few people, then there was some kid, a little girl, who asked for my autograph. I gladly did, I was happy Karasuma-san let me. Usually, she's very protective of me, but there was nothing to be worried about with a child."

"A child? At this kind of charity event?" Makoto reacted.

"Yeah, I think she was the relative of a model attending the event," Reiko explained. "She seemed pretty nervous when she talked to me. I guess she was just shy to ask for my autograph."

"What makes you think so?" Ami asked.

"Well, when we shook hands, hers felt pretty moist, like she had some cold sweat," Reiko explained. "It felt somewhat uncomfortable, but I didn't comment on it. She was a child after all and it would have been rude of me to do so."

"So she was just some kid with sweaty hands huh," Makoto said.

"Do you know which model was her relative?" Ami asked.

Reiko pondered for a moment before she shook her head.

"I don't remember, sorry."

"It's alright. It's not important anyway," Makoto said.

Ami remained thoughtful for a moment.

"So, after that, you got drunk and left the party with Karasuma-san, it that correct?" Ami asked again.

"Yes. She drove me back home and I went straight to bed. When I woke up, she was by my side. She said she watched over me to make sure I was okay."

"But you can't confirm that Karasuma-san was with you all night, is that it?"

"I guess I can't…? I passed out as soon as I arrived and woke up pretty late. But… why are you asking?"

"Just making sure you were both safe, that's all," Makoto quickly answered.

"I see…"

Reiko then looked at her phone.

"Oh, it's already this late- my break is over. I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave you."

Reiko rose up and politely bowed to them before leaving. Makoto and Ami exchanged a glance before leaving too.

"So, it seems both Nezu-san and Aya-san have a solid alibi," Luna said.

The group had rejoined at Usagi's house to talk about their respective discovery.

"Yeah, according to Handa-san, the model she left the party with," Usagi began, "Nezu-san took the bus to go home a little before the attack. So it's very unlikely she'd have the time to come back and attack us."

"Aya-san had to leave the party because she was drunk and passed out as soon as she arrived home, so I find it unlikely that she could have been behind the attack too," Makoto said. "She said Karasuma-san is the one who brought her back home and was there when she woke up, but since she passed out, she can't confirm that she was with her all night."

"Karasuma-san also confirmed that she had to escort Aya-san home because she drank too much and that she watched over her all night," Rei added.

"So all three of them have an alibi then," Nyanko said, hopeful.

"Hm, I wouldn't be so sure…" Ami suddenly said.

"Huh?" Usagi reacted.

"That's right. Karasuma-san," Minako intervened. "Aya-san can't confirm her whereabouts for the evening, especially at the time of the attack! And when we interrogate her, she was extremely defensive and even hostile towards us! That's suspicious!"

"Well, that might just be because she thought you were accusing her of something else," Rei argued. "But still, it's true that, as for now, she seems to be the only one without a solid alibi…"

"Wait, wait… you think Karasuma-san is the culprit? Impossible!" Nyanko exclaimed. "This is Lead Crow we're talking about! She hates me! If she really has her memory back, she wouldn't just sit still while I'm around. She'd beat me up to a pulp for what I did to her and Seiren!"

"You don't think she could pretend to not remember you? Just for the sake of a much crueller revenge against you?" Minako asked.

"Oh, I do believe Crow to be cruel and callous against those she loathes, but she's not the type to have the patience for such elaborate revenge. Trust me, she would have just beat me up as soon as she remembered me."

"Maybe you are underestimating her patience," Rei suggested. "And her desire for vengeance."

"I know Crow. She's a brute more than a strategist. I'm not saying that she's dumb, but she wouldn't waste time with such an elaborate plan if she were just after me. She'd just ambush me and be done with it already…"

"What if it's not just about you?" Makoto suddenly proposed. "What if she's seeking revenge against all of us? Then that would make sense for her to not got for you right away."

"I don't think Crow would hold a grudge against any of you," Nyanko argued back. "Sure you were her enemy, but only because of Galaxia. She only ever cared about Seiren. If she had to want revenge now, it would only be against me."

"You can never know what there is in someone's mind and heart," Rei said. "Who she blames, whom she seeks revenge against, it might not just be against you…"

"And she has always been hostile to us…" Minako added.

"Still…" Nyanko wanted to argue back.

"So, if I understand well, this Nezu-san is the only one you haven't spoken to directly. Am I right?"

Everyone jolted and turned towards the voice. It wasn't someone from their group who had just spoken.

Sailor Pluto came out from behind the wall she used to hide, walking towards the inners.

"Pluto!?" Usagi exclaimed.

"Apology for my indiscretion, princess," Pluto began. "I didn't come here to seek conflict, or spy on you, but to warn you. I thought you deserved to know what was coming next."

"What… what do you mean…?" Usagi began to ask.

"Never mind that, why did you mention Nezu-chan?" Nyanko asked, tensed. "How did you know…?"

"We looked into her background ever since she gave her business card to Haruka-san and Michiru-san for an interview. We know she used to work for Ginga TV. Now, we could have given her the benefit of the doubt, but her presence at the party and how she left right before the attack confirmed our suspicion… Well, Uranus and Neptune made their conclusions. And they already made their move. I just thought you deserved to know."

Nyanko moved so fast that Pluto didn't have time to see her coming and she grabbed her by the collar.

"Nyanko-san!?" Usagi exclaimed.

"What have you done to her!?" Nyanko shouted. "Nezu-chan is innocent! We proved her alibi! You better not have hurt her! Where is she!?"

"It's too late. I just came to let you know what happened," Pluto began, impassive. "She's having an interview as we speak…"

Standing in front of the door of a sumptuous villa, Nezu Chuuko promptly knocked. As she was waiting for an answer Nezu nervously readjusted her ascot. She was not expecting those two to call her so soon, but certainly not unpleased either. She was hopeful that she would manage to get an interview with them.

Finally, the door opened. Tenou Haruka was standing in the doorframe. For a split-second she seemed austere, looking around as if to make sure Nezu was alone. Then, she suddenly smiled.

"We were waiting for you, Nezu-san. Please, come on in."

"Ah, y-yes! Thank you again for receiving me!"

Without further ado, Nezu gladly stepped inside the villa, while Haruka closed the door behind her.

The plot thickens! Which Animamate do you suspect? And what do you think Haruka and Michiru are planning to do with Nezu? Please let me know in a review!