Notes: Episode 113, "A House Full of Evil Presence! The Secret of the Beautiful Girl, Hotaru". Or, "The one where Usagi meets Hotaru for the first time".
Episode 113
Usagi felt it was a good day, all things considered. Beautiful weather with a little bite that meant winter (and Christmas!) would be here soon. She'd met Chibi-Usa's new friend (who was NOT a boy as it turned out, but she felt she handled her mistake with great maturity). They had easily beaten the irritating little blonde woman and saved another heart crystal.
AND.
Usagi resisted the urge to hug the paper.
AND she had gotten famed manga star Ukon Katakuri's autograph.
True he hadn't exactly known what he was signing. It was weird having your heart crystal ripped out and put back in again, Usagi could sympathize. But what was it Minako was always saying? "A penny saved is healthy and wise!" Something like that. Point was, the second Ukon was conscious and Ami confirmed he was okay, Usagi had shoved the pen and paper in his hand and asked for his autograph AND IT WORKED.
Yes, the day was pretty awesome as far as Usagi was concerned.
So why did she feel so unsettled?
A face swam in Usagi's mind.
Ohhhh. Right.
"Hey, guys?"
Her friends turned to her, but not before Usagi caught Rei staring lovingly at her own Ukon Katakuri autograph. She made a mental note to bring that up later when it would annoy Rei the most.
"Kaolinite's gone, right?"
Mako frowned. "Who?"
"Kaolinite," Ami said. "She was the first of our new enemies."
"Tall redhead? We smacked her with a Planet Attack and knocked her off Tokyo Tower?" At Ami's nod, Mako turned to Usagi. "Oh yeah, she's gone."
Usagi didn't feel reassured. "And gone is GONE, right? You don't come back from gone?"
"Are you watching scary movies again?" Rei sounded grouchy, such a shocker. Usagi stuck her tongue out. Rei's comeback was to roll her eyes, and Usagi mentally patted herself on the back for a great victory. "People don't come back from the dead, you twit."
"We did."
All eyes turned to Minako.
"Twice," she added.
Usagi processed this and was unhappy with the conclusions she was reaching.
If Kaolinite could come back, who else could?
Jadeite?
Wiseman?
BERYL?
She couldn't entirely keep a tiny whimper from escaping.
"Oh, but we're different!" Minako said quickly. She threw her arm around Usagi's shoulders and squeezed.
The warm half-hug immediately made Usagi felt better. Still, more info couldn't hurt. "Why's that, Minako-chan?"
Minako didn't hesitate. "We're the good guys!"
Of course! Usagi breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the matter was settled.
"What made you bring this up?" Ami asked. She still looked worried. poor Ami with her poor giant brain, thinking too much.
"I thought I saw her, but it must've just been someone who looked like her."
Ami nodded, but her expression said she'd still be thinking about it for a while. That was Ami though; she'd sort it out, she always did.
Usagi had all the answer she needed.
They were the good guys.
She hugged Minako back and stared with wonder at her Ukon Katakuri autograph.