Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus were glaring at Eudial while Makoto looked down for a moment, still in disbelief at what she had just learned.

"Mako-chan, transform and go after Tellu! We'll take care of her," Venus said.

"I already told you, I won't let you go after her," Eudial let out, pulling out a Daimon Germ. "What kind of senpai would I be if I let you harm my dear kouhai."

"So you admit it, Tellu was your accomplice all along!" Mars exclaimed.

"But of course. Who else did you think it was? Mimete?" Eudial sneered.

"No, it can't be… I don't believe you! There's no way Teruno-san would help someone like you!" Mako exclaimed.

"Mako-chan…" Venus whispered.

Eudial let out a mean giggle.

"Someone like me? Please, don't make me laugh. Tellu and I are cut from the same cloth, she has always been so loyal to me. Why would I be lying to you about that?"

Somehow, what Eudial just said infuriated Makoto.

"Always loyal? How can you… after how cruel you were with her!?" Makoto exclaimed. "You beat her up and nearly killed her!"

Eudial lost her grin, instead looking annoyed by Makoto's statement.

"Tsk- You don't know anything about me! Why are you getting angry over that? This is much more complicated than you think… anyway, I am repaying her now that she blew her cover… she already admitted herself that she lied to you. If you want to be angry at someone, it should be Tellu, not me."

"You…!"

"Let's just beat her up and go after Tellu!" Venus let out.

"Oh, are you sure you want to do that here? With two fire users in a greenhouse? I mean, I don't mind, but think about all those poor flowers…" Eudial smirked before eating the Daimon Germ, turning into her witch form.

"If you think we care-" Mars began.

"She's right!" Makoto suddenly interjected. "Let's go do that outside."

"Mako-chan…!" Venus let out.

"I don't want this place to burn down," Makoto added softly.

"... fine," Mars agreed. "But after we deal with her, we go after Tellu, understood?"

Makoto reluctantly nodded as she pulled out her transformation tool.

Eudial grinned. "Wise decision."

"The tea is ready," Yui said.

The older girl came back into the living room, holding a platter with two cups and a teapot. Ami quickly put away her phone.

"I hope the tea will be to your liking," Yui said as she put the platter on the table and sat down.

"I'm not difficult when it comes to tea," Ami replied.

Yui filled Ami's teacup, then her own.

"There you go," Yui said, handing her the cup.

"Thanks," Ami said.

"You're welcome."

Yui had a smile on her face that Ami couldn't describe. She opened her book, ready to start studying, but it seemed Yui had something else in mind.

"Who were you talking to?" Yui suddenly said.

"... huh?"

"On the phone. You were talking with someone while I was making tea, were you not?"

"O-oh… yeah, I was… I had something to tell my friend. Nothing important."

"Hm, is that so."

Yui didn't insist further and took a sip of her tea. She still had that enigmatic smile on her face. Ami quietly sighed, relieved that Yui dropped the subject. She couldn't tell her that she called her friends to tell them about what she had just told her about Teruno. Ami had shared her suspicion regarding Lulu after what Yui revealed to her. She was hoping her friends would be able to handle Teruno Lulu (or rather, Tellu, if her suspicion was correct) safely.

She wished she could go help them, but she didn't want to cancel her plans with Yui for a second time, especially for another witches reason. The older girl was already kind enough to welcome her in her home, it'd feel rude to leave like that. All she could do was have faith in her friends to handle the situation.

Yui brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. Ami looked at her own cup. She could see steam coming out of it and decided it'd be wiser to wait for it to cool off a little. The older girl put her cup down.

"Well, let's begin, shall we?" Yui said as she opened her book.

Ami nodded. "Yeah."

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Burning Mandala!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

The three senshi launched their attacks simultaneously. Eudial managed to dodge two of them before getting hit by Jupiter's attack and electrocuted on the spot.

"Urgh!"

The witch collapsed to the ground. The fight had been going on for a while now outside the greenhouse and they finally managed to hit their enemy.

"Jupiter, go after Tellu. We can deal with her ourselves now," Venus commanded.

Despite some reluctance, Jupiter nodded and ran away. Eudial painfully got back to her feet.

"As if I'll let you get away! Fire Buster!"

Eudial cast her fire attack towards the running Jupiter. Mars acted fast and erected a fire barrier to block her attack.

"We're done going along with your scheme, Eudial!" Mars let out. "The two of us are well enough to deal with the likes of you!"

Venus nodded in agreement. Eudial glared at them furiously before a malicious grin stretched on her lips.

"I guess I bought her enough time," Eudial said.

"You think this is enough for Tellu to escape? She's not getting away either!" Mars exclaimed.

Eudial let out a sinister laughter.

"Yes, that's plenty of time for my accomplice to finish what she started."

"... what is Tellu doing?" Venus asked.

Eudial didn't answer, staring at the two senshi with a smirk on her face.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Mars said.

"Same. Let's take care of her and go after Tellu too!" Venus concurred.

Eudial chuckled at that.

"You aren't the sharpest ones among your little group, are you?" Eudial sneered.

"What's that!?" Venus let out. "Alright, I don't know what you're up to, but we'll beat the answer out of you!"

Both Eudial's fists ignited. "Bring it on, Sailor Senshi!"

Lulu felt like her heart might burst out of her chest at any moment. She lost track of how long she'd been running. She could only thank her incredible cardio and lung capacity for allowing her to run for so long. Those abilities made her a natural-born athlete who could go on without getting exhausted for an almost superhuman duration. It was no wonder that she became the head of the physical education department back when she was still a student at Mugen Academy.

But there was still a limit to her physical prowess, and she was near reaching it. Her heart was beating like crazy and her throat felt like it was on fire from breathing so heavily. Yet, she knew she had to keep going.

If they caught up to her, she was done for.

"Those damn senshi!" Lulu thought bitterly. "Can't they just leave me alone…"

But she knew they weren't the only ones to blame for her current predicament.

"Screw you, Arimura-senpai! Couldn't she just keep her mouth shut and leave me be!?"

Sure, she lied about having no memories of being a witch, but still, why did Yuuko feel the need to out her like that? Lulu wanted nothing to do with any of this!

"World Shaking!"

Lulu jumped out of the trajectory of the attack. She didn't stop running- she knew she might collapse as soon as she stopped.

Ever since she ran away from the greenhouse, she had been chased by some really persistent Sailor Senshi. She didn't know how they found her, but she assumed they were probably called by the other two senshi that showed up at the greenhouse before their arrival.

"Deep Submerge!"

Lulu barely had time to dodge the senshi who had just jumped in front of her. The florist didn't stop and ran in another direction, escaping through a backstreet. But her path was quickly blocked by a fence.

"Shit!"

She had no time to stop, she knew that that senshi as fast as the wind was still behind her. She was the only one who was able to keep up with her. If Lulu was a good marathon runner, this one was a good sprinter. She might have a chance to outrun her from sheer endurance, but it was over if she managed to catch her first.

Lulu didn't think and just followed her instincts instead. She kicked the fence and used it as support to propel herself in the air, jumping above it. For once, she was glad to be an accomplished gymnast.

But unfortunately for her, as soon as she landed, she felt the strain in her muscles catch up to her. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly and she nearly tripped. It took all her might to not simply collapse to the ground. Using her dominant hand as support, Lulu managed to hoist herself up, ready to start running again.

But when she noticed an imminent attack, Lulu barely had time to crouch down to avoid the staff which nearly hit her. Lulu took a few steps away, glaring at the new senshi blocking her path.

"You again!?" Lulu exclaimed.

Sailor Pluto pointed her rod at her.

"You're not going anywhere!" Pluto declared.

"Ugh, we'll see about that…!"

Lulu threw her apron at her as a distraction, really to run. But as soon as she turned back she was welcomed by the sight of a scythe's blade, forcing her to keep still.

"For your own good, I suggest you do stop running," Saturn threatened.

The sight of such a small child holding a comically bigger weapon would have amused Lulu if the situation wasn't this serious. She clenched her fist, looking around frantically for a way out.

Before she could even attempt anything, she was suddenly jumped and pinned to the ground.

"Argh!"

Lulu painfully turned her head to see who had just attacked her. Neptune was twisting one of her arms behind her back, holding her against the ground.

"Urgh… let me go!" Lulu cried out.

Lulu tried to struggle but the blade of a sword quickly dissuaded her to continue further.

"Don't make this harder for yourself," Uranus warned, holding her sword. "I'm starting to get tired of running after you."

"Then don't," Lulu replied smugly.

"You know we can't do that," Pluto scolded her.

"Why not? You're the one who randomly decided to chase me down!"

"We wouldn't have chased you down if you simply surrendered," Saturn replied.

"Who would surrender when they're pursued by armed people!?"

"Stop playing innocent, you know perfectly well why we had to stop you!" Uranus talked back.

"Regardless… four against one, isn't that overkill? So much for the guardians of peace…" Lulu taunted.

"Guarding the peace is precisely why we need to stop you, Tellu," Neptune replied.

Lulu winced at that name and started to struggle once again.

"Don't… call me that…! That's not my name!"

"Easy there. Don't make us hurt you," Uranus warned once again.

Lulu laughed bitterly before glaring at them.

"Screw you… screw all of you! I didn't do anything wrong! I don't have to surrender to the likes of you! I was just minding my own business until you people randomly decided that I was your enemy! Let me go! LET ME GO!"

Uranus' blade got closer to her.

"Last warning," Uranus said, impassively. "You should have thought about that before allying yourself with Eudial."

"W-what….!? I didn't-"

"What are you doing!? Let her go already! You're taking this too far!"

Lulu's heart skipped a beat when she heard that voice. She was not expecting to see her again so soon, nor to hear her come to her aid.

"Jupiter! What are you saying!? You know who she is!" Uranus protested.

"Even so, that's no way to treat someone. There's no need to be so rough!" Jupiter insisted.

Uranus and Pluto exchanged a glance, uncertain. They then looked at Neptune and Saturn, who nodded. Neptune released her grip on Lulu and allowed her to stand up, still keeping a close eye on her.

"Now, Teruno-san… I don't want to suspect you, but… is it really true? You… lied about your memory?" Jupiter asked.

Lulu looked down for a moment. She really didn't want to have that talk. She didn't want to think about this or justify herself. But she knew she couldn't escape it anymore. And yet, she made one last attempt at taking control of the conversation.

"I could say the same thing to you, Kino-san… no, Sailor Jupiter!"

Jupiter looked like she wanted to protest but ultimately kept quiet.

"Don't try to divert our attention. You're Eudial's accomplice, aren't you?" Pluto accused.

"I… haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about," Lulu replied. "I have no idea what Arimura-senpai is up to. And I didn't lie, I did lose my memory… momentarily."

"What do you mean by 'momentarily'?" Jupiter asked.

"I did lose my memory. When I first woke up at the hospital I couldn't remember the last few months. Those memories just came back recently…"

"As if we're going to believe that!" Uranus let out.

Lulu scoffed at that comment.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less if you believe me or not. But it is the truth."

"Let's say we do believe you; for what reason would you not come forward when your memory came back?" Saturn asked.

"Tsk, do I really need to spell it out for you? Can't you put yourself in my shoes for one minute?" Lulu glared at them. "This person you call 'Tellu'... she isn't me. All those months I forgot and then suddenly remembered, I wasn't… myself. I was possessed by this entity, this… parasite. I may remember everything that happened, but it doesn't feel like those are my memories. It feels like a fever dream. Like a nightmare I wish I could wake up from…"

Just talking about it made Lulu feel dizzy. She didn't want to think about it, to remember this. She started having trouble breathing normally, her chest hurting.

"But I can't wake up from this nightmare. It isn't just a bad dream. I know everything that happened when I was this 'Tellu' person is real. Yet it doesn't feel real. I just want to forget about all of this. I just wanted to pretend it was nothing but a bad dream. I just want to go back to my normal life! I already lost months of my life while I was being possessed, I want nothing to do with this! Yet… you people just won't leave me alone!"

An uncomfortable silence settled. Lulu felt like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown but managed to keep her composure. She regretted lashing out- talking about this out loud just made everything she went through feel too real, and she'd rather continue to pretend it was only a bad dream. Alas, it didn't seem like the Sailor Senshi wanted to play along with her delusion.

"All of this happened, even if you don't want to acknowledge it. And unfortunately for you, it's not over. Your involvement with Eudial does nothing to help you out," Pluto said.

"For the last time, I have nothing to do with Arimura-senpai, nor do I know what she's up to… and stop calling her that! That's not her name-"

"This is how she refers to herself," Neptune interrupted. "And from her actions, it's clear this is the path she has chosen."

"Don't tell me you have no clue about how she gained back her powers," Uranus accused.

"I swear I do not know! You keep talking about her having an accomplice but I had no idea she was working with someone!" Lulu exclaimed.

"You really expect us to believe that?" Uranus said back.

"Wait," Neptune suddenly said, looking into her mirror. "I can see an ominous shadow looming over Arimura Yuuko."

"... and?" her partner asked. "It's nothing new."

"No, but I can't see the same shadow when I look at Teruno-san. Whatever Arimura-san is doing to cause this shadow to lurk behind her, Teruno-san isn't."

"Then if she isn't Eudial's accomplice, who is?" Pluto asked.

"It must be Mimete, obviously!" Jupiter declared.

Lulu couldn't help but wince at that name. Terrible memories of her other self appeared in her mind but she tried to ignore them.

"No, I don't think these two could ever work together, not after… what happened between them," Lulu said.

"Then who, if it isn't you or Mimete?" Uranus demanded.

"I mean… isn't it obvious? Think. If I gained back my memory, then it's not surprising that she did too," Lulu said.

There was another silence, the senshi glancing at one another in confusion. Lulu sighed while Jupiter seemed to get it, a panicked expression on her face.

"Of course!" Jupiter exclaimed. "It has to be her!"

"Your tea is going to get cold, Mizuno-san."

Ami raised her nose from her book.

"Oh, right! Sorry, once I start studying I tend to forget everything else around me," Ami said, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment.

"That, I can relate to," Yui replied with a soft smile.

Ami put down her book and reached for her cup. It still felt warm in her hand but it was no longer steaming. Perfect. She brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. The tea was lukewarm but still pleasantly hot. It had a nice aroma and a good taste. Yet, Ami could tell there was an aftertaste she couldn't figure out.

After drinking almost half of her tea the genius girl put it back on the table. Yui was still smiling but it seemed her smile grew slightly wider, and she was now gazing at her intensely.

"What?" Ami said, feeling a little shy to be looked at so intensely.

"Nothing. You really haven't changed, haven't you?"

"Huh?"

Yui put down her own cup of tea, now empty.

"You're so smart, your genius is almost on par with mine, yet you are so… naive. I don't hate it. I think it's cute."

"...Eh?"

Ami was a blushing mess. What was going on? Where did that come from? Somehow, she was starting to feel dizzy. Were Yui's words having that strong of an effect on her?

"Everything you told me, I truly appreciate your kind words. I can tell you truly have a pure heart, Mizuno-san. Something I wouldn't expect from a genius such as yourself."

"W-well, intelligence and logic alone aren't enough, I believe taking people's feelings and emotions into account are just as important, if not more."

"I remember you telling me something similar, once," Yui chuckled. "'Science requires the warmth of a human heart', or something along those lines."

"Exactly… huh?"

Ami's drowsiness became worse. Something didn't add up with what Yui just said.

"How… do you remember that…?"

"Hm? Is there something wrong, Mizuno-san?"

Ami's head was spinning.

"I remember… when I said that. It was when… I visited Mugen Academy."

"Yes, I remember too-"

"That's the thing. You shouldn't remember," Ami interrupted. "After all, at that time, you were…"

Ami was interrupted by a soft giggle.

"Took you long enough to realize," Yui taunted. "But I'm afraid it's too late."

Yui's gaze turned darker and her smirk felt callous. Ami's vision started to get blurry. She looked down at her cup of tea.

"You… put something… in my drink…"

Ami instinctively tried to stand up but her body didn't follow. She collapsed to the floor, her vision getting more and more blurry. Everything slowly faded to darkness, and all she could do was hear Yui's condescending voice as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Sleep well, kind-hearted Mizuno-san.

DUN DUN DUN!