Makoto sighed as she hauled two large bags of trash to the collection point for her building.
The private shame of two years of her life now sat ready to be picked up for recycling—the damning testament to her time as a plaything for men three times her age. The whore, the slut, the delinquent—all gone now, reduced to something as simple as two bags of garbage.
If only.
As she returned to her apartment, she pondered what to do now that her only source of income was gone. Her meager savings had been cleaned out by some asshole thief, and if she sold everything she owned it would barely cover one more month's rent.
"Face it," she told herself with a weary sigh, "it's time to move on."
Her phone rang. Groaning, she moved to answer; it was Usagi.
//How are you feeling, Kino-san?//
"Tired, mostly," Makoto replied. "I just finished throwing out all my whore stuff. Now I'm just trying to figure things out."
//I may be able to help with that,// Usagi said. //Meet me at this address in an hour...//
"Thank you for making time to meet with my friend and I, Chiba-san," Usagi said politely, bowing to the middle-aged woman who had met them at the door.
Makoto, for her part, was completely taken aback by her surroundings. The address Usagi had given her turned out to be a rather large, traditional estate. The nameplate on the gate read "CHIBA", and everything about the place practically screamed "Old Money".
"Think nothing of it, dear," the woman replied. She then faced Makoto and bowed. "I have not had the pleasure. Chiba Hanako."
"Kino Makoto. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Makoto replied, bowing as well, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the extreme level of formality. Japanese though she may be, she had always been an extremely casual person.
"As I explained to Mamoru-san," Usagi began, "and with apologies for making such a forward request of you, it is my hope that your family may be able to resolve the dilemma which Kino-san presently faces."
The middle-aged woman raised a slim eyebrow. "There is of course no need for my future daughter to apologise for asking a favour; I am however curious as to what this dilemma is and how you feel we may be of service to your friend."
Usagi paused, glancing at Makoto, and quietly replied, "The details...should be discussed in private."
"Of course," Hanako replied, stepping smoothly out of the doorway. Usagi and Makoto bowed once again as they entered, removing their shoes at the genkan.
"Usagi, what're you up to?" Makoto whispered.
"You'll see in a minute. Just trust me," the tea-haired girl replied.
The two girls seated themselves in the receiving room; Hanako entered a few minutes later with a tea tray. Once she had served the tea, she fixed the two girls with a measuring stare. "So," she prompted.
Usagi sipped her tea, then cleared her throat. "Chiba-san, Kino-san is an orphan. Her parents left her a substantial trust, but her uncle—her legal guardian and sole living blood relative—squandered every yen of it on his own vices. As a consequence of said vices, he is no longer alive, and Kino-san has lived on her own for the past two years."
"On her own? Not in an orphanage?" Hanako asked, staring quizzically at Makoto.
The tall girl bowed her head. "I spent a brief time in an orphanage. I witnessed...abuses. I decided I'd rather be homeless than put up with that."
"However, Kino-san did not remain homeless," Usagi picked up; Makoto sensed it would be wise to let the other girl tell the story, and silently sipped her tea. "She entered into an...arrangement, with an individual whose clients purchased...services, shall we say, of a personal nature."
Hanako raised a hand to interrupt Usagi. "I think we can drop the indirectness right there, please." She turned to look at Makoto, her gaze probing, her expression blank. "You are the same age as Usagi-chan?"
"I am fourteen, hai."
"And for two years you have sold your body to men?"
"Hai."
The middle-aged woman frowned. "Forgive me; it is one thing to be vaguely aware that such atrocities exist in this society. It is another to be directly confronted with them." At Makoto's expression, she amended, "I'm sorry, that did not come out right. I meant only that civilized Japanese men paying to do things like that to young girls..."
Makoto relaxed, sighing. "It's disgusting, yeah. It kept me off the streets and in a decent apartment for two years, but..."
"And now? Your situation has changed?"
"It has."
"Due to...legal difficulties?" Hanako queried sharply.
"Not exactly," Makoto grimaced.
"Her pimp was murdered," Usagi interceded. "By the yakuza."
Hanako's eyes widened.
"Kino-san cannot continue her present lifestyle without an intermediary," the tea-haired girl continued, "nor does she wish to."
"Yeah, I'm way past sick of the whore thing," Makoto said, grimacing. "I just don't know what else to do. I'm damn sure not going to an orphanage, and I'm not gonna look for another pimp..."
"Chiba-san," Usagi began, "your home is rather large, and if you will forgive me, the upkeep of such an estate cannot be easy for one woman."
"One woman as old as I am, you mean?" Hanako asked, a touch of humour in her voice.
Usagi blushed. "I did not mean to imply that or to offend, but..."
"It's okay, dear. I'm not as young as I used to be, and I'm well aware of it. Continue, please."
"Hai." Usagi paused briefly. "Kino-san will shortly be forced to abandon her current residence, and is possessed of reasonable domestic skills. The notion occurred to me—"
"You want my husband and I to hire her as a live-in maid," Hanako finished.
"Hai."
Makoto blinked. *THAT'S what's going on here?!*
The middle-aged woman appraised Makoto at length. "Would you be capable of balancing a domestic workload and your scholastic obligations?"
The tall girl shrugged. "Can't be worse than what I've been doing."
"No, I suppose not." Hanako was silent for a long moment. "I must discuss this with my husband. I will contact you when we have decided." She stood; the two girls also rose, bowing.
"Thank you for your time, Chiba-san," Usagi said. "You have a lovely home; I look forward to visiting again."
"You are always welcome, Usagi-chan," Hanako replied. "As are you, Kino-san."
"Thank you, Chiba-san." The two girls left; Hanako stood lost in thought for a long time.
After cleaning up the tea service, she picked up the phone and called her husband.
* * * * *
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I had in mind ahead of time," Usagi said as they rounded the corner a block from the Chiba residence. "I wasn't sure how you'd react."
"Nah, it's cool. I'll admit I was surprised, but..." Makoto trailed off. "You really think they'll go for it?"
Usagi shrugged. "I'm their son's iinazuke, and they already know I don't much like the jerk. They'd probably agree to eat hot cat shit if they thought it'd keep me content."
Makoto stopped and stared at Usagi. "You are one sneaky, underhanded little..."
"I'm getting that a lot lately," the shorter girl said, smiling.
Makoto shook her head and grinned.
* * * * *
//—police have ruled out arson; the fire is attributed to faulty electrical wiring which was scheduled to be replaced next month. The damages are estimated at—//
As he watched the news, Mamoru reflected on the conversation he'd had with his iinazuke the previous evening.
It had been rather surprising when she called him; even more of a surprise was the topic of conversation.
He knew she had not disclosed all the details of her friend's situation, but what little she had told him had been enough to enlist his support—being an orphan himself, and having been fortunate enough to be adopted and cared for by a loving family, he felt a twinge of sympathy for a girl who had not been so lucky.
He also had to admit he was developing a grudging respect for Usagi herself. His initial assessment of the girl as an empty-headed waste of space seemed to have missed the mark by a few light years. Only someone fairly clever would have dreamed up the scheme Usagi had laid on him.
Out of sympathy for the Kino girl's plight, and out of respect for this new depth to Usagi, Mamoru decided he would support his fiancee's request of his parents.
Besides, he knew better than anyone how hard his mother struggled to keep up the Chiba estate...
* * * * *
Mina flipped her pencil end-over-end; Rei had learned this to be a sign of distraction in the blond girl, and set her own pencil down primly. "Mina-san, is something troubling you?"
"No, n..." Mina trailed off. "Yeah. This morning, on the news, they were talking about a warehouse fire. It was...that warehouse."
Rei blinked. "From yesterday?"
"Yeah." Mina paused. "You didn't—"
"No, I certainly didn't," Rei replied, frowning.
"I didn't think so, but I had to ask. It just seems..."
The miko nodded. "It was most likely burned down by the yakuza, to prevent the police from discovering anything incriminating."
Mina blinked. "I hadn't thought of that..." She shrugged, and bent over her study text. Within minutes, the matter was forgotten entirely by both girls.
* * * * *
//Anata, I have just been paid a visit by Tsukino Usagi.//
"Oh?"
//She introduced me to a friend of hers who has suffered considerable misfortunes, not the least of which is the loss of every living relative.// A pause. //Anata, Usagi-chan would like us to hire her friend as a live-in maid.//
Takeshi blinked. "That seems an unusually forward request."
//It is well within our means, and I could frankly use the help. I'm not thirty anymore, Takeshi. Besides, I think I like this girl, and...// Hanako trailed off. //She's really been through hell. I want to do this.//
The Chiba patriarch was taken aback by the forceful bluntness of his wife's opinion. Hanako rarely spoke her mind with such conviction. "We'll discuss it when I come home. Does Mamoru-kun have any opinion on this?"
//She called HIM first. Then he called me. So I'm pretty sure he's backing this.//
Takeshi nodded, even though his wife could not see it. "That seems probable. I'd like to hear more about this girl before I give my consent, of course."
//Hai, anata. When you come home, then.//
* * * * *
Shortly after noon, the Senshi all received an e-mail from Artemis.
We have a problem. Jadeite is up to something at Tokyo Tower. Gather at Shiba Park at one tomorrow afternoon. Luna will brief you.
* * * * *
"Tadaima."
"Okaeri nasai."
As Chiba Takeshi removed his shoes, he noticed that his son's shoes were also in the genkan. "Mamoru-kun is here also?" he called into the house.
"Hai, Otousama," the boy in question responded.
He found them in the sitting room; immediately, a cup of tea was pressed into his hands by his wife. Nodding to her, he seated himself at the head of the table. "It is rare for you to return home on a Saturday," he commented as he sipped his tea.
"I felt it important to join in the discussion of the matter of Usagi-san's request," Mamoru replied. "Also, I will regrettably be unavailable tomorrow. I must attend to a research matter for which I have only a brief window of time."
"Regrettable," Takeshi grunted. "But we do what we must."
"Hai."
Hanako sat at last. "Usagi-chan is quite the young diplomat," she commented idly. "Not at all what we were led to expect of her." She raised an eyebrow pointedly at Mamoru; he ducked his head and cleared his throat.
Takeshi coughed. "So, what are the specifics of Usagi-kun's request?"
Hanako paused for a moment, kneading her fingers before her. It was a nervous tic both men recognised from long experience. "Usagi-chan's friend, Kino Makoto, age fourteen, was orphaned two years ago. She has no living relatives and no inheritance or trust fund. She ran away from the orphanage because she witnessed other children being abused.
"Instead of living on the streets as one of the homeless, she found a means to support herself. Through prostitution."
The two men gaped at her. "What?!" Takeshi gasped.
"Kino-san has spent the last two years selling her body to men." Hanako turned her teacup in her hands, sighing. "A terrible thing for any girl of any age to be forced into, but someone that young..."
"You would have a girl tainted by such depravity employed in this house?" Takeshi asked quietly.
A glint of steel flashed in his wife's eyes. "Yes. Yes, I would. Because I have met Kino-san, and she is an earnest girl who has been through hell. She's managed to survive and seems relatively well-mannered, given her circumstances." She paused. "Usagi-chan believes in her. For some reason, that seems to be enough on its own. Yet, I also wish to believe in this girl. She is in desperate need of a change in her situation. We can provide that change, and there is very little to lose in doing so."
Takeshi fell into a long, contemplative silence. "I will meet Kino-san," he decided after some time. "Can you arrange for her to come here tomorrow morning?"
"Hai," Hanako nodded.
"If the meeting is arranged at or around nine, I can attend as well," Mamoru put in. "My plans for tomorrow will be mainly in the afternoon."
"Then it's settled," Takeshi stated with a nod of finality. "I have to wonder, though," he added, scratching his chin, "what kind of sick bastards would...with a twelve-year-old girl..."
"Paedophilia is a disturbingly widespread social disease in this nation, Otousama," Mamoru pointed out.
"Well...yes, but..."
Hanako cleared her throat lightly. "Perhaps, when you meet Kino-san, you will understand..."
* * * * *
The two Chiba men gaped at the young woman who stood in the genkan.
"Kino-san, it is good to see you again," Hanako said, bowing.
"Likewise," the tall girl replied, returning the bow. She straightened, turned to face the two men, and bowed once again. "Chiba-sama, it is an honour." She paused as she glanced at Mamoru. "And you must be Usagi's iinazuke."
"So it would seem," Mamoru said dispassionately, bowing stiffly. *In what freaking universe is THIS chick fourteen?! She's freaking HUGE! In a lot of ways!*
Makoto must have picked up on Mamoru's unspoken thoughts, or caught a telltale flicker of the eyes, for she frowned very slighty. "Yes, I am fourteen. Yes, I am pure Japanese."
Mamoru ducked his head, face flaming. Hanako smothered a laugh with her hand. Takeshi raised an eyebrow, turning a mild frown on his son.
"My apologies, Kino-san," Mamoru choked out. "Your appearance was...unexpected."
"Thought the kid whore was gonna be some tiny moe-moe girl, huh?" Makoto ribbed good-naturedly, smiling; both of Takeshi's eyebrows climbed to his hairline as a grin broke on his normally stern face. This time, Hanako did not bother attempting to stifle her laugh. Mamoru simply shook his head and snorted.
"Well, I must say you seem quite personable," Takeshi finally commented.
Makoto shrugged. "When you have my unique social dilemma, you pretty much get pegged as the scary delinquent girl regardless of what you do. I'm not that person. I'm just like everybody else...well, except for some of the stuff I've been through."
Hanako nodded thoughtfully. "A bright and friendly persona hidden behind an intimidating facade..."
The tall girl winced. "Pardon me, but that makes me sound like some character out of a poorly-written drama."
Takeshi chuckled. "My wife watches far too many such dramas, I fear." He stroked his chin. "Nevertheless...Kino-san, how would you feel if you were asked to occasionally....'play to type', as it were, when certain guests are entertained here?"
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You mean lumber around looking like I'm waiting for an excuse to take someone's head off?"
"Or something to that effect," Takeshi affirmed. "Certain financial and political negotiations would be greatly assisted by passive intimidation."
"Anata!" Hanako snapped sharply, face colouring. "Kino-san, don't pay any attention to this conniving old fool."
Makoto chuckled. "Hey, I don't mind. But I tell you...it's weird, how I'm suddenly falling in with so many sneaky people. If I believed in kitsune..." she trailed off.
"Now that's an interesting mental image," Mamoru put in. *I LIKE this girl. She's fun!* He checked his watch, and grimaced. "Shimatta...I'm afraid I have to go now. I have very little time to complete my work today."
Takeshi nodded. "Take care and work hard, Mamoru-kun."
Mamoru bowed again to Makoto. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Kino-san."
"Likewise. And call me Mako-chan. I've never been too comfortable with formality."
The tall youth nodded. "Mako-chan, then. Ittekimasu."
Once Mamoru had left, Takeshi studied Makoto for a long moment, stroking his chin. Hanako stood silently. Makoto struggled not to fidget.
At length, the Chiba patriarch nodded. "We'll give it a trial week. If we're satisfied by the end of the trial period, we'll discuss a permanent hiring."
Makoto let out a rush of bated breath and bowed deeply. "Doumo arigatou," she said sincerely. "I will work hard to please you." She checked her own watch, and repeated Mamoru's earlier wince. "But for now...I was to meet Usagi and some friends from school at one this afternoon."
"Of course," Hanako said warmly. "Say hello to Usagi-chan for us."
"Hai!" Makoto bowed once more, then donned her shoes and left.
A long moment later, Hanako turned to her husband, one eyebrow raised. Takeshi coughed. "She should make things more lively around here than they have been recently."
Hanako smiled.
* * * * *
"Okaasan, I'm going out."
"Oh? That's unusual for you, on a Sunday. Where are you going?"
Ami paused. "I'm..." She grimaced. "Meeting a friend."
"A friend?" Sayoko exclaimed in a comically startled gasp. "Ami-chan, you're actually making friends now?"
"Please do not read too much into this," Ami replied, frowning. "It is simply a...cramming session."
"But with a friend."
The bespectacled girl blew upward on her bangs irritably. "Yes."
"Well, have fun, dear."
As Ami left, Sayoko smiled. *Finally...*
* * * * *
Tuxedo Kamen, today clad in a powder blue and ash grey version of his usual attire, silently ghosted into the penthouse of the Yamagoto Tower.
Kamekona and his wife were out today, entertaining Sanjouin Masato. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity to determine whether or not the Oasis Lament was the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Despite what he had witnessed the week before, he preferred to confirm for himself whether or not it was the elusive jewel.
As he silently unlocked and opened the balcony doors and parted the curtains, a sense of danger permeated his being. Cautiously, warily, he stepped into the living room.
The biometric lock on the safe was disabled; the safe itself had been torn open, wires from the alarm system dangling feebly against the wall. A man in a grey uniform with long, light brown hair in a ponytail held the Oasis Lament in a gloved palm.
*Who the hell is THIS?! And why do I feel so uneasy...?*
The man seemed to sense his presence, and swivelled to face him. He raised an eyebrow, chuckling with dark mirth. "So you're the nut chasing the Ginzuishou," he remarked softly. He tossed the Oasis Lament at the thief; Tuxedo Kamen caught it easily.
"You can keep that one," the uniformed man said indifferently. "It's just an ordinary everyday piece of shit." With that, he sketched a bow, then disappeared in a swirl of lotus petals.
Tuxedo Kamen stared at the spot where he had stood for quite some time. Then, frowning, he walked over to the safe, placing the Oasis Lament gently inside. He then hunted around until he found a legal pad and a pencil; he left a note that said only "Sorry for the mess", placed it in the safe next to the gem, and left.
* * * * *
Five teenage girls had the good fortune to find a relatively quiet, secluded, shaded corner of the park. As they converged and exchanged greetings, they were soon joined by a small black cat, who curled up on the grass and looked, to all appearances, to be napping.
This was, of course, far from the case. "We may have a serious problem," Luna said without preamble.
"So we gathered," Mina said.
The cat lazily flicked a small, smooth brown stone toward Usagi, who picked it up and examined it, frowning. "And this is—?"
"Bulfecium," Luna replied. "A very rare mineral. It doesn't exist on Earth. It only exists in the shadow world of the Dark Kingdom."
Usagi frowned. "It feels...unclean."
Luna twitched an ear. "Bulfecium inherently conducts negative energy. That's why the Dark Kingdom prizes it for use in magical and alchemical devices."
"And you believe such a device has been constructed here in Tokyo?" Ami queried.
"Yes, atop Tokyo Tower."
"What kind of device are we talking about here?" Makoto asked.
"I don't know," Luna admitted. "It's cloaked—I can smell it, I can sense my broodsister guarding it, but I have no clue what they've actually built."
"If you had to guess...?" Usagi prompted.
Luna glanced up lazily, brow furrowing. "Right now, the Dark Kingdom appears to be preparing to invade Earth. If that's the case, then they'll need energy—human energy, and a lot of it. Youma can't survive long outside the shadows of the Dark Kingdom without it." She paused, tail twitching. "An energy siphon...yes, that seems likely." She glanced up at the girls, then pulled herself up on all fours. "Given the nature of Tokyo Tower, it's possible they've constructed a device that will drain small increments of energy from a large number of humans—little enough that nobody would actually notice they were being drained, but with the sheer number of humans here in Tokyo..."
"They could build up a massive reserve of energy in a matter of days," Usagi finished, frowning.
"There is another possibility," Ami said suddenly. As everyone looked at her, she elaborated, "There may be no 'device'—our enemy may be attempting to lure us into a trap."
"It's possible," Luna admitted. "It could also be something else entirely. In truth, we have no way of knowing what they're planning."
Usagi frowned. "We need to get a look at this thing, find out what it is we're dealing with."
"How the heck d'you propose to do that?" Mina asked.
"It's a bit out of reach of normal humans, or even Senshi," Luna pointed out. "And the cloaking magic keeping it hidden is fairly strong."
"And we haven't exactly had lessons on breaking evil spells yet," Usagi commented.
"Or perhaps..." Rei suddenly said.
Luna glanced up at her, and nodded thoughtfully. "Yes...you could break the spell," she said slowly. "Your spiritual powers and your Senshi magic combined...yes, that just might do it."
"And my ability to fly will also benefit this mission," Rei added.
Luna nodded. "If you can fly that high, and break the barrier, I can get in close and examine the device, find out what exactly we're up against."
Usagi frowned. "Just the two of you, with no backup? I'm not sure..."
"Escape should not be a problem, and we won't be going in looking for a fight," Luna said.
"You don't need to be looking for one for one to find you," Usagi pointed out.
"We will undoubtedly encounter opposition," Luna conceded, "but I'm confident in our ability to escape unharmed."
"You may trust in us, Tsukino-hime," Rei added firmly.
Usagi looked at her for a long moment, then at Luna. At length, she sighed and nodded. "Alright. Wait until after the Tower closes tonight, then go in. Get it done quickly, get out of there, try not to get hurt."
"There is another matter of concern," Luna said. "Earlier today, I spotted Lord Nephrite. He was masquerading as a human, and in the company of two wealthy-looking older humans."
"Nephrite?" Makoto asked. "Who's that?"
"One of the Shitennou," Luna replied. "Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, and Kunzite. They are Queen Beryl's highest officers, and more to the point, your enemy. They are very powerful and dangerous."
"Yeah, I got the impression Jadeite could've turned the tables on us pretty badly at the temple that night," Usagi said sourly. "I was a bit surprised that he just left like that."
"Lord Jadeite never charges into battle recklessly," Luna replied. "When he chooses to face you, he will do so knowing what you are capable of, and he will have a plan to defeat you." She stretched and kneaded her paws in the grass. "But Lord Nephrite roaming the city pretending to be human bothers me. I'd seen him meeting with Lord Jadeite once before, but I didn't expect to see him walking among the people of this city. He's even taken a human name." Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Sanjouin, I believe it was."
Usagi's eyes widened. "Sanjouin? Luna...does Nephrite have long, sort of oily hair? Looks vaguely Egyptian?"
The cat looked up sharply. "You've seen him?"
"Un. At the Yamagoto gala...Kamekona-san introduced a Sanjouin-san to me and Chiba-san."
"That's interesting," Luna purred softly. "He must be after something—"
"He may believe, as the jewel thief Tuxedo Kamen apparently does, that the Oasis Lament is the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou," Ami said.
"So basically, we've got two of these really tough bad guys running loose in Tokyo," Mina summed up. "And we can't really do much about it?"
"For now, that is the situation," Luna concurred. "We must gather information, and you must prepare for the inevitable confrontation. If luck is on your side, you will have ample time to develop your powers so you can face the Shitennou at full strength."
"I don't think I'd bet money on them giving us that kind of time," Makoto said grimly.
"No, it's very unlikely," Luna agreed.
Usagi sighed. "Well...we'll just have to muddle through as best we can."
