Notes: Episode 128, "Meeting of Fate! The Night where a Pegasus Flies". Or, "The one where the Dark Moon Circus arrives."

Episode 128

"So … about the giant floating circus tent thing that appeared over the city after the eclipse."

All conversation screeched to a halt. Everybody stopped in mid-bite. Makoto put a hand on Usagi's forehead, which Usagi bore patiently.

"No fever," Mako declared after a moment.

"A giant floating …"

Usagi picked up where Minako trialed off. "Circus tent, yeah."

"Check again," Rei ordered Mako, which Mako immediately did. Once more Usagi just sat and waited, glaring at Rei the entire time. Mako switched to the back of her hand, and then finally tried her left. She shook her head at the others.

"See?" Usagi said, working in an extra deep scoop of gloating.

A beeping noise drew everyone's attention, and four pairs of eyes turned to Ami. She was bent over her computer, typing urgently. "Scanning," she said without looking up, and they left her to it for the moment.

"A floating circus, huh?" Minako said, just a little too brightly.

That earned her a flat stare from Usagi. "You're about to make fun of me, aren't you?"

Minako looked truly shocked. "Of course not!"

"And I suppose next to the giant floating circus was a giant floating parking lot and a giant floating midway with SUPER giant floating food stands," said Rei.

"SHE is," Minako finished.

Usagi looked like she was gearing up for a truly epic round of "Rei-chan you're so mean!" when Ami's computer beeped again.

"Did you find it?" asked Usagi eagerly. "What is it?"

"Hm? Oh, no, I was scanning you. She's fine, by the way," Ami told the others, and they sighed in relief.

Usagi was less relieved. "I KNOW I'm fine! Guys! THERE IS A GIANT CIRCUS TENT FLOATING OVER THE CITY, COME ON."

Her friends all shared a dubious look. Usagi was about three seconds from screaming and smacking the lot of them when Mako said, "But you know, the shit we've seen? Maybe?"

There was a pause while this was digested.

"Ami. Scan for …" Minako dropped her tone an octave and her expression became gravely serious, "a giant floating circus tent."

Ami blinked, but turned to her computer without comment.

"Rei?"

"Giant floating circus tent, got it." Rei shifted to a more comfortable position and closed her eyes, reaching out with her powers.

"Hey Usagi-chan," Mako said, sliding out of the booth. "Let's go have a look. Something that big, we should be able to spot it pretty easily, huh?"

Usagi bounced after Mako, thrilled at finally being listened to. Minako, meanwhile, slipped her walkman out of her purse. Not that Tokyo's Finest were particularly fine as far as she was concerned, but the eclipse was almost an hour ago. Someone else must've seen what Usagi had by now, right? The airwaves should be buzzing with the news.

But there was nothing. Minako scanned station after station. There was some random banter about the eclipse, but nothing unusual otherwise. Also, Minako missed all but the tail end of her favourite song, dammit.

"I can't detect anything out of the ordinary," Ami reported, snapping her computer closed. Her brow was furrowed as she looked out the window in the direction Usagi and Mako had taken.

"I can't get anything either," said Rei, opening her eyes. "I don't know what Usagi saw, but I can't sense it."

A few moments later, Mako and Usagi returned. Usagi had considerably less bounce in her step than when she left. She said nothing, and Mako only shook her head at the others. Rather than take the empty side, Usagi sat next to Rei and kept bumping into her hip until, glaring, Rei slid down to make room. Once comfortable, Usagi set to work eating the rest of Rei's sundae. Her friends exchanged worried glances, but said nothing.

After a few bites, the ice cream was gone and Usagi let the spoon clatter in the dish. "I DID see it," she said, just a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

Rei looked like she might be about to argue, but Mako got there first. "I'm sure you did, Usagi-chan."

"Maybe it was an afterimage of the eclipse," Ami suggested. "Your eyes readjusting to the light?"

"OR," Minako hurried to add, "it was exactly what you said! We'll keep our eyes and ears open. Something like that can't go unnoticed forever. We'll figure it out, Usagi-chan."

"Right!" Usagi said with an enthusiastic nod. "Now, there's just this ice cream problem to settle!"

"What problem?"

"I don't have ice cream, and that's a problem."

Rei gestured angrily at her empty dish. "You just ate mine!"

"And I'm still hungry!"

"How Mamoru isn't working three jobs just to feed you is beyond me," Rei grumbled, trying to catch Unazuki's attention.

"Oo, and while you're buying, Rei-chan, I'd LOVE another soda!"

Rei shot Minako a look that would obliterate a lesser person. Minako just beamed and blew a kiss.

While Rei placed an increasingly large order, Usagi looked out the window, to the clear blue skies that were very noticeably free and clear of giant floating tents.

Usagi sighed.

Circuses sucked.

I'm going to go ahead and say right now that it's magic that's hiding the tent, or an illusion or product of the eclipse or something ANYTHING besides "you are all unobservant and stupid" because YEAH.