Sailor Moon: Generation Gap Side Story 5: Grace and Beauty Koorino Emiko sat on her bed. She still wasn't finished unpacking her room. Empty and half-filled boxes sat around the room beside hastily arranged furniture. Emiko was still uncertain about the vision she'd been having, though she felt she was getting closer to finding the true meaning. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax. The vision soon started. A lone swan swam through the darkness. In the distance, Emiko could see a tower starting to grow. Three figures floated around the tower. A jewelled crown seemed to be the leader, judging by how the other two circled near it. A dragon with silver scales hovered near the crown, protecting it while an eagle circled above the tower, searching for something. The swan swam over to the tower, to the figures. The eagle was the first to spot the swan. It flew over the swan, then returned to the group. The swan approached the crown slowly. The dragon interposed itself in between the crown and the swan, blocking its path. The vision had never reached this before, Emiko realized. She waited to see what would happen. "Emiko! Time to get ready!" her mother called. "You have a rehearsal in an hour." The vision faded. Emiko opened her eyes a let out her frustration in a sigh. 'The vision will return,' she thought. She let her long blue hair down out of the bun she had it in, and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Grabbing a towel and a change of clothes out of a box, she went to grab a shower. -**- Sailor Corona, Sailor Draco, and Sailor Aquila crept through the park as they hunted their quarry. Aquila peered into the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of movement. The trees overhead blocked the moon from lighting the path the Senshi were trying to use. Corona, unable to see the ground in front of her, stumbled over a tree root. She caught herself before sprawling on the ground, but broke a twig while regaining her balance. The sound was deafening in the silence of the park. "Sorry," Corona whispered. Aquila held up one hand to end any more talking. She listened intently to the darkness. Suddenly, she spun around. "Look out!" she yelled. Draco reacted instantly, diving to the ground. Aquila pushed Corona to the side, then leapt the other way. A ball of purple energy passed through where they were just standing. Aquila quickly got to her feet. "Firewing . . . " she began, extending her arms in front of her. "Aquila, don't," Draco said, interrupting her teammate. "She's probably moved. You'll just set the park on fire." Aquila dropped her hands. "We should split up. We'll find her faster that way." "She'll also find us faster that way," Corona said. "We stick together. She can't get all of us." "She'll also get away if we stay together," Aquila argued. "She'll just run around us. Sailor Draco, what do you say?" "M-me?" Draco said. "I d-don't kn-know. W-we sh-should keep m-moving, though." "Good point, Draco," Corona said. "She could be getting ready to attack again. Let's go." Corona started walking away, towards where their adversary launched her attack. "Where are you going?" Aquila asked. "To see where she went," Corona answered. She can't have gone far." "I agree," Draco added. "We should be able to figure out where she is." Aquila sighed, but followed Corona. They quickly found where their foe was hiding in the grass. Draco determined from the size of the indentation that she had been lying there, hiding until the Senshi were near. The three girls looked around for tracks leading away from the spot. "Nothing," Aquila spat. "It's like she just flew away," Draco remarked. "Flew?" Corona repeated. She looked up into the trees. "Aquila, watch out!" She pushed Aquila out of the path of another glowing ball of energy. The energy hit Corona instead, enveloping her in it, trapping her. Aquila landed hard on the ground. Draco turned and raised her staff. "Talon . . . Strike!" Draco called. Blazing silver streams shot from her staff, lighting the sky. For a brief instant, the Senshi's opponent was lit. Aquila quickly stood up, and raised her arms again. "Firewing . . . Buffet!" Aquila shouted. A burst of flame erupted from her hands, but only hit open space. Their quarry had escaped. "Go." Corona's voice was distorted by the energy bubble. "But what about you?" Draco asked. "We can't leave you here like this." "You have to. There's nothing you can do for me now. Find her." "Corona's right, Sailor Draco," Aquila said. "There's only one way to free her." "You will be okay?" Draco asked. "Yes." Corona placed her hands on the inside of the bubble. Draco did the same over Corona's on the outside. "Draco, I understand, but you have to go. I'll be alright." "O-okay." Draco and Aquila left Corona and the bubble and went back into the woods. Aquila took the lead, carefully picking her way through the woods. Their adversary could not have gone far, not in the dark. Draco heard leaves rustling. She pulled on Aquila's arm and pointed in the direction of the sound. The two Senshi crept towards the source. A bit of moonlight filtered through the trees, and reflected off something round. Aquila signalled Draco to go left while she took the right. The small glowing orb moved. The Senshi crept closer and closer. The orb then jumped, scaring the two girls. Draco shrieked and fell backwards. Aquila saw a shadow run up a tree, then laughed lightly. "It was just a squirrel, Draco," she said, still chuckling. Draco let out a breath of relief. It was only a squirrel. Nothing to get excited over. So why was Aquila still laughing? Draco looked up at her teammate. Aquila had stopped laughing. "Aquila?" Draco whispered. "I hear it," Aquila answered softly. "We'll split up. She can't get both of us that way." "But what about what Corona said?" "That doesn't matter anymore. We've found her. We'll keep in sight, okay?" "Okay," Draco said reluctantly. The warriors split up, staying in view of each other through the trees. They scanned the trees, looking for their adversary. Unfortunately, she found them first. A purple globe trapped Aquila. All the red-haired Senshi could do is swear in every language she knew, leaving Draco alone. Draco ran through the woods trying to get some distance between her and the trapped Aquila. She reached the edge of the woods and stopped. She knew that if she left the woods, her opponent would easily see her in the moonlight. Staying in the woods wasn't a much better option. There were too many directions Draco's foe could use to launch an attack. Draco backed away slowly from the clearing. A snap from a twig breaking was Draco's only warning. Turning to see what happened, Draco saw a ball or energy shooting towards her. Reacting without thinking, she raised her staff and yell, "Talon . . . Strike!" Silver streams met the purple globe, stopping it. Draco put more effort into her attack. Her silver streams shone brightly and started to push the globe back.. Her opponent redoubled her efforts, pushing the globe back. The back and forth went on for an eternity by Draco's reckoning, before her adversary said anything. "It's a draw, Sailor Draco," she said, the effort of maintaining her attack showing in her voice. "Start easing off your attack. I'll do the same." Draco did as she was asked. Her arms felt like lead by the time the afterglow of the attacks faded. She wiped the sweat off her brow, glad that she did not have to continue. She leaned her staff against a nearby tree and waited for her opponent to show herself. "Good work, Draco," Sailor Pluto said, coming out of the shadows. "I didn't expect you to last that long under my last attack. You almost had me there." "Th-thank you, Pluto-san," Draco answered. "Let's go get the others." Shortly, Aquila and Corona were freed from the bubbles. Transforming back from their fukus into their everyday clothes, the four walked over to the . Hikaru, Arimi, and Ginny were quiet, waiting for Setsuna to start the discussion. Setsuna ordered tea for the all of them, and waited for the tea to arrive before starting. "You've improved since the start of the week," Setsuna stated. "You're paying more attention to what's happening around you. There's still a lot more to work on, though. Hikaru, Ginny, you two have to stop bickering over what to do. The time to figure that out is before you go into battle, not in the middle of it. Your arguing could be heard over the park. The three of you have to stop thinking in two dimensions, too. Hikaru clued in that I was in the tree only after Arimi remarked about the lack of tracks. Remember that Muerte's shadows can fly." "Yes, Sensei," chorused around the table. "Hikaru, somehow we have to teach you to be more graceful. I heard you approaching so many times that I could move and hide somewhere else before you knew it." "Sorry, Sensei," Hikaru said. "I just couldn't see too well in the dark." "Out of curiosity, why did you push Aquila out of the way?" "I couldn't let her be hit. I didn't think too much about myself, just her." "Thanks, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "Arimi, I know this will sound impossible to you, but could you try to be more assertive?" "I-I'll try, Sensei," Arimi said. "When Ginny and Hikaru start arguing in the field, you need to step in to tell them to stop it. I saw you back off a bit when they began fighting. You can't let them go on." "Okay, Sensei." "Ginny, you put Arimi in a tough situation. You forced her to decide between you and Hikaru. You know she can't handle anything like that." "Sorry, Sensei," Ginny apologized. "You shouldn't be saying that to me. Arimi was the one who suffered for it." Ginny turned to Arimi. "I'm very sorry, Arimi-chan, for putting in on the spot like that. I shouldn't have done that." "It's alright, Ginny-chan," Arimi said. "You didn't mean to do that." "Arimi, you also stopped Ginny from shooting when she had the chance," Pluto said. "I couldn't let her set the trees on fire. I didn't think she would hit you. I thought you had moved." "She would have hit me if you had let her." "<>" Ginny swore. "I knew it." "Sorry, Ginny-chan," Arimi said. "Now that I've grilled you, I'll get into the things you did right," Setsuna said. "You are starting to work better as a team. There's still some rough spots, but a few more workouts should take care of that. Each of you showed improvement. Hikaru made the connection that I jumped from my hiding spot. Ginny took initiative after Hikaru got trapped. Arimi held off my attack for a good five minutes, and broke off after I called it a draw. Most of Muerte's shadows would not have lived through what Arimi threw at it. However," Setsuna's voice turned colder, "I was still able to get two of you. Muerte will throw much stronger at you. You have to keep working." "More work?" Hikaru groaned. "Meiou-sensei," Ginny started, "isn't this taking us away from the search for the Crystal Princess? I thought that was more important." "It is," Setsuna answered, "but now that Sailor Moon is around, matters are getting worse.. Muerte now knows where the Princess is, more or less, so we have to be ready to defend the Princess from her." "What about our school work?" Arimi asked. "We're all beginning to fall behind. I'm only five chapters ahead." "Arimi-chan . . ." Hikaru sighed. "Only you would think about schoolwork. What about our teen years? They passing us by. I want to fall in love before I graduate. We should take some time off. We've been working out everyday for the past two weeks. We need the break, Sensei." "You're right," Setsuna said. Bewildered looks met her around the table. "I've seen your marks. Arimi doesn't have to worry, though she will. Hikaru, you're barely passing your courses. You could be left back. Ginny, you're getting more irritable. You say you need a rest, so you're getting one. This weekend. Spend some of it studying, though, I have a history test scheduled next week." Hikaru groaned. "We just had one two weeks ago." "More reason for you to spend time this weekend studying, after your last mark." "I'll help you, Hikaru-chan," Arimi offered. "And you, Arimi, should get out this weekend," Setsuna said. "O-out?" "Hikaru and Ginny will be happy to help you, wouldn't you, girls?" "Sounds fair to me," Hikaru grinned. "I wouldn't mind playing tourist this weekend," Ginny added. "My teachers back home expect me to write about my experiences here. I don't think 'fighting evil in a cheerleader's outfit' is what they want to hear." Setsuna smiled. "It's nine o'clock. You girls should get home; you have school in the morning. Hikaru, Arimi, I'll see you in class tomorrow morning. Ginny, I'll see you in the halls." The three girls got up and left . Hikaru checked her watch. It was nine o'clock. "How does she do that?" Hikaru wondered aloud. "She never even looked at a clock." The other girls only shrugged. "Any ideas on what to do this weekend?" Ginny asked. "We have a history test next week. I should study for it," Arimi said. "Oh, no," Hikaru chided. "Meiou-sensei said that you had to get out this weekend." Hikaru stopped under a lamppost. "Wait, I've got an idea." She fished through her book bag and pulled out a magazine. "Emiko-chan is in town!" "Who?" Arimi asked. "Who?" Hikaru repeated. "You've never heard of her? She's a singer, an idol." "Chiba-chan has mentioned her a few times," Ginny said. "She's played one of Emiko-chan's CDs for me. It wasn't bad. A bit different than what I usually listen to, though." "The name isn't familiar to me," Arimi explained. "She's been on the cover of magazines, Arimi-chan," Hikaru said. "How could you not have - Never mind. You don't read that type of magazine." "Is that her on the cover?" Ginny asked. The magazine's cover featured a teen-aged girl with long blue hair smiling, her eyes shining brightly. "Yep," Hikaru answered. Arimi took a look at the cover. "I think I know her," she said. "Of course you do," Hikaru said. "She's been featured on TV and on the radio." "No, I mean I think I *know* her," Arimi said again. "I went to school with her about four years ago. Her name is, ah, Koorino Emiko-chan?" "Seriously? You really know her? Why didn't you say so?" "I didn't know she was a former classmate, Hikaru-chan. What is she doing in town?" "According to the magazine, she moved to Tokyo for 'personal reasons'. She has a concert coming up next week, but it's been sold out for weeks. I tried getting tickets, but I was too late. But she is holding an autograph session for the fans who couldn't go this weekend. Sound like fun to you two?" Ginny answered first. "It does. I'd like to see her and her fans. It could be interesting. Arimi-chan?" "Sure," Arimi said, "as long as I can get some work done, too." Hikaru sighed. "I promise I'll study with you." -**- looked up from the same magazine that Hikaru had shown her friends. Guerre was standing over her, glaring at her. "Reading children's books?" Guerre sneered. "Remember to sound out the hard words." "You really are a fool," shot back. "Lady Muerte is hunting for Sailor Moon, a teen-aged girl. How better to find her than to find out what she likes?" "You have an idea, ?" Muerte emerged from the darkness. stood up. "I do, Lady," she said. "A popular singer with teenagers will be having a concert soon. Sailor Moon, or someone she cares about, is bound to be there." "For your sake, I hope you're right," Muerte said. -**- Emiko sat on a stool in the rehearsal studio, headphones hanging from her neck. Her back-up band was going over the last-minute changes to the musical arrangements for her concert. Her favourite ballad needed changes to make it playable in concert. She hoped the changes wouldn't be too drastic. Finally, the musicians were done with the rewrite. One passed a copy over to Emiko. Looking it over, she saw that the changes were minor, letting the band cover more of the range with their small numbers. "Let's try it," Emiko said, getting off the stool. The band settled in with their instruments. Emiko stood at the mike, waiting for the drummer to count off the rhythm. At the song's intro, Emiko closed her eyes, waiting for her cue to start. There was a flash in front of her eyes. Her earlier vision returned, with the crown, the eagle, and the dragon heading the swan, but not at it. There was something behind the swan, something malevolent. Emiko gasped. She stopped herself from falling by placing her hands on her stool. The music stopped as the band tried to catch her. Emiko waved them off. "I'm just tired," she said. "Can we pick this up in the morning, please? I just need to get some sleep." -**- The rest of the week was uneventful for Hikaru, Arimi, and Ginny. Saturday was a comfortably warm day, allowing Ginny to wear a red mini-skirt and Hikaru a pair of walking shorts with their blouses. Arimi preferred her faded, grease-stained jeans and a simple shirt. Ginny and Arimi were waiting in line at the convention hall when Hikaru finally arrived. "Emiko-chan has a lot of fans," Hikaru remarked, seeing how long the line was. "Do you think we'll get in?" "Of course we will, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "The line's been moving fast. We should see Emiko-chan in an hour or so." "That's fast?" "A lot of her fans waited overnight to see her," Arimi said. "Why didn't we do that?" "Because I prefer a nice comfortable bed to sleeping on a sidewalk," Ginny answered. Arimi stifled a giggle. "I thought I heard Chiba-chan say that you could sleep anywhere," Hikaru said. "Only if it's comfortable enough." "Like class?" "No, Hikaru-chan, that's you," Ginny said. Arimi burst with laughter over the exchange, then quickly covered her mouth, blushing. Ginny looked at Arimi. "Think it's funny, huh? Have you decided what you'll say to Emiko-chan yet?" "M-me?" Arimi said, surprised. "Why me?" "You said you knew her," Hikaru said. "She might be more open around a friend than a complete stranger. "I d-didn't know her that well. We were in the same class a few years in Sapporo, that's all. I doubt she'll remember me." "You never know, Arimi-chan," Ginny said. "I'll bet you had the same marks back then, right?" "Of course, Ginny-chan but what does that have to do with Emiko-chan?" "You're a straight-A student, Arimi-chan," Hikaru answered. "You don't forget the top of your class easily. I had Mizuno-chan in the same Year for a while now. I know I'll never forget her name. Emiko-chan will remember you." "I-I'll speak to her," Arimi said, giving in. "What do I say to her?" -**- Emiko shook out her hand. She wasn't expecting the sheer number of people, her fans, who turned out to meet her. Her premonition was still bothering her. It appeared twice more since she almost collapsed in rehearsal. She had no idea of what it meant, except that something or someone was menacing her or someone around her. Her second sight was as much a curse as it was a gift. It was too vague to gain any real insight. Filing away her concerns, she picked up her fourth fresh pen of the day. Looking up, Emiko saw a silver-haired girl her own age shyly approach the table. Emiko smiled warmly, a smile that felt more like a mask the more times she used it. She quickly glanced at a wall clock. It was already past noon, explaining the pangs of hunger. 'Only another two hours, Emiko. You can make it,' she told herself. "Good afternoon," she said to the girl. 'She looks familiar,' she thought. "H-h-hello," the girl stammered. "Who should I make this out to?" 'I'm sure I know her.' "G-Gin'no A-A-Arimi-chan." Emiko started writing a short message on her photo. "Gin'no . . . Gin'no . . . Did you go to school in Sapporo, Gin'no-chan? About four or five years ago?" "Y-y-yes." The girl shuffled nervously. "It wasn't , was it?" "I-I-it was." Emiko made the connection. "Gin'no Arimi-chan! I remember now." Emiko smiled genuinely at her former classmate. "I never thought I'd see you here." Arimi relaxed visibly. "Y-you r-remember m-me?" she asked. "Of course I do. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you." Two girls, one a tall American or European, the other Japanese, stepped up beside Arimi. The Japanese girl said, "I told you she would remember you." "Are these your friends, Gin'no-chan?" Arimi nodded. "This is Seishin'no Hikaru-chan and Fuoca Ginny-chan." "I'd love to talk more, but there's a long line waiting." "Oh. Okay." Arimi started to walk away. "Wait, Gin'no-chan. Let me finish this for you." Emiko finished signing her autograph, then handed the picture to Arimi. "I'll be at that restaurant later tonight. Please come by. I'd love to chat with you and Seishin'no-chan and Fuoca-chan later tonight." "I w-will, K-Koorino-chan. Thank you." Emiko watched the three girls walk off, then turned to the next person in line, a sweet looking ten-year old girl with her parents. -**- arrived at the convention hall in a magical swirl of leaves. Looking down at the line up, she smiled. "Perfect," she said to herself. "Just waiting to be plucked." She held up her Shadow Crystal. "Shadow Trebla, I command you to appear!" Trebla arrived in puff of black smoke that solidified. "You called, my mistress?" "It's not the concert, but those children will be good practice for you," explained. "If any of those meddling Senshi show up, escape. Do not fight them yet." "I understand, and obey, my mistress." Trebla faded away. -**- Hikaru bubbled with excitement "I don't believe it! Dinner with Emiko-chan. Thank you, Arimi-chan." "I didn't do anything," Arimi said. "I was barely able to talk." "But she remembered you." "I s-suppose." "Meiou-sensei would be proud of you, Arimi-chan," Ginny said. "You actually spoke to someone." "Only a couple of words at a time." "It's a start," Hikaru praised. "I don't think I -- " She was interrupted by screams coming from the autograph area. A crowd of panicked fans ran by, jostling the three girls. "What's going on?" Hikaru asked. Ginny peered over the crowd. "Looks like something is attacking - wait. It's a shadow." "We can't transform in front of the crowd," Arimi said, barely heard above the mob. Hikaru found an alcove out of sight of the crowd and led Arimi and Ginny to it. She pulled out her transformation pen. Ginny and Arimi had their pens out, too. "Corona Star Power, Make Up!" "Draco Star Power, Make Up!" "Aquila Star Power, Make Up!" The three Senshi stood ready. They left the alcove and made their way through the now thinned crowd. The shadow was approaching a group of burly men, who were trying to protect someone. "It's after Koorino-chan," Arimi said, recognizing the girl behind the men. She raised her staff. "Draco, wait," Corona cautioned. "You might hit the men or Emiko-chan. Let me handle this." Corona brought her hands together in front of her, letting a ball of energy form in them "Majestic . . . Vitality!" -**- Emiko crouched on the floor, unable to crawl any further. In the confusion, she had lost track of where the fire escape was. She had no idea what happened; just suddenly the crowd panicked. She saw a brief glimpse of a dark shape flitting about before her bodyguards surrounded her. Now they were losing a battle to whatever attacked. An actinic light burst over her head. The last of her bodyguards fell to the floor. "What the - ?" the attacker said, surprised. "Who's there?" Risking a peek, Emiko looked over a prone bodyguard. Three girls dressed in flattering sailor uniforms stood at the main entrance. One, the leader Emiko assumed, stepped forward, pony tails fluttering in the breeze. "You haven't heard of us yet?" she asked. "I'm disappointed. I am the beautiful sailor-soldier of love and justice, Sailor Corona! In the name of the Crown, I will punish you!" The tallest, a girl with short fiery red hair stepped forward to stand to Sailor Corona's right. "I stand for love and I stand for justice. I am Sailor Aquila! In the name of the Eagle, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!" The third and shortest girl joined her companions, standing on Corona's left. "You destroyed many people's chance at meeting their idol," she said, her voice soft but strong. "This cannot be forgiven. I am the pretty soldier of love and knowledge, Sailor Draco! In the name of the Dragon and of the Stars, I will punish you!" Emiko blinked. 'The Sailor Senshi?' she thought. 'They really exist? I thought they were just a media stunt.' "You think that you can stop me, Trebla?" the shadow sneered. "Think again." An oboe appeared in its hand. The shadow brought it up to its mouth and started playing. High pitched squeals came from the instrument, forcing Emiko to cover her ears. She looked over at the Senshi. Sailor Corona was on her knees. Sailor Draco dropped her staff to cover her ears. Sailor Aquila was still standing, grimacing at the noise. She raised her arms in front of her. "Your theme music is not impressive. Firewing . . . " Aquila started. The shadow stopped playing the oboe. "Buffet!" Aquila finished, unleashing flames at the creature. The shadow disappeared before the flames hit. It reappeared at the other end of the hall. "I am impressed," it said, "but next time, I won't hold back." It faded to black, then disappeared. The silence was as deafening as the shadow's noise. Emiko emerged from behind her guards to face the Sailor Senshi, only to see them run off. 'Crown, dragon, eagle. Could they be who I saw in my dream?' Approaching sirens broke the silence. Emiko started helping the fans who were injured in the attack and following panic. -**- watched the fight from overhead. The arrival of the Sailor Senshi was not unexpected. What she hadn't expected was that these weren't the same Senshi she had fought before. She made a note of Corona, Draco, and Aquila to inform Lady Muerte. She knew he was not going to enjoy hearing the news. -**- Hikaru, Ginny, and Arimi watched the emergency vehicles arrive. Paramedics ran into the convention hall to tend to the injured. A police officer question the three girls on what they saw. Hikaru explained that they were leaving the hall when a panic broke out and that fortunately they were close enough to the exit to avoid being swept away with the crowd. They were then escorted away from the scene. "We should tell Meiou-sensei what happened," Arimi suggested. "She's going to find out soon," Ginny said. "TV reporters are already here." "You think they'll put the story on the news tonight?" Hikaru asked. "If Emiko-chan is as popular as you say, they will," Ginny answered. "Emiko-chan!" Arimi stopped in her tracks. "We have to see how she's doing." "Let the police handle it, Arimi-chan," Ginny said. "They don't realize who we really are, and that's how Meiou-sensei wants it. We'll hear on the radio later how she is." "Why weren't you affected by that shadow's, Trebla's, attack, Ginny-chan?" Hikaru asked. "I couldn't think at all with all that noise." "You never had two younger sisters learning to play the clarinet at the same time. Just be thankful the shadow wasn't playing bagpipes. So Arimi-chan, where are we going tonight?" Arimi took a look at Emiko's photo. "It's a French restaurant, Le Cordonnier." She stumbled over the foreign word. "Emiko-chan wants to meet us at six tonight." "I've heard of it," Hikaru remarked. "It's a fancy restaurant, isn't it?" "I think so," Arimi said. "Papa took me there last year after he got back from a business trip." "It looks like we're going to have to dress up for it, then. That means no jeans, Arimi-chan." "Let's meet at the restaurant at five-thirty," Ginny suggested. "That will let us get changed and ready to see Emiko-chan." "Sounds good," Hikaru agreed. "Arimi-chan?" "Sure. That will let me study a bit." "Don't forget to change," Hikaru called to Arimi as the girls split up to go home. -**- bowed before Muerte. "Lady, I bring news about the Sailor Senshi." "They've been killed in a freak automobile accident?" Muerte said sarcastically. "No, Lady." "Pity. That would have taken care of many problems." "There are more Senshi, Lady." Muerte fixed with a stare. "More Senshi? This is not a bad joke, is it?" "No, Lady. Three more Senshi have appeared, but their names aren't what I would have expected." "How so?" "They weren't named after planets. They called themselves Corona, Aquila, and Draco." "Hmm. I'll have to look into this. The third talisman carrier may have survived. Dismissed. Oh, and , I will be monitoring you." -**- Hikaru was late, as usual, arriving at quarter to six. She arrived to see Arimi fidgeting and Ginny trying to calm Arimi and herself down. Hikaru called to them. "About time, Hikaru-chan," Ginny said. "Arimi-chan was about to leave." "I c-can't go in, Hikaru-chan," Arimi explained. "I'm imposing on K-Koorino-chan. It's been too long." "Arimi-chan, she invited us," Hikaru reminded. "You never asked her to do that." "Sh-she felt s-sorry for me." "No, she didn't," Ginny said, exasperated. "Read what she wrote on your photo again. Out loud for Hikaru." Arimi unrolled the photo she clenched. "'To Gin'no Arimi-chan, my true inspiration - Koorino Emiko-chan,'" she read. "She probably writes that for everyone." "May I see the autograph, please?" Hikaru asked. Arimi handed the photo over to her. "I think Emiko-chan means this, Arimi-chan. She's never used her last name on an autograph before." "She hasn't?" "Nope." "See, Arimi-chan?" Ginny said. "She wants to see you. Emiko-chan was truly happy to see you this afternoon. Now can we go in?" Unfortunately, Arimi saw a party of six enter the restaurant. The men were dressed in tuxedos, the women in evening dresses. Arimi shook her head "no". "I'm underdressed," she said, indicating her favourite blouse and grey skirt. Ginny, wearing a knee-length orange dress, looked Arimi over. "Arimi-chan, you're dressed fine." Hikaru, in a long green and white casual dress, agreed. "Don't worry about them. They're probably going to the opera later." She wrapped an arm around Arimi's shoulders and led Arimi to the restaurant's entrance. "Everything is going to be okay tonight, Arimi-chan. Don't worry about them." Stopping at the front, a hostess greeted them. Hikaru handed over Arimi's photo to her. "Hi. We're here to see Koorino Emiko-chan," Hikaru said. -**- Emiko sat in a private room with her manager, picking over her appetizer. He was going on about the attack and how she should not be in public, despite her reassurances. "I know you like meeting your fans, Emiko-chan, but the attack this afternoon hospitalized one of your guards," he said. "I can't let you risk yourself before the concert." "She's not a fan," Emiko explained. "Gin'no-chan is an old schoolmate. I wouldn't be half as good if it wasn't for her. I just want to thank her. Besides, I don't get many chances to talk with someone my own age." "What about Ryo-kun? He's your age." "Ryo-kun knows less about being a teen than I do. He's another idol, that's all. I want to talk to a real teen, someone who has dreams beyond their next album release." "I still think it's dangerous. The promoter was ready to call the concert off because of the attack. He doesn't want to risk the insurance or the lawsuits if it happens again." "I don't think that thing was after me personally. It had enough time to get me right away. Besides, the Sailor Senshi saved the day." "Sure they did. Why didn't they stay afterwards?" "Do I look like I'm one of them? How would I know. The press doesn't have them in the out of town papers much. Maybe they're looking for something." "I still don't trust them." "You don't trust anyone. That's why you're such a good manager. You're always looking out for my best interests." "Flattery won't get you anywhere." "Never has before." Emiko smiled. "I can vouch for Gin'no-chan. She couldn't harm a fly when I knew her. She couldn't have changed that much. Please? I just want a night to be Emiko, the girl." "I'll have a waiter come in to keep an eye on you from time to time." "Thank you, Ishiwari-san." "Just remember you have rehearsal at ten tomorrow morning." "Like you'd let me forget." Emiko's manager turned to leave. Stopping at the door, he turned and said, "And stay out of the tabloids." He left, closing the door behind him. Emiko slumped back in her chair. The hardest part of the evening was over. She was looking forward to talking with Gin'no-chan and her friends. It was a chance to be a normal teen for one night. No worrying about the concert or her fans. No having to behave properly in front of reporters ready to write up the slightest mistake she made. No being alone. She closed her eyes and stretched. Her vision returned. The crown, eagle, and dragon again appeared, but now the background changed from a barren black to a brightly lit stage. A fourth figure appeared, a tall woman with long, dark hair carrying a staff. She was dressed as a Sailor Senshi, but seemed much older than the ones Emiko saw earlier. The three symbols circled around the Senshi, but left her alone. They seemed to be listening to her, though Emiko couldn't hear what she was saying. The stage curtain rose, revealing the swan. Music played, familiar music. Emiko caught a snippet of the tune. Someone knocked at the door. Emiko's eyes bolted open. The vision faded away. 'Another time,' Emiko told herself. "I'm sorry to bother you, Miss," the restaurant's hostess said. "There are three girls downstairs saying that you invited them. They gave me this to show you." She held up the photo Emiko had autographed for Arimi. "Thank you. I'm expecting them," Emiko said. The hostess left to bring the girls up to the private room. Emiko sat up straight, ready to meet them again. She tried to remember the music she heard in her vision. Finally hearing it in her mind, she quickly recognized it. 'Wait a minute, that's my song. My ballad. Am I the swan?' she wondered. 'If I'm the swan, what do the Senshi want with me?' Soon, the hostess returned with Arimi, Hikaru, and Ginny. Emiko got up and greeted them each with a bow. "Gin'no-chan, I'm really happy you and your friends came," Emiko said, as the girls sat around the table. "I never expected to find anyone I knew here in Tokyo." "M-m-my f-father was tr-transfered here over the s-school break," Arimi explained. "I think, of the three of us," Ginny added, "that only Hikaru is from Tokyo." Hikaru nodded agreement, still too much in awe of Emiko. "Your Japanese is very good, Fuoca-chan," Emiko praised. "I can barely hear an accent." "Thank you, Koorino-chan. I've worked at it a long time." "Please, call me Emiko-chan, all of you," Emiko asked. "As long as you return the favour, Emiko-chan," Ginny smiled. "I'm sorry for starting before you got here." Emiko indicated her appetizer. "I hadn't had a bite to eat since breakfast. I'll ring the waiter." As she summoned the waiter, she continued, "Did you hear about the excitement after you left the convention hall?" "W-we w-w-were k-kinda sw-swept up in the p-panic," Arimi said. "You weren't hurt, were you?" "Not really," Ginny answered. "We were scared, though, especially when that mob came running out. What happened back there?" "I wish I knew, Ginny-chan," Emiko said. "Some creature attacked. All I saw was a dark shadow, then the guards were all around me. That thing tried to get me, then the Sailor Senshi showed up. One of them, I couldn't see which, got its attention. The creature played some horrible music at the Senshi, dropping two of them, but Sailor Aquila, I think it was her, scared it away. I didn't think the Sailor Senshi were real, though. Have you seen them, yourselves?" Hikaru finally found her tongue. "A few times. Not often." "Odd thing was that I had never heard of these Senshi before." Before Hikaru could sat anything, there was a knock at the door. The waiter then entered with menus. The girls quickly made their decisions, letting the waiter leave with the orders. "Emiko-chan," Hikaru started, "you wrote on Arimi-chan's photo that you wouldn't be where you are without her. What did you mean by that?" "It's true," Emiko answered. "Arimi-chan, in her way, forced me to be a better singer." "I-I did?" Arimi asked. "H-h-how?" "Remember all that time you spent in the auditorium studying? Even while I practiced?" "Y-yes." "I used to try to get you to react to what I was singing. Anything to get you to look up from your notes." Arimi blushed. "I w-went to th-the auditorium to s-study because I l-liked h-hearing you sing. I d-didn't know that you w-were trying to impress m-me." "I couldn't just tell you. I thought I would have scared you away, you were so shy." "Pr-probably." "You never mentioned this in any interview," Hikaru said. "I couldn't do that to Arimi-chan," Emiko answered. "The reporters would have looked for her and hounded her. I didn't think you'd want that, Arimi-chan." "Th-th-thank y-you." "The magazines say that you're living here now?" Hikaru asked. "I am. It was something I felt I needed to do." "What school are you going to?" Emiko sighed. "I'm not. I have a private tutor. It's for when I have odd hours because of singing, like with the concert coming up." "That must get lonely." "At times. My tutor, she does a good job, but I really miss being with people my age." "If you want, I can show you around," Hikaru offered. "That's very kind of you, Hikaru-chan, but you don't have to do that for me." "That's Hikaru-chan for you," Ginny said. "She's shown me around already, too." "A-and m-me," Arimi added. "Thank you, Hikaru-chan," Emiko said. "It'll have to wait until after the concert, but I'd love for you to show me around. That reminds me . . . " Emiko rummaged in her purse and brought out four passes. "These are for you. They're for the concert next week." Hikaru's eyes lit up. "Thank you very much, Emiko-chan. I don't know what to say." "There's a first," Ginny said, smiling. "W-w-we sh-sh-shouldn't i-impose on E-E-Emiko-chan," Arimi stammered. "It's not an imposition, Arimi-chan," Emiko said warmly. "It's a thank you, for inspiring me. Please, Arimi-chan, please come to the concert?" Arimi blushed a little at the compliment. "I'll g-go. Th-thank y-you, E-Emiko-chan." "Four passes?" Ginny asked. "There's only three of us here." "One's for your sensei," Emiko explained. "I want to meet the people who could get Arimi-chan to open up like she has." "O-open u-up?" Arimi repeated. "You're not as shy as you used to be, Arimi-chan. Not like when I last saw you." "Arimi-chan was shier? Is that possible?" Ginny teased. Arimi's blush grew deeper. "I h-hadn't n-n-n-noticed any ch-change." "I would never have expected you to approach me earlier today, let alone speak to me," Emiko said. "There must be someone who helped you or inspired you." "Th-th-there's M-Meiou-s-sensei." "Meiou-sensei?" "Of course!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Meiou-sensei. You'd like her, Emiko-chan," she explained, seeing the confusion on the singer's face. "She's very patient, very encouraging. And she makes history come alive, like she was there to see it." "Do you think she'll come with us?" Ginny asked. "She deserves a break, too. She's been working hard lately." "Please invite her along," Emiko pleaded. "She sounds interesting." The four girls chatted late into the night. The only broke up after a phone call came in for Emiko. The singer sadly announced that her parents wanted her home, but she would be more than happy to meet her guests backstage at the concert. -**- At Arimi's insistence, she, Hikaru, and Ginny spent Sunday studying together, getting ready for Meiou-sensei's test. Monday, the three girls met before school, mainly to make sure that Hikaru wasn't late. The plan worked, but barely. Hikaru arrived at school just before the first bell. The day passed normally for the girls. At the end of the day, Arimi returned to her homeroom, looking for Setsuna. Setsuna was looking over her notes from the day, but looked up as Arimi walked in. "Gin'no-chan, this is unusual," Setsuna said. "Can I help you with something?" Arimi approached Setsuna's desk. "R-remember how you s-said I sh-should g-get out?" "Yes? Did you?" Arimi nodded. "I d-did. H-Hikaru-chan and G-Ginny-chan t-took m-me to m-m-meet a s-singer." "The one from the news? I was wondering which Senshi they were talking about. Other than that, how did it go?" "W-well, I g-guess. I kn-knew E-Emiko-chan from S-Sapporo, where I u-used to l-live. Sh-she invited us to d-dinner." "Did you go?" "W-we d-did, Sensei. E-Emiko-chan even g-gave us p-passes for her c-concert. Sh-she g-gave m-me an extra f-for you." Arimi reached into her book bag for the fourth pass and gave it to her teacher. Setsuna looked over the pass. "Why me?" she asked. "Did you tell her anything?" "N-no, S-sensei, w-we didn't," Arimi stuttered nervously. "I-it w-was E-Emiko-chan's idea. Sh-she w-w-wanted to m-meet the t-teacher wh-who c-could g-get m-m-me to be l-less sh-shy." Setsuna smiled. "Alright, Gin'no-chan. I'll go with you to your friend's concert. I'm curious about her, too." "Th-thank you, Meiou-sensei." Arimi turned to leave. "Gin'no-chan, before you go, one more thing." Setsuna called to her student. Arimi stopped and faced her teacher. "What is it, S-Sensei?" "Are you going to be studying with Seishin'no-chan tonight?" "I am, S-sensei. Why?" "Could you help her as much as you can to get ready for tomorrow's history test? She does know the work, but her test marks don't show it." "I-I'll t-try, Sensei. H-how sh-should I help h-her?" "Short of writing the test for her or doing her work, anyway that you can think of. Encourage her as much as possible. Let her know that she has improved since the start of the year. Seishin'no-chan really does know the material, she just needs to know she does." "I'll l-let her know, Sensei." "Thanks. Oh, and Gin'no-chan?" "Yes, Sensei?" "Did you talk to your friend much?" Arimi shrugged. "I tr-tried, S-Sensei. I d-did s-speak to her at the m-mall. Hikaru-chan and Ginny-chan m-made m-me." "That's great, Gin'no-chan," Setsuna praised. Seeing her student blush, she continued, "I'm proud of you. I would have never expected this from you back on the first day of class." "Th-th-thank you, S-Sensei." Arimi left the classroom. Setsuna picked up the backstage pass again and examined it. There didn't seem to be anything unusual about the pass; both the writing and texture felt right to her. 'Why does this Emiko-chan want to meet me? Why not Gin'no-chan's father?' she wondered. 'I definitely want to meet this girl.' -**- The next day arrived too quickly for Hikaru. She spent most of the previous night studying for the impending history test with Arimi and Ginny. Hikaru was amazed by the patience Arimi showed trying to help her friends. She didn't want to disappoint Arimi by failing, but Hikaru just couldn't stop dreading the test. Hikaru arrived at school on time. She chatted with Arimi and Ginny about anything and everything, as sshe tried to stop worrying about the test. Many students who passed the girls were shocked to see Hikaru, especially classmates like Chiba-chan. Even Meiou-sensei was surprised to see her. At first glance, the test was as difficult as Hikaru expected it to be. Fighting back a wave of panic, she remembered the advice Arimi gave to her, "Start with what you know, Hikaru-chan." Easy enough for Arimi to say; she never had a problem with tests. Hikaru still tried the advice, and flipped through the test questions. She found a section that she thought she knew the answers for, and attacked it. Feeling a little better, she went through the rest of the questions. The class ended before Hikaru realized it. Reluctantly, she put her pencil down as Meiou-sensei collected the class's papers. Hikaru stared blankly at her test answers. She hadn't been able to finish all the question, and she wasn't sure of all her answers. Meiou-sensei placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder. Hikaru looked up and saw Meiou-sensei smiling warmly. "Something wrong, Seishin'no-chan?" Meiou-sensei asked. "I don't know, Sensei," Hikaru answered. "How well do you think you did?" "Not well. Not as well as I wanted, but I think I did better than I usually do. I just don't know if I passed." "Do you want to talk about it after class this afternoon?" "I think I do, Sensei. Thank you." Hikaru left Meiou-sensei to finish picking up the test papers and went to her next class. -**- Emiko arrived at the concert hall for the dress rehearsal. The odd dreams she had been having stopped the night of the dinner with Arimi and her friends. This scared Emiko more than the dreams themselves. Normally the dreams continued until the event they foretold happened, but as far as Emiko knew, the event she saw hadn't yet occurred. She found her agent, Ishiwari-san, waiting near the dressing rooms. Emiko greeted him with a hug, then went into her dressing room before he could say anything. He followed her in, and sat on the couch the concert hall provided. "Your parents were worried about you last night," Ishiwari-san said. "I'm sure they were," Emiko answered coolly. "Emiko-chan . . . " "Don't 'Emiko-chan' me, Ishwari-san. They knew that I wanted some time to myself. They knew that I was looking forward to seeing Gin'no-chan again. Why can't they understand that they can't shut me off from the world?" "That's not what they're doing, and you know that. There's something bothering you. Did you have more of your 'dreams'?" "How did you know?" Emiko was taken aback.