Chapter 16: Showtime

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Three figures walked into a park that night: a wizened old crone on a gnarled wooden staff, a tall dark woman with a silver-cored tungsten one, and a medium-sized girl with sword and throwing knives. They approached a bench.

"This is the place?" Cologne asked.

Sailor Pluto pointed to a publicly visible clock with her staff. "Note the time." She shifted aim to another direction. "In six minutes our target comes from that direction and sits here." She tapped the walkway where she stood, beside the bench. "Ten minutes later a girl will come from the same direction and meet with him. Five more minutes and she leaves. She comes back twelve minutes later. She will hand him a gem. He will pull out another one and compare them. Shampoo, I need you to shoot them out of his hands."

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo hit."

Pluto indicated another spot in the bushes. "I will be there to take the gems." She looked at Cologne. "You'll be on the street behind me. I'll pass the gems to you. Get them to safety while me and the Senshi deal with the rest."

"Shampoo help with fight too!"

"No," Cologne ordered. "You will withdraw and cover me. We may be followed."

"Actually, you won't," Pluto said. "She could help fight, but it isn't really necessary."

"Even so. Shampoo is with me."

Shampoo looked disappointed, but accepted. "Shampoo go."

Pluto nodded. "If we wait in the park he will sense us too soon. We wait at safe distances until the girl arrives the second time. Then we move."

They headed off to wait on the streets. The distances would be enough to tax their sprinting abilities, but Ranma-chan knew they would have enough energy to fight.

At the predicted time, Nephrite entered the park. Then Naru. She left five minutes later.

Ranma found it hard to contain her excitement. The Senshi were finally about to take control. Then it would be hard fighting to the end. Just as she liked it.

Naru came running back up the street.

"Showtime..."

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Usagi hit the all-call code on her communicator as she ran on the streets. "Everyone! come quick! Nephrite is going after Naru-chan! He's lured her to a park!" She gave the address.

"Are you calling Ranma too?" Rei asked. Luna had only had gear for the Inner Senshi. Presumably the Outers had their own communicators somewhere they had not found.

"Forget him! This is NARU! She's our problem no matter what he's doing!"

She put the communicator away. She would have to talk to Ranma after this. He would have to start acting like a real Sailor Senshi. They would need his help to take down Nephrite. "He'll pay for taking advantage of Naru-chan's feelings for him!"

"Usagi-chan, transform!" Luna prompted. Usagi did so, hoping she wasn't too late.

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"Here," Naru said, handing over the gem she had gotten from her mother's store. "Is this the right one?"

Nephrite pulled out the crystal he had summoned earlier that day, the one that should show the way to the guinzuishou. He held the two gems together, waiting for a reaction. Nothing happened. *The Dark Crystal isn't responding. Naru's is a mere crystal...*

Suddenly there was a blade sticking through his hand - a throwing knife. Another had knocked the two crystals away to the grass. Someone was already emerging from the bushes, grasping at them... a Senshi! How could they know -?

The Senshi was fast. A dark shape darting out from a few yards farther away along the bushes was faster. It scooped up the gems and skipped off. "Ooo, shinies!" it said in an old man's voice as it left.

Ranma-chan sat dumbfounded on the grass. "You gotta be kidding me... SON OF A -" She stood and began to charge after Happosai. "That's it. He's dead. DEAD! I'm gonna blast his ass to the Moon!"

"What the -?" Naru was stunned. She saw the Sailor Senshi running off after the old man, then Sailor Moon coming up behind her, gaze also distracted. "Sailor Moon? What are you doing here?"

"Sailor Pluto...?" Moon seemed as shocked as anyone. "What's going on here?"

A purple-haired girl dropped down out of the trees. "That what Shampoo want know." She also gave chase.

Naru turned to Nephrite. He had pulled the knife from his hand and was casting a healing chant on it. "Are you all right, Sanjoin-sama?"

"Hold it!" Sailor Moon said, temporarily dismissing the interlopers. She would have to ask what all that was about later. Right now her priority was saving her friend. She assumed her pose. "If you play with a girl's heart anymore, I'll bust you for romance fraud!"

Nephrite was in no mood to listen to one of her speeches. "Do not interfere!" He had stopped the bleeding; a full healing would have to wait. He fired a quick energy ball to knock Sailor Moon back several yards, then ran after the thief.

Naru rushed to Moon's side as she struggled to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Moon said. "But you were in danger! Naru-chan, don't be deceived! Masato Sanjoin is the alter-ego of Nephrite, a member of the evil Dark Kingdom!"

"That's not true!" Naru protested. "Sanjoin-sama can't be evil!" She began to run after him. Sailor Moon followed.

"Listen to me!" Moon insisted. "We've been fighting him for weeks! He's sent some of the youma that we've fought! Including the one that hurt your friend Rui! Ones that have hurt YOU! He's stolen your energy!"

"It's not true!" Tears came to her eyes. She kept running as hard as she could, but without magical enhancement or training she was left behind, huffing and puffing. She stopped on the street and broke out into a full cry. She didn't know what to think or believe anymore.

"Sanjoin-sama... why?"

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Chasing Happosai was hard enough in the daytime; at night, Ranma-chan knew it would be futile. She wondered if it were even necessary - getting the crystal from him might be a pain, but she was sure either she or the Dark Kingdom could do it in the morning. Likely the Dark Kingdom, with their legions of female youma to tempt him. But if they followed their usual reaction time, she could have days to try for herself.

Suddenly Nephrite was astride her, teleporting to catch up. "You can't get away!" he shouted, firing an energy ball off directly at Happosai. The old freak dodged easily.

"Whooo-hooo-hoo! Got some power, do ya?" Happosai taunted. "Not going to catch me that way!" He bounded ahead. Nephrite fired several more shots, also dodged.

Eventually one of his dodges carried him aloft in an extended ballistic flight aimed at a landing on a street lamp, no doubt prelude to hitting the rooftops. Ballistic flight was a tactical error against Nephrite; Happosai could not avoid flying smack into the general's chest as he teleported in front. Nephrite quickly grabbed his crystal from the stunned old man and dropped him to the pavement.

Pluto came up to Happosai and stopped, staff aimed at Nephrite, as Tuxedo Mask took up position on the roof behind Nephrite. The others were soon coming up behind. "You're going down!"

Nephrite had what he wanted; no need to stick around and risk losing it again. "What airheads," he taunted. "Once I find the guinzuishou, the Dark Kingdom will rule this world! Your time as super heroines is running out. You may blab about love and justice until then. Farewell." He teleported away with a smirk.

Ranma quickly retrieved Naru's crystal from Happosai's hands and gave it to Sailor Moon. Then she quickly turned around and pointed her staff directly at his chest. Moon stopped her. "Pluto! What are you doing!"

"This is Happosai," she said. "The old lech I told you about. We can't have him interfere again. There's too much at stake." She shrugged off Moon's hand, only to find the old man already gone. Pluto sighed.

"You've got some explaining to do," Moon said. "What was all of this about? What did he have?"

"One second. Youma, ten o'clock." She pointed her staff up into the night, along the top of the building next to them. "DEAD SCREAM!" There was a cry, followed by a sprinkle of youma dust falling into the light of the street lamp.

She turned to the other Senshi. "Nephrite had a small black crystal that will draw the Rainbow Crystals out from their hosts. As long as the Dark Kingdom has it they can recover the Rainbow Crystals as fast as they can find the hosts - about one per week. But I already know where all the hosts are - if we get that crystal we can collect them in a day. It'll be a marathon around Tokyo, and whoever replaces Nephrite will probably send a dozen or so youma to stop us, but we can handle it... IF that old freak isn't around to get in the way."

"But he's still human! We don't kill people!" Sailor Moon insisted. "We'll just have to work around him."

"Huh. Fine. We'll try it your way. Nephrite won't last much longer, I think. But we've been delayed. I'll have to work out a new timeline. We have some time to work with - we can't acutally assemble all the Rainbow Crystals until Venus arrives anyway. All the Inner Senshi need to pool their powers to do it."

"You know, you could have just told us about this," Mars protested. "If we knew what was going on, Naru wouldn't have been in danger."

"She wasn't. Nephrite was trying to break up with her. And once he pocketed the crystal I wouldn't be able to get it away from him before he got away. It was the only way."

"Well, tell us what's going on from now on!" Jupiter said. "We should know when you're planning something."

"That's right!" Mercury said. "We don't need to be getting in each others' way."

"Don't worry," Pluto said. "From now on, I'm going to be with you all the way. This is showtime, guys. Things are heating up for the final battle. Once we get the guinzuishou, we can win." *And I can get my cure...*

"Then let's all be prepared," Tuxedo Mask said. "It's late. We should get to our homes. It sounds like there's a big day ahead."

They agreed to meet the next day, if possible, to discuss the new timeline. Ranma was already straining to see it. There was still a lot of interference. She wondered if she actually had the power to kill Happosai, even if she burned out her staff. Couldn't hurt to try, she figured. With him in the mix, this fight would stay evenly matched. That was fine in a fair fight, but this was war. She wanted every advantage she could get.

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Nephrite teleported back into his mansion and sat on his throne. The Senshi had been ready for him again... far too ready. No one could have known where he would be or what he would do. But somehow they had. He wondered if Magnetite was right and he needed extra youma to handle them at equal numbers.

His thoughts drifted to the girl as he regarded the crystal. "Naru Osaka... Has she truly fallen in love with me?" He recalled her gaze, her soft words declaring her love. Ridiculous.

He shook his head. "How pointless." Something else nagged at him, though. "Sailor Moon knew her name. She may know Sailor Moon's true identity." A chance to restore himself in Beryl's good graces... not only would he have the guinzuishou, but he would eliminate the Senshi as a threat.

"Just you wait, Sailor Moon..."

He was so lost in his musings he did not notice Zoicite lurking behind a pillar. There, the Black Crystal that would show the way to the guinzuishou... Now his job would get much easier.

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After school, Ranma arrived at Ucchan's at the usual time. This time Cologne and Shampoo were there as well. "Hey guys," he greeted them.

"Ranchan." Ukyo served him her usual fare. "So what's this about?"

"He has told you about his being with the Sailor Senshi?" Cologne asked.

"He showed me," she confirmed. "Really wild, if you ask me."

"There'll be a lot of fights coming soon," Ranma said. "I could use your help." *And your trust,* he thought.

"Sure. Anything I can help with."

"You won't be able to kill youma, but with our level of skills we shouldn't be in real danger. The thing I'm most worried about is Sailor Moon herself. She can be clumsy and a real ditz. She can use someone to keep an eye on her."

"A ditz? A super-heroine? Takes all kinds, I guess."

"Many celebrities aren't all they are made out to be," Cologne said.

"Moon not real fighter. Spoiled princess type," Shampoo supplied.

"Unfortunately, we need her for these next fights. There's a bunch of people around Tokyo who need to be cured of demonic possession. Only Moon can do that. And we can expect the Senshi's enemies, the Dark Kingdom, will send youma after some of these people to recruit them. And maybe just to cause chaos. We may be shifting around a lot."

"Are you going to ask Akane to help? She can take care of herself in a fight."

Ranma made a face. "Not unless I have to. She can be kinda clumsy herself..."

Ukyo shrugged. "I just saw her making some nasty faces at you in school. I thought maybe you got her angry somehow."

"She may have overheard some honest stuff I said. She can't handle the truth about herself yet."

"Lots of people like that, Ranchan."

"Lots of people don't hit you when you try to tell them. She's got anger issues."

Ukyo nodded. "So when does it all start?"

"Tonight, I think. I got a call to make first..."

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"Naru-chan? Again?" Usagi asked.

"Nephrite isn't done with her. I think he's going to try to lure you out and find your true identity. There's another general going to be around too, looks like some kind of backstabbing going on. Things are going to be confusing."

"I tried warning Naru-chan to stay away from him... is she going to be all right?"

"We can have someone keep her away. She'll be safe. But..."

"But what? Is she going to be alright or not?"

"She's been in danger because she's been around you. That will keep happening. You should stay away from her for a while."

"No. She's my friend. I won't have you telling me who my friends can be."

"Suit yourself. Keep an eye on her, though."

Usagi hung up. So, Naru was in danger... because of her? As a friend, wasn't it her duty to keep Naru safe? Or should she be more supportive and stay close?

She shook her head and went to her room to get some early sleep. War, she reflected, was sure hard on friendships. She couldn't wait for them to win.

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"Zoicite requisitioned three youma?" Magnetite mused.

"He said it was for his job, searching for the guinzuishou," the spy youma reported.

"Where is he now?"

"Tokyo. Following Nephrite, as far as I could tell. It seemed as if he thought Nephrite had some means to getting the guinzuishou."

"Hm. Lucky him, able to finish off a rival and claim he was just doing his job. Follow them. Let's see if Nephrite contacts the Senshi again. If he does, do not engage. Report back to me."

"Understood." The spy went to her duties.

"Perhaps we will get some answers this time..."

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The Tendos were finishing up dinner when a very unwelcome presence made itself known. "Ranma, my boy! I didn't know you had it in you!" The old master slapped Ranma on the back.

"Had what in him?" Genma asked.

"Cosplay! He was dressed up as one of those Sailor girls last night!"

The fathers looked at him. "Son," Genma said, "if you want to fight crime like that you need a manly costume!"

"He can't use my armor," Soun warned.

"Well, it looked to me more like he was ENGAGING in crime!" Happosai said. "He was stealing some gems!"

"Recovering them," Ranma said. "They were stolen property to begin with." Not true in the case of the Black Crystal, but they didn't need to know that.

"Oh, so? Will those other Sailor girls back you up?"

"I'm sure they will," Nabiki said. "He's one of them."

The fathers and Happosai turned to her. "One of them? For real? You know this?"

Nabiki nodded, as did Akane and Kasumi. "I found out several weeks ago. Akane and I followed him to a meeting with the Sailors in their hideout. We were worried he might be doing hentai things with them..."

"With girls that young?" Happosai was astounded. "You're into loli? Why, even I know my limits! You've got to wait until they're properly mature!"

"Well, I didn't!" Ranma said. "It was all monster fighting business."

"It didn't look that way to me..." Nabiki said, sounding like their activities were a bit more guilty than he let on.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi said. "You told me they were perfectly innocent!"

"Kasumi?" Soun asked. "You knew, too?"

"They told me afterward, father. I'm sorry for not telling you. They said it was important that you not know."

"And why not? Couldn't I be trusted?"

"You have to ask?" Nabiki said.

"You'd just tell Mr. Saotome, and he wouldn't be able to shut up about it," Akane said.

"You know it's true, pop," Ranma said.

"I know better than that!" Genma protested. "Do you think I want the world to know my son dresses like a little GIRL?" He came at Ranma to give him a dunking in the koi pond, but Ranma leapt out into the yard.

"So you knew what I was going to find?" Happosai asked Nabiki.

"More or less. I figured you'd get in his way a bit."

"Well, if he's going to be going after those girls, I figure it's my duty as a marital artist to protect them!"

"To save them for yourself when they get old enough?" Akane glared. Happosai didn't dignify that comment with an answer.

In the yard, Ranma lost his battle to avoid a dunking. Spluttering as she came up from the pond, she glared at Genma. "Well, since you all know, you might as well also know the Sailor Senshi's battles are the key to my cure. There's a few I have to fight in the next few days. Just stay out of my way." She went into the house and came out with her staff, then jumped to the rooftops and headed off into the night.

"Oh no you don't!" Genma took off in pursuit, followed by Happosai. "Get back here, Ranma! You should fight as a man! In a proper costume!"

"Like what? A tuxedo? That's taken!"

"Oh my, I hope he'll be all right," Kasumi said, worrying that fighting monsters might be harder than martial artists.

"Serves him right if he runs into an Overfiend," Akane said.

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Ranma-chan knew from experience her father and Happosai would not tire for hours. And as hard as Happosai was to chase in the dark, it would be at least that hard to elude him. She didn't have all night. She had no choice but to fight now.

"PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

Much easier to stay ahead now. Trying to visualize the battle would be futile with Happosai involved, and with her father backing him up it seemed they could keep her out of this one. She had to look for an opening...

It took a while to find one. She could get enough distance for one shot; it would have to count for both. Happosai would live to annoy another day. Ranma could deal with that.

"DEAD SCREAM!"

The shot caught Happosai in mid-leap, inches from the end of her staff. He shot like a cannonball into Genma's gut, the both of them sailing over the rooftops for blocks. Genma was certain to be out for the night. Happosai... she prayed he was too. Nothing to do now but head for Naru's house.

She bounded over the rooftops, hoping to get a better picture of the battle when she got there.

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"Glad you could make it, odango atama!" Mars chided. "You might have missed it."

"Well, I didn't! So there!" Moon stuck her tongue out.

"So when is Nephrite showing up?" Jupiter asked.

"Sometime in this half hour," Pluto said.

"That's... awfully vague, coming from you, Pluto," Moon said.

"I didn't have a lot of time to look. If I did we could set up another ambush."

"I am wondering if we should be this close," Cologne said. They were on Naru's street, hiding behind a nearby roof.

"If we were any farther, we wouldn't be able to stop Nephrite in time," Mercury said.

"But do we want to stop the abduction?"

"WHAT?" Moon was incredulous. "Of course we want to stop it! Why would you even ask?"

"Yeah!" Jupiter chimed in. "Why would we not save our friend?"

"I am not saying we should not save her, only that we should not fight here," Cologne said. "I am reminded of an old military axiom about ambushes and other nasty surprises. 'Once is an accident; twice is coincidence; three times is enemy action.' Meaning if we kill too many youma by sudden ambush, they will start to suspect our true capabilities."

"They already know we kick butt! We've killed every one we've faced."

"But usually we have not shown deep knowledge of who they are and what they are doing. Nothing to indicate we have the ability to see what they will do. Right now Pluto is our most important asset - more important than you, Sailor Moon. She provides the key to our victories - knowledge. If they were to realize what she can do, they will stop at nothing to overwhelm her, and all of us. We must play a close hand until we get the guinzuishou."

"If this works out," Pluto said, "they won't have time to think. We'll be in control, and they can't throw more than a dozen youma at us while we gather the crystals."

"Nephrite!" Mercury announced, looking down at Naru's house. The general had appeared floating outside her window.

Pluto readied her staff. "Okay. Ucchan, throw a flour bomb while Mercury casts Shabon Spray -"

"More!" Mercury said. She pointed to a building with a large, now unlit, neon sign. "Three youma there... and a general! There's two here?" Another ping in her visor. She looked toward a tree at the far end of the street. "And a fourth one just appeared over there. It's disappeared now."

"Reinforcements?" Mars asked. "They're working together now?"

"I was afraid of this," Cologne said. "They are already on to us."

"The three youma I saw," Pluto said, "but another general? And the fourth one. I'm not sure about. Something's fishy. I'll check it out -"

"No!" Cologne said. "Stay here. Keep down. Let's see what happens."

Nephrite did a short port into Naru's room. A light shone for a few seconds. Then he was outside again.

"Take him now?" Jupiter asked. Pluto shook her head.

Nephrite now spoke, apparently to Naru. "Masato Sanjoin is my disguise. My true name is Nephrite. I don't want to lie to you. Listen to me... You're a wonderful girl. Thanks to you, I found out what true love is. There is no love in the evil society I am in now. Everyone tries to betray each other and kill for their own advantage. I always thought that was natural. But your love has awakened me. I am thinking of fighting alongside Sailor Moon. If you know anything about Sailor Moon, I'd like to know."

Moon now did something rash. She stood up and announced herself boldly. "Hold it right there! You shouldn't be telling lies to young girls in love! You'll break their hearts! I'm the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon! And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Everyone else was sweatdropping. "Nice going, odango atama!" Mars said.

Pluto swept her feet with her staff. "I knew I needed more time to figure this out..." They were scattered as Nephrite fired a quick energy ball at them, smashing shingles off the roof they were on.

Then all hell broke loose.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Magnetite's spy took careful notes as the melee began. The girl with the polearm threw a bag at Nephrite that exploded in a cloud of dust; a second later Mercury's fog attack affected a larger area. Senshi scattered to either side and charged up their attacks. They converged at the center of the fogged area just as Nephrite appeared on the edge.

Zoicite's youma team was now flying down from their rooftop. No sign of Zoicite himself. The youma did not attack the Senshi; they fired at Nephrite - as expected, he was Zoicite's priority. Nephrite was partially caught by a cluster of bomblets, but took only minor damage. He was moving very fast now, launching himself at one of the Senshi as a girl wielding a pair of maces moved to shield her.

The Senshi with the staff was making her way around the dispersing cloud, coming close to the spy's own position. She remained absolutely still as the Senshi sighted along her staff and fired a blast. he aim seemed poor, an almost deliberate miss - but Nephrite dodged anyway, forcing him to be grazed by a lightning bolt.

A human girl now came out of the house Nephrite had been in. "Sanjoin-sama!" she called. Who was that? A question for later.

"Naru-chan!" Sailor Moon shouted. "Get back!" But it was too late. Nephrite had noticed her. He also called her name.

The youma attacking him had noticed. One of them flew down and grabbed her. Nephrite suddenly abandoned his own defense to appear beside the youma, giving it a gut-punch and sending it away. The Senshi held their fire, but the youma's companions had no reason to: they sent bombs and vines toward Nephrite. He shielded the girl with his body, protecting her from the bombs but getting pierced by the vines.

The vine youma broke off the ends of its vines. "We have you! The vines will drain off your energy until you die."

"What a miserable end," the bomb-thrower said.

"If you don't want the girl to get killed, hand over the Black Crystal," the third youma said.

The Senshi had something to say about that. The one with the staff aimed at them. "You won't hurt her!"

Lights were now on around the neighborhood. People were watching from their homes. This being Japan, no one here had a gun to join the fight. Many had cameras, however, and were filming the Senshi in action.

The other Senshi now joined the one with the staff on the ground, mere yards from Nephrite. All were ready to fire. The one in red trim whispered something to the one with the staff, who merely nodded back.

"We can afford to wait until he dies," the vine youma said. "Then we only have to fight you."

The spy almost chuckled to herself when Naru responded to this by trying to pull out the vines. She only got herself shocked, of course. nevertheless, she kept on trying.

The Senshi moved to her, not to pull her away but to help her. The one in green trim said "Let me try - I should be able to take it." She seemed to do better at resisting the electricity, but wasn't strong enough herself. The others joined in and succeeded in pulling out one vine.

"Amazing!" the vine youma said. "They would risk their own lives for Nephrite?"

"Then I'll finish them all off!" the bomb thrower said, firing a spray of bombs.

The one with the staff then held it level and rushed her companions, knocking them flat just as Nephrite turned his back to shield Naru. He took the brunt of the blasts. The other girls on the ground, the ones with the Senshi but not in costume, launched their own attacks - one firing some kind of thrown weapons, the other leaping with maces ready to smash. Neither had much effect: throwing blades were pulled out, to heal immediately, and mace smashes could not permanently deform them.

The smoke from the blasts began to clear. Now Zoicite appeared in person, floating off the street. He gestured, causing what seemed to be a piece of debris to float up to his grasp. "Well done. Now I have the Dark Crystal. Aren't you lucky you get to die with the girl you love?" He turned to his youma. "Finish them." He disappeared in a shower of petals.

The Senshi turned out to be far less hurt than Nephrite. The one with the staff shouted, "Ucchan! Flour!" The girl with the polearm threw another bag at Zoicite's youma, which blew up into a small cloud, giving the Senshi in blue trim time set up a more durable cloud area with her fog attack and the others to charge up their own attacks.

The spy never saw it coming. The one with the staff said "DEAD SCREAM!" Her attack had her whirl her staff around her body... but when it stopped it was pointing directly at her.

The attack caused the spy youma to produce its namesake.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Naru-chan! Are you all right?" Sailor Moon asked. Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter joined her in examining Naru as Pluto, Ukyo, and Shampoo stayed on guard for more youma. Cologne came out from her hiding place, not having known where the pressure points on a youma would be and unlikely to corner them into a Hiryu Shoten Ha when they preferred ranged attacks.

Naru proved to be unharmed; her pajamas were singed, but she had no burns herself. Nephrite, however, was fading fast - literally. His body was starting to dissolve into sparks. "I'm sorry, Naru-chan... I don't think we'll be able to get to know each other better... I'm glad I met you..."

Naru sobbed into the night as her first love faded away.