As Makoto was marked absent for the third day straight, Usagi found herself mulling over the things Naru had learned from Umino.
"Kino Makoto appears to have no family. She has moved twice in the last two years, and has attended several different private schools, including T*A, St. Hebereke, and Mugen Gakuen. Each school has invited her to withdraw enrollment, with no official reasons given. She has a history of minor delinquency, and a lot of strange rumours are floating around about what she does when she isn't in school..."
Usagi sighed. *I don't want to think Kino-san is a bad girl. She doesn't seem bad. But...I'm worried...*
Toying with her pencil, she made up her mind to pay Makoto a visit at home after school...
Mina entered the classroom just moments before the teacher Wednesday morning. She was relieved to see Rei at her desk; the miko had been absent the day before. When Mina had left the temple Tuesday morning, Rei had informed her that she would be remaining at home to attend to the damage wrought by the battle, and to explain things to her grandfather. Mina had considered offering to help, but wasn't sure she wanted to be around the xenophobic old priest when he was in a foul mood, which was almost guaranteed by the mess they'd made in his absence.
"Rough day yesterday?" she asked as she approached the raven-haired girl's desk.
Rei looked up, and sighed. "Hai. Jijiue was...less than pleased at the state of the grounds. I explained the situation...well, I explained it with rather less truthfulness than I would have liked." Glancing warily around, she whispered, "I'm not certain his reaction to my becoming a Senshi would be favourable."
"No, I guess not. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to keep that to ourselves, anyway."
"Hai." Rei paused. "I spent most of the evening cloistered in the shrine of the sacred fire, inscribing new wards." An uncharacteristic snort escaped the raven-haired girl. "Which, ironically, is what I was in the middle of doing when the shrine was attacked the other night."
"Do you think your wards can keep those youma from coming back?" Mina asked.
Rei shrugged. "The one that attacked me seemed amused by my wards and rituals." She frowned. "That...offends me. But the new wards I created have stronger properties." She paused, then leaned close and whispered, "I inscribed them using ink I made with the power of Mars."
The blond blinked. "Ink you made with—um, isn't your power basically just fire, though?"
"Which I used to make charcoal, which I ground into the ink."
"Ah. That's pretty clever. Think it'll help?"
"It certainly can't hurt."
* * * * *
Luna prowled the perimeter of Mars' shrine home, sniffing curiously at the fresh wards which were now plastered liberally all over the outer walls. She nodded to herself in satisfaction. "Now THAT'S a barrier."
* * * * *
At lunchtime, Mina and Rei sat together as usual. As they opened their lunches, Mina noticed the bandages on Rei's hand. "Whoa, when did THAT happen?"
The miko glanced down at her hand, two fingers of which were tightly wrapped in gauze. "Oh...yesterday evening," she said dismissively.
"Did you hurt yourself cleaning up the shrine or something?"
Rei paused, cheeks tinged faintly. "Something like that." She shrugged. "It's not bad, really, just a little tender."
"Okay, if you're sure..." The blond frowned. "Speaking of cleaning up, I'm really sorry I didn't stick around to help."
"No apology is necessary, Mina-san."
"Yeah, but I made most of that mess you had to clean up with that dumb attack."
Rei laughed softly. "I would not say the attack itself is dumb. Just the name."
The blond grimaced. "I blame Usagi for that. I don't know what she did when she Awakened me, but..." She shook her head. "Anyway, if you still need help cleaning up, I can come over this afternoon."
"It isn't necessary, but if you insist, I'd be grateful for the assistance." She paused, then wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the contents of her friend's bento. "Mina-san...exactly what..."
Mina blinked, looking from Rei to the bento in front of her and back. "Oh! Fish and chips. Not quite London-style, but it's the best I could manage with what we had at home. I've been missing it for a while." She picked up a thick wedge of fried potato, and offered it to the miko. "Want to try?"
Rei shook her head, looking faintly queasy. "I...believe now is not the time for experimentation with unfamiliar cuisine, but I thank you for the offer."
Mina shrugged. "Suit yourself."
* * * * *
"Kino-san?" Usagi asked, knocking on the door. There was a note taped over the intercom indicating it was out of service. When there was no response, she called out more loudly, knocking forcefully enough that her knuckles ached.
A head poked out of a door further down the hall. "QUIET DOWN OUT THERE!" a middle-aged woman snarled.
Usagi yelped, and bowed. "Gomen nasai! I'm just worried about my fr—" She squeaked in alarm as a half-empty beer can bounced off the wall beside her head. "HEY!"
"Fuckin' go away or I'm callin' the fuckin' cops!" the woman slurred drunkenly before slamming her door.
Usagi simply stared at the offensive woman's door for a long moment, then turned on her heel and stalked away, casting one worried glance back at Makoto's apartment before stepping onto the waiting lift.
* * * * *
"—pick up some snacks before we head over? I admit I'm getting hooked on those seaweed rice crackers."
"We may make a Japanese girl of you yet, Mina-san."
"HEY!"
"I am only teasing you."
"Wow, you actually have a sense of humour! That's good to know. Eep! Sorry, I didn't see—"
"In Japan, we look in front of us when we walk," Ami replied coolly, adjusting the plastic sack she had nearly dropped.
"Hey, I said I was sorry! Sheesh."
"Mina-san intended no harm, and your harsh response was uncalled for," her Japanese friend said, rebuke in her violet eyes.
"Perhaps you are correct. Let us dismiss this; all of us have more pressing concerns." Without a second glance at the pair, the bespectacled girl left the store.
Mina stared after her. "Wow, what a total bitch!"
Rei frowned. "That girl..."
"Eh? What about her?" the blond asked as she grabbed a shopping basket and headed for the snack aisle.
The miko followed a moment later. "Her school uniform was the same as Tsukino-hime," she said quietly.
"So what? Lots of girls go to...wait. Don't tell me you think THAT was one of the other Senshi?" Mina asked.
"Perhaps...perhaps not." Rei shrugged, and the two girls resumed their shopping.
* * * * *
"Something troubling you, Your Highness?"
Usagi yelped, nearly dropping the can of hot tea she'd bought at the train station, and glanced around to find Artemis leaning against a utility pole. "Don't DO that!" she squeaked.
The mage chuckled. "Sorry. You do seem troubled, however."
The ponytailed girl sighed. "Kino-san's been absent from class every day this week. I went by her apartment, and she wasn't home. I don't think she was, anyway."
Artemis rubbed his chin. "Hmm. That does seem suspicious."
"You wouldn't happen to have any idea where—"
"Sorry, I don't," the mage cut across her. "I can't magically find one regular Japanese girl among tens of thousands. I can only find you whenever I like because you're Princess Serenity. The Senshi..." He shrugged. "They have to be transformed for me to know where they are at any given time. I'm really sorry I can't help."
Usagi looked down at the sidewalk. "I see. I guess it can't be helped."
Artemis clasped his hands behind his back. "I do hope she's in no danger, and I hope you find her soon. But my reason for being here is another matter entirely. I hear you're checking into the activities of that strange thief."
Usagi nodded. "Ami-san seems to think he may be looking for the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."
The mage raised an eyebrow. "An interesting conclusion," he said softly.
Usagi fished around in her bag and withdrew a computer printout. "Ami-san printed this out and gave it to me," she explained. "Every gemstone on this list—"
"—looks like it could be the Ginzuishou, yes, I see," Artemis mused. "Mercury is very sharp. And that would explain his attempt to steal the Platina Selen." He ran a finger down the list, and tapped an item. "Yes, and it's on the list." He nodded. "Very interesting..."
"The Platina Selen?" Usagi asked. "Is that what he was trying to steal the night Mina-san ran into him?"
The mage nodded, handing back the printout. "And he didn't try to steal it a second time, so either it wasn't worth the risk, or..."
"It wasn't what he's looking for."
"Precisely."
"So the Oasis Lament, the gem he was targeting at the gala..."
"The director's wife had replaced it with a fake, correct?" At Usagi's nod, Artemis laced his hands behind his back. "Then he will undoubtedly try to steal the real Oasis Lament at some point."
Usagi gasped. "Then I should warn Kamekona-san..."
"More to the point, you need to inspect the Oasis Lament yourself, and verify whether it is or is not the Ginzuishou."
"Veri—how the heck would I know if it is or not?"
"You'll know," the mage insisted. "You are the rightful heir to the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. If you come into direct contact with it, it will immediately respond to your aura."
"Sou ka..." Usagi took a sip of her cooled tea, then nodded. "Alright. I'll take care of it tonight..."
"That would be for the best." Artemis bowed. "Good luck, and I hope nothing dreadful has happened to Jupiter." He vanished in a wink, without fanfare.
Usagi glanced around to make sure nobody had witnessed the abrupt magical departure, then finished her tea, tossed the empty can in a nearby recycling bin, and resumed her walk home.
She'd need to get a nap in after dinner. Tonight looked to be a long night...
* * * * *
Kamekona Sato and his wife were sitting quietly in their living room, having a drink before bed, when there was a gentle rapping sound from the glass balcony door.
Kamekona's wife screamed. The executive scowled, standing, and turned, already reaching for his phone...
He stared at the silhouette framed by the silk draperies, shadowed against the dim starlight. "Dear," he said breathlessly, "look..."
His wife looked up, face pale, and her screams abated. "...it's...her..." she breathed.
Kamekona frowned, then walked over and slid open the balcony door.
"I apologise for visiting at this hour, and without prior warning," the golden-haired Senshi on the veranda said gently, bowing. "But I must speak with you."
The director and his wife stared, bemused, at their unexpected guest. "S—Sailor Moon?" Mrs. Kamekona breathed shakily.
The Senshi grimaced. "I've got to get a press agent," she muttered.
"Sorry, what...do you prefer to be called?" the elder woman asked, unable to help herself.
The Senshi frowned, then sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "It's irrelevant. I'm here for something more important, and I don't wish to take up too much of your time."
"What brings you here?" Kamekona asked, arms folded.
"I wish to examine the Oasis Lament," the golden-haired Senshi said with no preamble.
"Examine—"
"Out of the question!" Kamekona snapped. "Have we not been terrorised enough?"
"That's the thing," the young girl said, raising her hands placatingly. "Don't worry, I'm not here to steal anything from you, and I won't damage the jewel. I just need to have a look at it, to see whether or not it's the one Tuxedo Kamen is probably trying to find."
"The thief from the gala?" Kamekona asked. With a sharp glance, he added, "Are you in league with that...cad?"
"Of course not," the Senshi replied. "But we—the other Senshi and I—think he's looking for something he shouldn't even know exists, and if he IS, it's in everyone's best interests that we find it first. I don't know what he plans to do with it, but there are some really dangerous people who are after the same thing—and any gem Tuxedo Kamen tries to steal is going to interest those people."
The elderly couple stared at her for a long moment. "What the devil are you on about, child?" Kamekona asked. "And what does this have to do with my wife's treasure?"
"Hopefully nothing," the Senshi answered. "That's why I'd like to see it—to determine whether or not it's the crystal we're all searching for."
"And if it is?"
"Then measures must be taken to protect it." She knelt before the elder woman and took her hands gently, clasping them in her soft-gloved ones. "Okusama," she said softly, "I know how trying all this has been for you, and I'm sorry you've gotten mixed up in it. The sooner we know for sure whether your Oasis Lament is the stone Tuxedo Kamen is after, or if it's an ordinary gem, the better—and I guarantee you'll sleep a lot more soundly if you know you're safe from that thief."
"How can you guarantee he won't try to steal it anyway, if it isn't whatever you claim he's after?" Kamekona asked.
"Oh, he'll probably show up looking for it again. But if it's not the right one, he won't take it. He didn't keep the Platina Selen when he stole THAT, and he didn't go after it again—he hasn't been seen anywhere near it since."
"The Platina Selen?" Mrs. Kamekona gasped, eyes wide. "He actually stole the Platina Selen?!"
"And was stopped by one of my Senshi," the golden-haired girl affirmed, nodding. "But she got sidetracked by some...nasty business, and Tuxedo Kamen got away—but he didn't take the stone with him. So that one wasn't it, and if the Oasis Lament isn't either, then you don't really have anything to worry about." She smiled. "So please, if I may—to put all our minds at ease."
Kamekona and his wife exchanged a glance. Sniffling, Mrs. Kamekona nodded. With a grunt, the director strode stiffly to a wall of the living room and pulled one of the wood panels aside, revealing a safe. He pressed a thumb to a scanner and leaned close to a red light. The safe beeped, then swung open.
Gingerly, he withdrew a silk bundle from within, and walked over to the Senshi. Hesitantly, he offered it to her. "No tricks," he warned.
"I have no intention of deceiving you," she replied, accepting the bundle and opening it. She touched the gem briefly, brow furrowed in concentration. Then, she sighed and re-wrapped it, handing it back to the director. "You may be at ease," she said. "The Oasis Lament, while certainly rare and valuable, is not the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou." She paused, and fixed the director with a serious gaze. "It is likely that one or more persons WILL attempt to steal it again. It is best you offer no resistance. Once they have determined it is not the Ginzuishou, they will lose interest." She bowed once again. "Pardon my intrusion, and have a pleasant evening." With that, she was back out on the veranda, and had disappeared before the couple could react.
* * * * *
Mamoru's cape billowed in the night breeze as he observed the penthouse balcony through brass opera glasses. He frowned at the disappearing golden blur that was Sailor Moon. "Chikushou..."
With a flourish of his cape, the thief faded into the still, silent shadows.
Yet another unnoticed observer, grey uniform blending into the dingy concrete of the roof he stood upon, nodded thoughtfully before disappearing without fanfare.
* * * * *
Thursday, Makoto was once again absent. Five minutes before the end of the school day, Usagi approached the bench where her fellow Senshi spent each day studying. "Ami-san?"
"Hai?" Ami asked without looking up from her book.
"Anou...Kino-san's been absent all week, and...I'm worried about her."
"Then you should call her. Surely you have her—"
"She's missing, Ami-san," Usagi interrupted forcefully. "She doesn't answer her phone, she isn't at home, and nobody's seen her for days."
Ami paused to adjust her glasses. "That is unfortunate."
"Ami-san, I'm REALLY worried about her. And..." Usagi paused, digging her toe into the ground. "And I was kind of hoping you might help me try to find out what happened to her."
A pause. "Excuse me, I'm not certain I understand what you just said."
"I'm going to look for Kino-san after school, and I'd really appreciate your help," Usagi repeated.
Ami blew on her bangs in irritation. "Tsukino-san," she said, "perhaps I was not clear when I informed you that our alliance only extends as far as immediate, life-threatening situations."
"I know, Ami-san, but..."
"The prolonged absence of Kino-san could be due to a number of factors, including mere delinquency."
Usagi shook her head. "I don't believe that, no matter what Umino and Naru-chan think about her!"
"Kino-san is a Senshi," Ami pointed out. "She can protect herself."
"We're not invulnerable," the long-haired girl pointed out.
"True." Ami frowned. "However, if she is in danger in some way, and has not been seen for some time, certainly her family has—"
"She doesn't have any family, Ami-san," Usagi interrupted gently. "She's all alone."
Ami paused, adjusting her glasses, brow furrowed. "That seems improbable."
"It's true though," Usagi asserted. "She doesn't have anyone. Except us."
The short-haired girl was silent for a moment. "Tsukino-san, there are no shortage of allies to help search for Kino-san. Artemis-san, Venus, Mars, Luna..."
"Ami-san, you're the smartest person I know," Usagi rallied. "I mean, Artemis-san is really smart too, but...I trust you more."
Ami stared at her. "You...trust me."
"With my life."
"When have I ever given you cause to hold such faith in me?"
Usagi smiled gently. "You never had to," she said. "I just know, in my heart, I can trust you."
The short-haired girl stared at her ally for a long moment, expression unreadable. At length, she sighed. "I suppose...it would be prudent to determine what has happened to Kino-san. Her prowess as Jupiter may be necessary to our survival in future battles." Pushing her glasses up, she stood. "But let us make haste. I have little time to spare."
Usagi smiled. "Arigatou, Ami-san."
* * * * *
"Forgive my tardiness, Brother Nephrite," Jadeite said as he walked, dressed in casual human clothing, into the small cafe the two Shitennou had chosen as a meeting place.
"There is no offense to forgive, Brother Jadeite," the long-haired man replied, sipping his coffee. "And your preparations for our next encounter with our foes?"
"Proceeding smoothly, although I spent today correcting an irregularity in the Mobius Driver. Hence my delay."
"I see." Nephrite paused. "Last eve was most informative, if the information was less than appealing."
"The gem you've been staking out?"
"The wealthy humans were visited by none other than Princess Serenity herself," Nephrite replied. "The bauble they so cherish is as worthless as they themselves." He smirked. "The dapper brigand who sought its possession also observed this event, and was...most displeased."
Jadeite snorted. "So you've hit a dead end on the Ginzuishou search."
"On this aspect alone, yes," Nephrite nodded. "However, other avenues lay open before me."
The blond Shitennou stood. "Then I wish you good hunting, Brother Nephrite."
"As well I you."
* * * * *
Two schoolgirls stood before a locked apartment door. "A logical starting point," Ami said, "but futile if we cannot gain entrance."
Usagi gave a strained giggle and fished around in her pocket. She produced a handful of small metal objects wrapped in a silk napkin. "Eto...I was thinking we could, um...break in."
The shorter girl stared at her, and then at the napkin-wrapped bundle she held. An eyebrow went up. "Tsukino-san...do you routinely carry burglary tools on your person?"
Usagi flushed. "They're not exactly mine, okay? I kinda picked them up when I fought that Tuxedo Kamen guy. They fell out of his hat; I thought..." She trailed off with a pained smile. "Well, they were there and nobody noticed, so before I left I kinda..." She rubbed the back of her head, giggling in embarrassment.
Ami levelled a cool stare at her. "That, Tsukino-san," she said frostily, "is called 'removing evidence from a crime scene'."
"Um...oops?"
The short-haired girl sighed and crouched in front of the lock. She extended a hand to Usagi. "We may as well avail ourselves of the circumstances. I will attempt to pick the lock. You stand watch."
After several minutes of quiet work and nervous pacing, there was a rewarding click. "I have succeeded," Ami announced. "We may now enter Kino-san's apartment."
After a few seconds' blind groping upon entering, Usagi found the light switch and turned it on, stepping out of her shoes. "This is a pretty nice place," she commented.
"Indeed. For an orphan living alone—again, highly improbable—Kino-san seems to have..." She trailed off, frowning. "Something is amiss."
Usagi sniffed the air, and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, no kidding." She walked into the small kitchen and made a disgusted sound. "Ew, something's rotten in here."
Her companion entered behind her, frowning, and espied an open milk carton on the counter, along with a sliced cantaloupe which had clearly spoiled. "Kino-san has not been here in some time," Ami announced.
"Well, yeah, that's kinda why we broke into her place, remember?"
"It was merely an observation." Ami walked out of the kitchen, calling behind her, "Do not disturb the spoiled food. In the event the authorities must be involved, that would be considered as evidence—"
"—and you don't tamper with a crime scene, yeah, yeah, I watch Detective Conan, I know all this stuff." At the odd look she received, she replied defensively, "I know, it's a kiddie show—"
"It is among the more intelligent fare on television," Ami replied with a wry smirk. "You could waste your time in far worse ways." Adjusting her glasses, she approached the small desk in the corner of the living room. She frowned. "Someone has destroyed the lock on this desk drawer."
Usagi walked over, following the shorter girl's gaze, and winced. "Yeah, that's...pretty sloppy. Wonder what was in there?"
"Evidently something of interest," Ami replied. She saw a notebook lying open on the desk, and withdrew her handkerchief before picking it up and leafing through it. Her brow furrowed.
"What's in there?" Usagi asked.
"Names," Ami replied. "Nothing else...some of them are highlighted or marked through."
The long-haired girl tilted her head, frowning. "That's...strange."
"Somewhat." Replacing the notebook, Ami continued her investigation of the room. "Please examine the other rooms, Tsukino-san," she said idly. "Do not touch anything with your bare hands."
"Hai!" Usagi walked across the apartment, taking her own handkerchief out of her pocket. She poked her nose into one door and found the bathroom—a Western-style bath, with a commode, sink, unit bath, detachable showerhead, linen cupboard, and medicine cabinet. She opened the medicine cabinet, looking inside; the contents were more or less what she expected. Then, she opened the linen cupboard...
"Whoa, what the heck's THIS stuff?"
In the living room, Ami glanced up. "You found something?" she called.
Usagi walked back into the living room, holding a black plastic box. She crouched on the floor and set it down, opening the lid. "Take a look at this," she said.
The shorter girl knelt across from her, adjusting her glasses and frowning. "Prophylactics," she began, eyes roaming over the neatly arranged contents of the box. "Water-based lubricating gels." She paused, then withdrew a packet of paper tissues from her pocket and took one out, using it to pick up a jar. "Nonoxynol-9," she said clinically, placing the jar back in the box. She then picked up a small pill bottle with no label, save for a small strip of masking tape upon which 「アフター」 had been written by hand. She scowled, placing the bottle back in the box and standing. She walked to the wastepaper basket next to the desk, disposed of her tissue, then withdrew another and began scrubbing furiously at her hands.
"Ami-san? What—"
"Birth control," Ami said, tone cold. "Kino-san keeps a supply of emergency contraceptive pills. And two standard forms of contraception."
Usagi's eyes widened, and she stared down at the black box with horror. "Eeeeh?! But—" She stood up quickly, backing away as though the birth control kit were a dangerous animal. "But...why would Kino-san..."
"To maintain a supply kit such as this," Ami said coldly, "suggests that Kino-san frequently engages in sexual intercourse."
"Freq—Ami-san, are you saying Kino-san is some kind of slut?" Usagi asked, somewhat defensively.
Ami turned and levelled a cool, hard stare at the long-haired girl. "Tsukino-san, based on what we have discovered here, I believe Kino Makoto is a prostitute."
* * * * *
Makoto grimaced as she woke; her head ached horribly, her throat was raw, and her eyes felt as though they had been pierced with white-hot needles. A variety of pains—some dull, some intense, ranging from bruises to abrasions—covered her nude body; her bare skin prickled with the sensation of cold, damp air.
She attempted to focus on her surroundings; after a confused, painful moment, her gaze fixed blearily on a figure suspended on the wall opposite—a young man, stripped to his boxers, covered with dried blood and grime, stringy, greasy shoulder-length hair matted and tangled. He was unconscious; this was perhaps a blessing, as from what she could see of his injuries, being awake would not be fun for him.
The man hung by his wrists, through which sharp hooks attached to heavy chains had been driven. Numerous small, round burns dotted his limbs and torso, and a heavy, swollen bruise surrounded his right eye. Deep, puckered lacerations crossed his chest and abdomen; at least half of them looked badly infected. Part of his right leg was missing, the stump crusted with dried blood and ragged, burned flesh.
"Damn, Motoki," Makoto whispered hoarsely. "They really fucked you up, didn't they?"
