Chapter 157

It was a little past midnight when two figures dressed in black moved towards the Diet Building. They carefully evaded the guards surrounding the area and moved in closer. They made their way to one of the doors and opened them quickly with a key. They slipped inside and moved under a rotating security camera and down the hallway.

There were still a few more guards passing through the corridors, but they were also evaded. The two figures slipped to the office door marked with an immaculate sign.

"PRIME MINISTER"

Carefully they opened the door to the office and moved inside, quickly moving to the inner office door. They once again produced a key and opened the door. They moved in and began to search through the office.

After several minutes of doing this they moved carefully back out the door and retraced their steps, soon they were hurrying back into the night.

The next morning on the way to Juuban High School.

"Raye I mean..it..I wanted to come..but I got sidetracked..after the battle today.." Rick said.

"The others came," Raye said.

"Yeah..well.the guys didn't remember and they wanted to have some fun to relax..I really couldn't say no."

"It's all right it's not like I'm mad or anything."

"Besides...it was good we were there..to stop that Argosante guy and all."

"Do you actually expect me to believe that story?"

"You think I'm lying?"

"Well..the simple fact is that there were already two Argosantes, a third?"

"Hey..if two why not three and besides..one could say the same thing about the firebird story."

"Ask the outers they were there too."

"I will," Rick said.

"Don't trust me do you?"

"You should talk..you're the one not trusting me."

"I trusted you to show up," Raye said.

"See you are angry!"

"I am not...I have a small measure of contempt for you, but otherwise.." Raye trailed off.

"That's not fair.." Rick said.

"Considering the circumstances I consider it quite fair."

"Jeez..what's your problem anyway?"

"I don't have one.." Raye said and quickened her pace.

"Oh no you don't," Rick said jumping up beside her. "This isn't one of those I stand there and watch you walk off things..oh no..I'm going to stay right beside you until we get this cleared up."

"Get what cleared up?" Raye said and sped up again.

"Hah...this is how it's going to be huh?" Rick said and followed.

"Rick...I really wish you'd grow up, admit you were wrong and then let us both move on."

Rick grinned slightly.

"You are one remarkable person Raye...but I have yet to find out just exactly what remark fits you" Rick said.

Raye stuck her nose up in the air and then stuck her tongue out.

"Now anyway.." Rick said.

"There is nothing to say," Raye said and ran down the street.

"Oh..you're going to run," Rick said as he raced after her.

At school.

"A figure appeared out of a flash of light then disappeared with another flash?" Haruka asked.

"Are you sure?" Michiru asked.

"We rarely are," Mike said. "But this..we mean it."

"Yeah it was in an open field..sort of.." Steve said.

"Maybe the light reflecting off the snow?" Haruka said.

"Maybe the light..not the figure.." Mike said.

"A shadow?" Michiru asked.

"I don't think so," Mike said.

"But you don't know for sure?" Haruka said.

"Does one ever know anything for sure Haruka..do we know the same universe that exists now is the same one that existed yesterday..or perhaps the universe restarts every second and we don't notice..." Mike said.

Haruka's eyes widened, but then she grinned.

"Point taken.." she said.

"I didn't think I'd see the day when she'd say that to you," Michiru said with a smile.

"I'm a surprising guy," Mike said.

"You're also trouble," Steve said.

"I didn't leave myself out there to fight that guy alone..you guys did," Mike said.

"But you're so good at drawing fire," Steve said.

Haruka and Michiru started laughing.

"Tell you what..after school we should go over to the park and have a look..does that seem like an idea?" Haruka said.

"You mean it? Us and you guys...working as a team?" Mike asked.

"Well...you could call it that," Haruka said.

"If you really wanted to," Michiru said.

Mike and Steve glanced at each other.

"I wasn't dreaming of what happened last night was I?" Serena asked.

"No.." Lita and Mina said. "We saw it too."

"Maybe we had the same dream," Serena said.

The two shook their heads.

"Hmm...well..I guess it happened..it just doesn't make sense.." Serena said. "And why can't the outers tell us what happened?"

"They're busy Serena," Lita said.

"That's no excuse," Serena said. "We asked."

"I'm sure they'll tell us sometime," Mina said. "Let's not worry about it. We've got enough to worry about, like mid terms."

"Oh..right..mid terms," Serena said. "I would have rather have fought the firebird."

"You can't escape me!" Rick shouted as Raye raced down a side alley, he followed in fast pursuit.

"Don't think I don't know where you're going!" Rick shouted.

Raye let a small smile form on her face. The anger was gone, now this was fun. She skidded along a turn onto the sidewalk and hurried through the crowd trying to be as unobtrusive possible. Rick followed. She turned back into a side alley. Rick slid around a turn and was hit right in the face with a snowball. Raye started laughing as she held another one.

"Oh..so..you're playing dirty.." Rick said. "I can play dirty." Rick said reaching down to pick up a snowball. He was hit with one of hers. He reached up and threw his own. The two then continued to go at it.

At least she's not mad. At the moment. Rick thought with some relief.

"We got it.." Nagumo said walking into Chief Ozaki's office.

"You did?" Ozaki asked.

"Yep."

"Okay.. then."

"Yep..now I've got trusted people watching the situation twenty four hours a day. If something happens we'll know," Nagumo said.

"Excellent," Ozaki said and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. Nagumo read it.

This is technically illegal isn't it?

Nagumo wrote back.

Technically.

The two smiled.

"Of course..if he isn't real..where'd the man come from?" Serena asked.

Lita and Mina shrugged.

"We don't know Serena," they said in unison.

"Well you should try to think of why..I shouldn't have to do all the thinking around here," Serena said. "And what's with you two?"

"We're tired," they said.

"I didn't sleep well," Lita said.

"Me neither," Mina said.

"Oh..well I hope you feel better," Serena said.

"Thank you," the two said.

Meanwhile Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn were walking through the sewer.

"Is it wise to check this out with only the two of us present?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"It's an added risk..but..the faster we locate the enemy base the better," Pluto said.

"Tactically more is to be gained by letting themselves weaken their own forces," Saturn said.

"Well there are two reasons I disagree," Pluto said. "First, more and more people are being attacked...if this keeps up we could have a riot on our hands...Trid was very effective before we caught him. I don't like seeing all these people in this much pain."

"But they recover.." Saturn said.

"I know..." Pluto said. "But it isn't that easy just to say..let them recover."

"I guess theoretically that's true," Saturn said.

"The second reason is this abnormal activity we observed. The battle between Vical and the firebird as well as Argosante's arrival. I fear the negaenergy may be drawing cosmic forces. If allowed to continue more and more trouble can pop up, it has already opened the rift between this dimension and parallel one. That's how Argosante got here."

"That explanation gives me sufficient motivation. How far could this go?"

"Far enough," Pluto said. "I don't even want to think in those terms...because if it went that far..."

"I understand," Saturn said.

The two kept moving.

"I see Serena is here, but Raye and Rick aren't," Miss Haruna said. "Any idea where they are?"

"Probably making out somewhere.." Mina muttered.

"No that's you and Mike," Haruna said. The class burst out laughing.

Mina started growling.

"I'm very very crabby...do not test me!"

The class shut up.

"But I'm flattered," Mike said.

Mina scowled at him.

"Guardedly flattered," Mike quickly replied.

Raye and Rick came in the door they're hair was disheveled and they both were panting.

"THEY WERE MAKING OUT!" The class shouted in unison.

"WHAT!" Raye shouted back.

"Jeez...how repulsive.." Haruna said.

"We were not making out!" Raye shouted.

"Yeah..I'd be much more disheveled then this," Rick said. The guys in the class all hooted.

"Enough," Haruna said. "So just what we're you two doing."

"Uh just throwing snowballs at each other," Rick said.

"Yep," Raye said.

The entire class looked at the two suspiciously.

"Sorry..that's all," Raye said.

"Nothing more," Rick said.

The class continued to look at them.

"Rick..I don't think they believe us.." Raye said.

"What? No..that doesn't seem likely," Rick said.

"Well..I guess it wouldn't hurt now that our reputation is tarnished to.." Raye gave him a massive kiss. The girls all were shocked. The guys let out some more hooting. Mike jumped on his desk and made a large thumbs up.

Haruna sighed.

"Rick..Raye..detention.." she muttered.

"Hmm...nothing yet.." Pluto said.

"This is about the location of where we located the last enemy," Saturn said.

"Really you can tell that easily?" Pluto asked.

"I have a very good sense of direction.." Saturn said.

"Oh."

"Perhaps down that way..." Saturn said.

"Yes, probably," Pluto said. The two kept moving.

Meanwhile.

"It was right here you say?" Haruka asked as the four stood in the park.

"Yep, we were behind that bush.." Steve said. "Or I was..Mike was over there getting beaten up.."

"Thanks to you," Mike said.

"And so Argosante was standing here..." Haruka said pointing at a large indentation.

"The snow has melted somewhat," Michiru said. "But you can still tell."

"There's no other footprints though," Haruka said.

"Argosante must have fallen on them," Steve said.

"Hmm.." Haruka said and looked back and forth across the line the two believed they saw the figure move by.

"I think you're right," Haruka said.

"You feel it too," Michiru said.

Haruka nodded.

"Feel what?" Mike asked.

"We have refined senses when it comes to this sort of thing," Michiru said. "But then again we may just be sensing the after effects of Argosante."

"That's strange in itself," Haruka said. "Wasn't he killed?"

"Twice.." Mike said. "Or they're were two different ones..same result.."

"Perhaps.." Haruka said. "No wait.. I don't know..I wish I could say more..but there's really not much to go on."

"We appreciate you coming out here anyway," Steve said.

"Yeah..we didn't really expect it," Mike said.

"All business aren't we?" Michiru asked.

"This is business," Haruka said. "Still...I know that if I want to have some fun..you two are certainly a place to look. Let's go Michiru."

The two headed off.

"Well that was interesting," Mike said.

"Uh huh," Steve said.

"They may be all right after all," Mike said.

"I'm not so sure about it..but for now..I'll give them a shot."

"So Darrien, did that guy tell you where the term meteorology came from?" Serena asked.

"Sure," Darrien said.

"And are you going to tell me?"

"What's it worth to you?"

"Darrien this is no time for blackmail."

"Oh come on...just a little...you really want to know don't you..and I was kind enough to stand there and listen."

"That's the point..you're not being kind if you're getting ready to set up blackmail!"

Darrien laughed.

"All right I'll tell you...in a few minutes.."

"You're enjoying this!"

"I usually do..you're so cute when you're angry..like this."

"No I'm not!" Serena shrieked.

"Yep..cute," Darrien said.

Serena growled.

"You know what.." Mina said.

"What?" Lita asked.

"I've been thinking..the two of us...are burnt out..the others too..just us moreso."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..we need a vacation."

"We already spent a weekend up at Chad's."

"No I mean..a real vacation."

"We have a weekend."

"Yeah..but you know what I'm thinking. A place where we can relax..really relax...not sledding..not skiing, just resting."

"And where exactly are you thinking of?"

"The hot springs."

"The hot springs! Of course," Lita said. "That'd be perfect."

"Wouldn't it?"

"You're right..but we can't just leave while the city's in trouble."

"The outer scouts will handle it."

"Oh..good point."

"Miss Hiryku," Amy said bluntly appearing in the doorway of Hiryku's empty classroom. Greg stood behind her.

Hiryku looked up.

"And what do you two want?" she asked.

"We want you to tell us the truth..about when you came to our house several days ago," Amy said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hiryku said. "In fact I've had enough of this. You invent this story to try and get out of your work and then you succeed in getting transferred out of my class..is that how you two got your good grades, telling lies."

"I got good grades by working hard and doing my best!" Amy shouted. "You deliberately tried to trick us into not doing an assignment. An assignment that was deliberately vague to try and set us up then too!"

"My assignment was quite clear...and concise..it just took some thought after all," Hiryku said standing up and pacing. "Frankly I don't see why you were so afraid to do it."

"We know what really happened," Greg said. "We know you're the liar..why waste your time with these lies to us?"

"You two might want to think about seeing our school psychologist, I think both of you are losing your minds," Hiryku said. "In fact that might explain your erratic behavior. You two really should seek help..it might be something in the air of that house you live in."

"It's not the air.." Amy said, and pulled a small object out of her pocket. "Of course maybe it did affect you some way, made you start telling lies."

"What's that?" Hiryku said.

"Oh..this," Amy said. "Just the video tape of you arriving at our house...and coming in."

"Videotape?" Hiryku stammered. "Ahem..where would you get that?"

"Well..D.V. Patterson does lives at my house..he's big on the surveillance..and well there you are.." Amy said. "Now...it took us a little while to find this..but once we did..well...it's sort of the end for you I think...it's not your word against mine."

"Hah..I'll explain it away...it was just a class visit, after all I was worried about your grades dropping in my class.." Hiryku said.

"Explain it away?" Amy asked.

"Sounds like your covering up a lie," Greg said.

"Well of course! But who will believe you!" Hiryku said.

"Now they don't have to believe us," Amy said. Both Greg and herself pulled out miniature tape recorders.

"YOU!" Hiryku said. "I'll teach you!" she shouted.

"Hmm..I suspected as much," Principal Oksua said appearing in the doorway. "I suggest you stand down..and resign before we fire you.."

"You think that...this will stop me.." Hiryku said. "It will not!"

"I don't like the sound of that.." Greg muttered.

"She's breaking down," Amy said.

Seconds later Hiryku began to glow and in front of them mutated.

The three's eyes widened.

"This changes things.." Oksua said. "Let's get out of here!"

"Good idea," Greg said and the group hurried away as Hiryku raced after them.

Amy, Greg, and Principal Oksua raced down the hall the creature chasing after them.

"Perhaps we should split up," Greg said.

"Why?" Oksua asked.

"Well..we're faster..we can draw it away while you escape," Greg said.

"And what will you do?" Oksua asked.

"Improvise," Amy said.

"Well okay," Oksua said.

"Here at the turn off," Amy said. The group stopped. Oksua raced down the corridor and out of view. The monster turned towards them.

"Yes..it's you I want," The creature said and followed them. Amy hit her communicator and hit an open channel.

"Miss Hiryku's a monster..and she's chasing us around school," Amy said.

"Help is on the way," Raye said.

"We've gotta find a place to..." Greg said.

"I know.." Amy said. The two dashed around a corner. The creature followed.

"Mars Fire Ignite came a shout. Down the hall came some flame which hit the creature and knocked it down. The hallway caught fire.

"Uh..whoops," Mars said.

"You do that a lot don't you?" Uranus said.

"Ehh.." Mars said.

Amy and Greg raced down the hall behind them. The creature stood up.

"You..you..won't stop me.." the creature said. Uranus fired his sword hitting the creature dead on. It stepped back. The fire continued.

"Uranus..hurry it up," Mars said.

"Oh..okay.." Uranus said and kept firing.

"DUCK!" Mercury shouted.

"MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!" The wave rippled down the hall and slammed into the creature. The fire went out instantly. The creature flew down the hall.

Saturn and Uranus kept firing their swords blasting at the creature.

"Maybe it needs to be healed..." Mercury said.

"That would explain a lot wouldn't it," Mars said.

"Mercury healing power!"

The creature was covered with light and reverted back into another form. That of a young girl.

"WHAT?" the four scouts shouted.

"That's very odd..." Uranus said.

The girl stood up slowly.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Uh..what's your name?" Uranus said.

"I am..Asa..Hiryku..who are you?" the girl asked.

The scouts all looked at each other.