CHAPTER THREE

The Sailor Scouts had held a very deep discussion about the things that had recently taken place and while school was closed for the mid-term break they all agreed to keep meeting at Raye's house so that they would be together and ready for immediate action if required and also at the same time help each other to study for their next exams. Darien had made Serena promise she would do better before they dated again and her friends were willing to give her support.

"It is extremely important for us to pass our education to make our future meaningful," said Amy. "Even when facing a terrible unknown enemy we can't be distracted from studies."
Raye agreed. "Yeah. It's a tough jugglimng act, but with cooperation we can do it."
Lita thought the same though secretly Serena really didn't care for studying at the best of times. She would much rather be taking advantage in between battles to have as much fun as possible. Mina's attitude wasn't quite as bad as Serena's, but she still didn't relish making a total commitment to the study sessions. She had similar personality traits to Serena. She just wasn't as childishly whiny and sulky. She was at least mild by comparison.

Anyway the following day they had a study session scheduled at 10am. Serena had said goodbye to her family promising Luna to go straight to the Cherry Hill Temple while she took a much needed catnap on her bed.

Serena muttered to herself as she passed the Video Arcade. "I'll be glad when these study sessions are ancient history. Then I'll have more time to spend here at the arcade."
She paused just outside longingly before starting to walk away. "No. I must be strong. I need good grades to please my Darien and I won't get them playing games."

Then she quickly turned around and ran through the entrance adding, "All the same just one little game won't hurt. It's only quarter past nine."

As she entered she was surprised to see Mina at the front counter chatting with Andrew. "Mina! What are you doing here?"

Mina was surprised but relieved to see who it was. "Oh hello Serena. I just thought I'd say hi to Andrew as I was passing by. We were having a nice talk."

Andrew smiled and said hello to Serena, who blushed and smiled back. "Hi Andrew."

Even though she knew Andrew had a long-distance relationship with a woman named Rita, she had still never completely discarded her old crush on him. Her heart truly belonged to Darien of course, but Andrew sure was cute.

Taking Mina aside she whispered to her. "Didn't you promise Artemis you would go straight to Raye's temple? The five of us are supposed to be studying."
She blushed once again when Mina counter-whispered. "What about your promise to Luna?"

Serena giggled nervously and Mina winked at her. "As long as we're both here, let's have some fun. Come and challenge me to the racing cars."
"Okay sure."

The two of them sat together in the racing car game. It was set up for two players with a large screen in front of the seats so they could watch the progress of their simulated race. Serena gripped her handlebars so tight as if she could crush them. She was determined to be the winner. However Mina seemed to have a natural talent and was leaving her far behind.

Serena snarled. "No rookie's going to beat me," and with that she slammed her foot down hard on the pedal.

But her car went out of control, rolled off the road and crashed. She wailed in utter disbelief and Mina raised her arms making v for victory signs with both hands. "I am the winner! YAY! Let's play again."

Serena consented for a second game and again Mina beat her almost immediately. Mina said, "Come on Serena. You're making it too easy for me."
Serena dejectedly moaned. "I can't play anymore Mina. I just can't control my pedal."

Mina was incensed. "I need an opponent Serena."

The word opponent made Serena think of Raye's anger. Also Luna's to a lesser degree. "Oh look at the time. Maybe we should call it quits and head on over to the temple Mina?"

Mina was not accepting this. "Confound the temple! I'm concerned about my career as an arcade racing car driver. You wuss Serena!"

Before Serena could make a reply a voice said, "I'll be delighted to play with you."
They both gasped as they turned to behold who had spoken. He appeared to be a very tall, handsome boy with short blonde hair dressed in a brown coat, checkered trousers, green tie and brown shoes. "I'll even give you a head start." He smiled at them and both girls felt themselves developing a new crush.

Before Serena knew it Mina suddenly pushed her out of the chair sending her sprawling on the ground. As she invited the boy to take his place he asked Serena to hold the satchel he was carrying.

Mina said, "I hope there's nothing fragile in it. She's very clumsy."

Serena scrambled to her feet grabbing the satchel and muttering, "Clumsy indeed. She pushed me."

But she turned to quietly watch the outcome of the game. Mina thought she was very lucky to have the chance to impress such a hunky boy with her abilities. All of a sudden she realized that he was just sitting there with his arms folded. She and Serena were both dumbfounded. "Hey! Why aren't you playing?" asked Serena.

"I said I'd give her a head start, didn't I?" replied the boy. Then he grabbed the controls. "Guess I'd better start now."

Before Mina realized it, he had suddenly zoomed past her not once but twice around the course in only ten seconds. She was so taken aback that she rolled and crashed her car as he was coming round for the third time. Serena was amazed.

Afterwards Mina groaned. "I'm such a hopeless driver. I'll never achieve my dreams and goals."

The boy was holding his satchel once more and said, "Now don't be such a pessimist. You could become as good as me with plenty of practice."

Mina perked up and looked at him dreamily. "Could you give me personal lessons?"

Serena was just about to make a resentfully jealous remark when a new softer voice came from out of the blue. "You'd be learning from a pro. Amara's a racing car driver in real life."

Mina and Serena turned and gasped. A girl wearing a green skirt and matching green bow on her red top had approached them. Her hair seemed to have a greenish tinge to it also. She and the boy she addressed as Amara both smiled at each other.

"Hello Michelle."

"Hello Amara. I've just been to the service station. Anthony says your car will be ready in half an hour."

Amara took his satchel back from Serena thanking her, then said to Michelle, "Wonderful. See you later kids and keep practicing. Maybe next time I'll give your friend a go too." He winked and Serena giggled, though Mina growled with jealousy.

When they left Mina and Serena asked Andrew about them. "Where did they come from?"

"Is she his girlfriend?"

Andrew answered. "They just seemed to appear out of nowhere. I don't know when they arrived in town. As for their relationship I don't know how deep it goes. But they are always hanging out together."

The two girls thanked Andrew and said farewell. However they were not making their way to join their friends. Even Serena had forgotten about Raye's temper. She and Mina had mutually agreed to put aside their jealousy and go to spy on Amara at the service station.

At that moment though somebody else was standing just outside the entrance of the station. Eudial herself had taken the latest seed pod created by the mad scientists herself and under Germatoid's command she sent it levitating out of her bag and over to the car that Anthony the mechanic had just finished working on for Amara. Eudial had glanced around to make sure that nobody, not even Anthony himself, was present to notice the pod fall into the driver's seat. There was no roof or to be precise the car had a roof that could be folded down behind leaving everything wide open if desired. Germatoid said, "Good. The pod will crack and infuse the entire vehicle, but I will prevent the formation until our victim, the mechanic comes back. Wait on that public bench nearby until you hear the signal to join us."
"I hear you Germatoid."

Mina and Serena stealthily tailed Amara and Michelle to the service station. When they saw them enter Mina turned and said, "Let's make our move Serena."

They ducked out of sight in some nearby bushes and Serena pulled out something she had not used regularly for a very long time. The last time was one isolated incident during the trouble with the Black Moon Clan at the school Rini had attended while she was staying in the past. The Luna Disguise Pen.

As she held it she whispered, "This will be the first time I ever tried using it this way Mina. Wish us luck."

Then she spoke more loudly but gently soft. "Disguise power. Change both me and my friend into service station mechanics."

The magic did work and both girls emerged from the bushes looking the part of mechanics dressed in similar clothing to Anthony.

"Let's go to work," said Mina with a wink and Serena giggled as they casually entered the station walking past Eudial seated upon the bench with an eager smile on her face.

At that moment Anthony was coming back to the car talking with Amara and Michelle. Upon seeing Serena and Mina his eyebrows rose in surprise. Amara and Michelle showed only mild surprise before staring at them in such a way as if they knew or could sense who they really were.

Anthony was just opening his mouth to ask the two young mechanics where they came from, when suddenly to everybody's surprise Amara's car metamorphed into into a slim female figure with pink skin. The front wheels were connected to her shoulders, the back wheels to her thighs, the steering wheel was held in her hands and she wore a racing car helmet on her head.

Eudial came running inside and gestured with her hands creating a big bubble around poor Anthony. He was screaming trapped and the car lady dropped down on her back while Eudial jumped onto her stomach bringing the bubble rising over to sit behind her.

Despite their initial fright Serena and Mina reacted on impulse to intervene. Unfortunately as they ran shouting protests their feet slipped in some oil on the floor and they went skidding across to crash into a huge stack of boxes up against the wall which buried them as they fell down.

All Amara and Michelle did was to look at each other, nod agreement and disappear out the back exit while the car lady sped off down the road with Eudial and Anthony, still screaming, inside the bubble.

They didn't get very far though before Eudial noticed in the rear view mirror they were being followed. She turned around and saw Amara and Michelle riding a motorcycle together.

Amara at the handlebars said, "Let's cut them off Michelle," and she hung on to his back as they rode up a ramp and gave a mighty leap to land in front of them.

Germatoid pulled the car lady up to a screeching stop, but Eudial heard him tell her. "The meddling fools. I'll show them something."

Amara and Michelle both gasped in surprise as their bike rose back up, spun around very fast in the air and then flew off to the side. It crashed to the ground but its riders strangely seemed to disappear into thin air.

But then two more people showed up. Mina and Serena had extricated themselves from the mess of boxes, transformed and ran off after Amara and Michelle when they had seen the motorcycle go zooming by.

"Halt right there! I'm Sailor Moon!"

"And I'm Sailor Venus!"

"We are the defenders of the innocent and champions of justice!"

"We will rescue that man you've kidnapped and punish you!"

Before anybody could say or do anything else however, somebody shouted out.

"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

A pair of very familiar looking fireballs came flying across from the opposite direction and hit the car lady with Eudial and Anthony upon her. There was no visible effect at all however. Then a second voice shouted.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Next came a huge tidal wave which swamped its targets. But a bubble appeared to be shielding them from both attacks. Similar to the bubble that entrapped Anthony.

Then it shimmered and disappeared taking all inside with it. Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were simultaneously upset and mystified as they looked and saw the departing backs of the two strange Sailor Scouts, who had not even stayed to address them.

They couldn't hear it, but one of them was quietly saying to the other, "I've just lost my car. But even more important. Poor Anthony."

Serena and Mina were both severely chastised by Artemis, Luna and Raye although under the circumstances their rebukes were only very mild. Raye and Lita hoped to meet this hunky boy Amara sometime, but they kept silent because they were all distressed about the latest turn of events.

Germatoid had ensured Eudial's getaway and they had Anthony. Before giving the Tomoes their new daughter, they used her to extract the palpitating heart of their prisoner. Anthony turned into a mindless, undead, grotesque zombie and he was concealed inside a shed at the back of the Tomoes' house. The witches had magically created an underground chamber with a secret door in the shed floor and they kept him hidden well away. They placed the heart inside a crystal cabinet where it continued to eerily beat in rhythm.

As for the Tomoe couple they decided to give their new child a name related to what she was made of. She was called Steering and they were very happy with their little family.