18: "Pressure point"

Checking to see the times at which all the nightclubs in Sendai operated quickly eliminated a significant majority: Mizuno and her girlfriend couldn't very well visit any if they weren't open yet. Rei Hino used her time aboard the express train wisely, sifting through the internet for clues concerning their blue-haired friend's destination. They all tried calling her, of course—Usagi, Rei, Makoto, Minako, even Motoki and Naru—but for some odd reason, Ami simply wasn't answering. Usagi thought it had been out of frustration, aimed specifically at her (perhaps even Minako), but having the good doctor reject contact from Makoto or Rei…

Hino attempted to email her, but when five minutes passed and no reply was sent, she immediately knew: Ami had shut out all contact from the outside world, presumably to focus on her date. Rei cursed quietly to herself and made a reminder to let all the Senshi know never to do this. Even in times of peace, there was no telling when one needed to contact another. With Mizuno off the radar, she grudgingly went back to narrowing the list of potential sites for their evening together. Rei couldn't help but blush slightly as she crossed out a few possibilities: Ami wasn't exactly the sort who was into bondage.

"Lesbian nightclubs, perhaps?" she murmured to herself. Images of motorcycles, plaid, mullets, boots, ugly stereotypes, danced through her head. Knowing Ami, she'd want to be somewhere more…well, what was the term? Feminine? Were there such places in Sendai? Rei got a call from Usagi before she could resume her search.

"Hey, found anything yet?"

"No, it's just something I forgot to mention. She came on the train with me."

"All right…"

"Meaning she didn't use her car." It took Rei a moment to draw the connection. Ami wouldn't go somewhere she wouldn't be able to reach on foot. Hino shrank her search area before realizing a counter-point.

"What about her girlfriend, uh…Nastya? Does she have a car? Where does she live?"

The silence from Usagi's side was answer enough.

"I could look it up through police database."

"Let me try first," she said, sandwiching her phone between her shoulder and ear. None of the Senshi knew very much about Ami's new romantic interest, save that she was from Russia, worked at a law firm, used to be a dancer, and smoked. Rei found herself bogged down when she ran a filter of names in the Tokyo-Sendai region, and was similarly flummoxed when she included law firms.

"If we could contact Nastya, we'd save ourselves a lot of trouble."

"That's just what I was thinking. Damn it, Ami's never shut off her phone before…"

"I guess we all need to get away from the stress of the outside world." Rei could sympathize perfectly, despite her aggravation. How many times had she wished she could have a single day completely to herself, without a single message or notification from the office? And surely Usagi and Minako got tired of their stuffed, stilted schedules, the way their careers always made demands on them, even on their so-called days off. Ami probably wanted an evening away from the hospital, and this was the only way she could do it.

Clever. But what else did Rei expect?

"What about that list of nightclubs?" she resumed. "Maybe they went to a lesbian one."

"Good point. I'll tell Mako and 'Toki to look out for them."

"Hell of a bad time for Sailor Jupiter to be absent."

"Makoto's good enough for me, Rei."

Not that I wouldn't object, they both thought. And surely Makoto must be having doubts about her decision as well.

"How soon can you be here?"

"An hour, maybe. Better make it seventy-five minutes. Should give us enough time to narrow the search."

"Right. Listen, I gotta hang up now; I'll keep in touch if I find anything."

"Me too. Good luck." They both hung up, Rei feeling fairly impressed by the way Usagi was handling this. Where was the whiny, helpless, incompetent ninny who constantly needed to have her hand held, and be rebuked? And who was this intelligent, mature, independent, self-assured woman who had taken her place?

Rei smiled as the answer came to her. Simple: they were both the same person. And any minute now, once this crisis was averted, Usagi would go back to her childish ways.

There were very few lesbian nightclubs in Sendai (much more in Shibuya, not that it mattered at the moment), which was great news for their search (if, in fact, Ami went to one). Rei copied every last one onto a virtual notepad, including the hours of operation and what sorts of businesses they were. She knew better than to dismiss those that clashed with the bashful meekness Mizuno was characterized by, having known her far more intimately than that. True, Ami seldom frequented louder, flashier places known more for their debauchery than their cultural impact, but she had actually been to a few, and not always out of prodding. Why, Rei herself, out of an instance of morbid curiosity during her early college years, had found Ami in such a place once, comfortably dancing with scores of other wild nymphets. Needless to say, the two never saw each other the same way after that incident.

Quickly uploading her extensive list to a number of email addresses, Rei contemplated contacting them, but soon realized what a disaster that could be. If Jahi really had secretly invaded a nightclub, suddenly alerting her to an enemy's presence would be fatal. The Senshi must find this place, enter it in secret, extract Mizuno and her girlfriend…

Hmm. That part would be tricky. There'd be many more people in danger than just their friend. Rei emailed Minako and Makoto, posing this challenge:

[So let's say we find this place, get in, and contact Ami. What then? There are going to be lots of other people in there besides her. As important as Ami is, we can't endanger the lives of dozens just for hers.]

She waited tensely for a response. She didn't even realize the train had stopped until a number of passengers brushed by. Rei was forced to put her research on hold as she joined the flock and squeezed her way out of the station. Once she had some elbow room, Rei found a place to sit down and checked back on her inbox.

[lure this jahi woman out,] was Minako's answer. [seprate her from the others & snuff it!1]

"And you graduated high school?" she muttered indignantly. Makoto's reply was a little classier:

[It will be just you, Usagi, and Ami, right? Why not unite your powers, cover the entire place in steam, and have Usagi do her work? That way, none of the people need to be hurt.]

[Pretty good plan, Mako,] she typed back. [But we need to have contingencies, just in case. Is there anything you could do to help?] She bit her lip nervously as she sent that last message. Rei knew how her friend stood on this matter, and feared her request much too presumptuous. But there was nothing in her reply that stated Makoto Kino couldn't help. Hopefully, she'd interpret it that way.

[Nah, I'm no good at this espionage stuff. You know me, I'm very confrontational (smile). Oh, wait, I almost forgot! Are you going to go in there already transformed?]

[ONLY if it's a cosplay club,] she answered glibly. She could practically hear Makoto chuckling. The question did present a valid problem, though. [First we find Ami. If we can slip her outside without the enemy knowing, we'll transform, come back in, and carry out the operation. Now if we could only find the place.]

[Usagi and I are doing our best.]

"I know you are," she whispered, touching the screen. She decided to call Makoto, eliminating this silly virtual communication. "Minako wanted us to lure the enemy outside and, I quote, 'snuff it'."

"Did she add a lot of exclamation marks?" They both grinned, having known their air-headed leader's quirks for a very long time. "Well, there's your contingency."

"She'll never let us forget how right she was."

"Yeah, but what're ya gonna do? Hold on, I'm getting a call from Usagi."

Rei put Makoto on hold and tepidly resumed her research. It was getting late; time was short. For all she knew, Ami and Nastya, along with many other innocent people, could be victims of this terrible new threat. But…a hope sprang. If Ami was in any real danger, she'd call them—

Unless it was already too late. Rei whispered a nasty, desperate curse.

"She found the place," Makoto suddenly gushed. It took Rei a moment to absorb this. "It's called Hyacinth, on Suiko 32nd Road. I guess the police officer in her won over."

"Remind me to give our lovely Dr. Mizuno a good talking-to once this is over. I'm heading there now."

"On foot?"

"Don't have my rental car. Why, should I stick out my thumb and flash some leg?"

Makoto's giggle was eerily disquieting. "Wouldn't hurt. Not for the delivery service I have in mind."

As Rei was left to ponder this enigmatic statement, a sporty red car roared in the distance, closing in on her location. She swallowed nervously and turned off her phone.

…

"Makoto's good enough for me, Rei."

Usagi hated to lie—honestly, she had wished all five Senshi could be reunited then and there, just like in the old days—and yet a part of her, a very small numb part, was gradually coming to terms with the thought that not everybody was on the same proverbial boat she was. Rei joined out of love; Minako threw everything away out of duty; Ami came because of obligation. Well, Makoto loved her family, had a sworn motherly and marital duty to them, and felt obliged to be there for them, as her family had not been. She wanted to cherish this time, set a good example; these were years she'd never get back, and if she messed them up, even to play superhero with her old friends, she would regret it for the rest of her life. Usagi lied to Rei out of respect for Makoto's wishes, though that didn't make the pain go away. Even though she visited Makoto as much as she could, Usagi still missed her.

But back to her research; hopefully everything else could be sorted later. Usagi had never traveled much in Sendai, even during her visits. Usually she haunted a three-kilometer radius around Makoto's house and the train station; going anywhere further was foreign territory. Police training gave her a fair sense of direction and deduction, but after more than an hour of wandering around town hunting down nightclubs, Usagi had to admit: she was hopelessly lost. She kept talking to Rei, though, in hopes that somehow, merely speaking with a comforting voice would show her the way.

"How soon can you be here?"

"An hour, maybe. Better make it seventy-five minutes. Should give us enough time to narrow the search."

"Right." Her heart sank in her chest. She leaned against a street light, idly studying her surroundings, feeling utterly powerless. Even though she and Rei both believed Ami shut herself off from the world out of the need to enjoy herself, a part of her couldn't shrug the niggling idea that it was due to anger. Usagi habitually butted into her friends' love-lives (or more often than not, the lack thereof), and when her own went belly-up, these personal intrusions increased acutely. Worst of all was Ami and Minako's, especially when the pair called it quits. Everyone had believed the two of them made an excellent combination, but Usagi took it personally. Nastya may have been a living saint, but she could never compare to Minako, and though she loved Ami, a small part of her never understood or forgave Ami for breaking up with her.

As she leaned against the lamp meditating on this, a red sports car pulled up close to her, the passenger-side window opening. Usagi regarded this unexpected development cautiously, deciding to temporarily cut ties with Rei:

"Listen, I gotta hang up now; I'll keep in touch if I find anything." She nervously stood in place as the driver called out to her.

"Hey, beautiful, need a lift?"

"Um, thanks, I really appreciate it, but…I'm all right."

"Are you sure? You look lost, little bunny." Her ears turned red. Very few people called her that, and she never tolerated it from strangers.

"I'm perfectly all right. I'm just…resting."

"Come on, hop in already. Or don't you trust me?"

"I'm not in the habit of jumping into cars with people I don't know."

The driver laughed. "Have I really changed that much, dumpling?" Her heart skipped a beat as the door opened, revealing the driver. Of all the unexpected surprises…

"Haruka!"

She couldn't help but fidget in her seat. The woman sitting quietly next to her, her focus eased and relaxed, spared her glimpses and smiles, almost sensing how embarrassed she was. Of course, she couldn't blame the younger woman: even when they knew and trusted each other, Usagi was often reluctant to get into a car with her. Perhaps a prolonged absence made the heart grow fonder. In any case, Haruka felt need to break the silence.

"Long time no see, bunny-rabbit. You've certainly grown into a lovely woman."

"Um, thank you, Haruka," she answered anxiously. "Sorry about the way I acted back there. I wasn't paying any attention."

To which Haruka laughed softly. "It's the lipstick, isn't it? And the clothes. They fooled you."

"I hadn't noticed." Haruka was dressed starkly feminine—or as feminine as she was comfortable with, anyway. White, sleeveless blouse, a thin silvery necklace, pale green sheet skirt… Oh yes, and lipstick, but only just. One would have to be more intimate to know for sure.

"Michiru and I had an…arrangement. But enough about that. Why the pensive stare, dumpling? You look as though the weight of the world is pressing on you." She frowned as those words echoed back to her. The full meaning of them pressed upon her own chest soon enough. "Is it Senshi work?"

A nod. "Seen any news lately?"

"We've been…away these past few months. Tell me about it."

"It's a long story," she warned, "and I don't have a lot of time. The short version is that Ami's in trouble." She explained the situation to Haruka, who was blessed with uncanny listening and empathy. Sometimes, when Michiru babbled, Haruka didn't exactly stay riveted clinging to her lover's every word—but with Usagi, well…

"So a lesbian nightclub, huh? Gee, we really have been out of the loop. I didn't know Mizuno swung that way."

"Neither did we, until about seven or eight years ago. I guess sometimes these things take a lifetime to understand. How did you…?"

"And you were out on the street looking for this place?" she said, dodging the question. Usagi nodded; Haruka grinned. "As I live and breathe, Usako! I never thought I'd be driving you to a lesbian nightclub. I suppose next I'll see money growing on trees."

"And Rei, too; she's coming along." Haruka grunted, rubbing her forehead. But of course Rei was in on this, too.

"You and Rei, in a lesbian nightclub together…"

"Oh, honestly, Haruka, it's not like that," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. Haruka chuckled softly, just kidding, and said she knew of a place.

"It's called Hyacinth: not too classy, not too lowbrow. Michiru and I frequented that place a lot whenever we passed through Sendai. If Mizuno's going anywhere, that's where she'd be."

"It's a start, at least. Let me call Mako and tell her the news." The two women spoke over the phone; Makoto informed Usagi that Rei had arrived; the three exchanged information quickly. Haruka sighed helplessly to herself as she steered toward the train station. Rei seemed just as surprised as Usagi had been when she drove up, offering the "pretty lady" a ride. Haruka couldn't stop smiling, either, and from the looks Usagi was giving her, she had a fair idea why.

"For the love of… We're rescuing Ami and fighting a demonic monster, not going out on a date!"

"Okay, I'm easy," she grinned. Rei huffed.

"And why don't you come in to help us, Miss Uranus?"

"Would you believe…I left my talisman at home? Or rather…I forgot where I stored it?" Rei merely grumbled, unable to put words to her frustration. Things only got worse once they arrived: Hyacinth was adorned with two interlocking "female" symbols, the planetary signs of Venus in perpetual neon coitus. If anybody saw the senator's intern entering this place with an attractive female officer on her arm…

"Hey," Haruka called as Usagi thanked her and got out, "doesn't the handsome knight in shining chrome steel get a kiss from the princess?" Usagi smiled sweetly, kneeling down and leaning forward, until their faces were centimeters apart. Haruka's cheeks turned red as the younger woman closed in, and she backed away. "Umm, dumpling, I was only kidding."

"I know," she grinned, before pressing her lips on the bridge of Haruka's nose. The two women left her sights and entered the nightclub, disappearing behind a veil which Haruka could not pierce. She rubbed the moist spot on her face and drove away humbly.

"I must be losing my touch…"

Even though they were doing this for the sake of a good friend, and countless innocent lives, Rei and Usagi still felt a little uncomfortable walking into a lesbian nightclub together. They made their way inside easily enough, but it became fairly clear that they must stay together, or else they would be swept away and separated by the crowd. Hyacinth was saturated with countless women engaged in various acts of revelry, relaxation, flirtation, self-expression, meditation, sensationalism, hedonism, and passions, whether they were sharing it with others or enjoying it by themselves. One could be perfectly comfortable here enjoying herself in relative seclusion, just as much as one could wedge themselves between bodies, engulfing oneself in skin and sensuality. It was no wonder Haruka and Michiru frequented this place: they'd be able to enjoy it no matter what their mood. Ami and her girlfriend would be hard-pressed to find something better.

"Let's ask the bouncer if she's seen anyone bearing Ami's description," Rei said. "And stay close to me. I'd rather us not lose sight of each other in a place like this." Usagi merely nodded; if this situation weren't so dangerous, she'd be tempted to tease Rei about her presence there. As it stood, it was a welcome one, and Usagi clung tight to her hand, not really caring how others might perceive them. The bouncer was as pretty and warm as she was powerful-looking, the kind of lady you could trust to keep disreputable types away from good, clean, civilized people. Rei and Usagi asked her if she had seen a friend of theirs: blue-haired, petite, somewhat meek-looking, with a companion who might have been Russian. The lady had, though she didn't know their present whereabouts.

"That's fine, we just needed to make sure where she was. She never told us, and we've been hunting all over the city for her."

"A bit absent-minded, is she? Well, I'm glad I could help. Come see me if you need anything else, okay?" She gave a non-committal smile far removed from all presence of lust or romance, and the duo rejoined the masses. Usagi gave Rei a sheepish look before awkwardly sidling up to her, dancing along with the music.

"What are you…" she blushed. Usagi's expression was grim.

"Sense any danger?" Rei suddenly remembered the unexpected return of her precognitive episodes. She hardly even had to focus to feel the evil energies emanating throughout the nightclub, though she could not pinpoint their origin.

"Lots of it," she whispered tensely. "Whoever…whatever this Jahi is, she's brimming with malice. Considering how normal everything looks, I'd say we got here just in time."

"We need to find her. I know Ami's a priority, but I hate not knowing where my enemies are. But we can't very well run around looking for trouble; that will just be too suspicious. So we'll have to blend in."

Rei's face turned fully red as she processed Usagi's logic. "Seriously? I mean, I know you're right, but—"

"We don't have to really do anything," she smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "Just pretend. Anyway, this isn't exactly uncharted territory for either of us."

"What the hell do you—" she hissed. Rei's blush traveled down to her collarbone as she realized she could be overheard. Usagi drew her close, as a lover would, mimicking an intimate whisper.

"I mean we've both kissed other girls before, right?"

WHAT?! How does she know about—

It took Rei a moment to realize whom Usagi was referring to.

"Oh," she gushed with relief, "you mean Mina. Okay, I get where you're coming from. But you're not actually going to kiss me, are you?"

Not that…well…I wouldn't mind. I guess.

"If I have to," she said, grim again. "Let's not blow our cover until we've found Ami and our enemy. Until then…" She winked, smiling prettily, kissing the air flirtatiously, surging Rei's pulse. "Try to have fun, sweetie."

"If you say so," she sighed tepidly, before knitting her eyebrows mischievously. Her hand slithered round Usagi's waist, whacking her bottom playfully. "Honey buns!" They resumed their dance, trying to forget the terrifying consequences should they fail, or the horrors that awaited them even if they succeeded: what was at stake, what damage it could cause, the aftermath of success or disaster… But in trying to forget, they found unusual success, becoming more and more involved in their act, until all pretense seemed lost and they honestly believed themselves out here purely for pleasure, in the company of someone they cherished, cared for deeply, loved immeasurably, would fight and die for…

Therefore, when their movement ceased temporarily, eyes locked and arms entwined, their bodily warmth shared and amplified by the aforementioned emotions, Usagi's face so close to Rei's that their noses touched, so close they could see their reflection in each other's eyes, the act became reality, and "being forced to act out of extreme circumstance" became "acting purely out of free will". Usagi leaned in to kiss Rei and Miss Hino did absolutely nothing to stop her.

"WHOA! I see Ami! Right behind me!"

And just like that, the parody of romance was wiped away. Usagi bolted away, leaving Rei to gawk momentarily.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

To be continued…

Annoying notes:

Why is the lesbian nightclub called Hyacinth? Because a hyacinth is a type of lily. The word "lily" translates into "yuri" in Japanese. And if you're reading this story and don't know what "yuri" also implies, then you are sad and I don't wish to speak with you anymore.