Retreat into Hell
By Sarah
Notes: I've always wondered what happened with Minako as the Three Light's assistant. I mean, she had to be hired longer than just that one little part, right? Well, maybe not. BUT *I* say she's their assistant for at least a bit longer than one day. Two weeks at most.
So, I've thought about it. And I'm doing it. A fan fic full of craziness, Hell, and insanely cute cream puffs.
It takes place after episode 175. Usagi and Co. don't know the Three Lights are actually the Starlights yet.
Oh. And I'm mixing the anime with the manga a little bit. Haruka and Michiru are now a part of Juuban Highschool. Paa.
AND to add to more mayhem, let's say Minako's still their assistant after episode 180. Add that little twist of Haruka hating Seiya >D
Now for the little disclaimer: I did not create Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi and other guys own it. But not me (dangit. Isn't this show one of those things you wished YOU had made up?) I just like to write stories in which I wreak havoc with their sanity. That's innocent, right?
BUT! And there is a but! The retreat, Furui-sensei, Mariko, and San are owned by me, as well as the non-descript extras. You take 'em, I'll know, my friends. I have tracking devices. And nuclear weapons made out of cheese. If you would like to use them, please ask me first.
So kick back, relax, and have fun watching Seiya get his feet tickled with feathers.
Part 1A
Midnight cloaked the forest in a veil of black, hiding sharp branches poised and ready for uncovered flesh, but the two figures rushed past them and evaded their pathetic attacks, moving soundlessly to their destination.
They seemed to move as one in the darkness, and any observer watching them in the night could have easily mistaken them for a creature of demonic imagining. Black silhouettes molded together by time, training, and bonds beyond the physical world, they would be intimidating even in the light.
Finally, after shoulders tense with wary and anticipation, they reached a clearing with two huge statues facing each other. In the middle was the Crack.
"It's opened farther today. They're planning something."
"I have a really bad feeling about this."
"Let's just get this over with. I'm creeping out."
"Tell me about it."
The taller of the two dropped a bag from an aching back, and unzipped it, bringing out two thick metal rods. After passing one to the shorter figure, they moved delicately to stand in front of each statue.
Sliding bandaged hands over the rods, they felt for the etchings, and placed the bars on the ground, markings face up. The rods had to be exactly perpendicular to the Crack, and exactly parallel to each other and the statues. One degree off would waste a phenomenal amount of energy.
Nocturnal vision had kicked in long before, but a feat such as this would be nearly impossible even at noon. All they had was a little luck and even less power.
Reaching into their pockets, each person drew out two long nails, and carefully placed them into the small holes at the ends of the rods, balancing them at a 90-degree angle.
The ones below them knew what they were doing, and the ground began to shake, and the Crack began to glow.
"Damnit. We have to hurry," the taller one said, bringing two large and heavy mallets from space. The shift in darkness told the smaller figure had as well.
"I'm ready, I'm ready."
The nails had to be driven into the ground at exactly the same time, at exactly the same speed, with exactly the same power. There were no second tries. It had to be once.
Ages ago, this had been a task for fourteen people in teams of two. Now there were only two alone, with not even half the power, skill or discipline than that of their ancestors.
"On the count of three."
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
Their voices screamed into the night, powerful, sacred, and petrifying.
"WITH THE POWER OF PERFECTION AND THE STRENGTH OF BALANCE I SEAL THIS CRACK IN WORLDS!"
A quaking of red light burst out of the crack. It had to be now. With a deafening pound, they drove the nails into the hard earth, and the ones below them began to scream.
Two pillars engulfed the statues, brightening the clearing, showing their terrifying faces to the fallen workers. Slowly, the crack began to seal. And then, it was silent. It was dark. It was calm.
Heart beats pounded in their ears, trembling, they stood up and surveyed their job.
To the naked eye, it was perfection. To the ones down below, it was victory.
"Oh no," the shorter moaned.
"It's all right."
"No it's not. This is all my fault. We'll have to do it again. I knew I wasn't ready."
"Don't say that. We did the best we could. We couldn't have done better."
"That's what kills me. I can't believe it... two degrees off mark."
"You did great. Let's go. This should hold them for a while, anyways."
"It was supposed to hold them for another thousand years."
"But it didn't. We'll come back when it opens up again."
They were silent for a moment before the taller one placed a hand on the drooped shoulder of the other, and together, they walked back home.
Miles away, a haunted boy awoke to his own scream, and cried himself back to sleep, desperately praying for his plague of nightmares to end, for the nightmare called his life to disappear, and to have a chance to finally tell the truth.
* * * * * * * * * *
--Day 0--
"Wow," gasped Makoto as the inner senshi watched Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten trudge into the classroom, dark bags under their eyes. The boys flopped into their seats, too tired to defend themselves from the onslaught of whispers of the students in the room.
Usagi nudged Seiya with her elbow, just as his eyelids began to close. "What happened? Did a fan's boyfriend beat you up?"
Seiya was too exhausted to say anything more than, "Long night. Kill me," before his head crashed into the desk and painful snores sounded through the room.
"Too loud," winced Taiki. "I... I think I'm going to pass out." Which he did.
"Where's Minako-chan?" asked Ami worriedly, as she rolled Taiki's head over to its side. She watched with scientific fascination as his smushed nose began to fill out again. "Class is about to start."
"I'm here!" Minako cried as she bounced into the room happily, hair swinging side to side like a pendulum. Yaten groaned in agony as the empty seat next to him was now filled with hyper, bubbly optimism in the flesh. There went his time to actually rest.
"Ne, Yaten-san. You can't sleep during school. You'll get into trouble."
Why why why did Seiya and Taiki agree to make HER their assistant?
*It'll show the public we love our fans, too,* Taiki said.
*But we don't,* Yaten had replied.
*How do YOU know?* asked Seiya.
*Look. They don't know anything about us! We don't know anything about HER!*
*She can't be THAT bad.*
How wrong they were.
"Shut up. I have thirty seconds," he growled and nested his head on a pillow of folded arms.
"Come on, if you fall asleep now you'll never be able to wake up again."
"Leave me alone."
"But--"
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Minako blinked, then smiled, and patted him on the head. "It was a long day, yesterday, wasn't it?" she said, watching his eyes narrow with every touch to his hair. "You guys were great, though. I watched every second of it."
"Touch not the hair, or feel my wrath."
"Uh-oh. Looks like somebody's in a bad mood. Did Yateny-kun not get enough sleep last night?" She took her hand away, and finally, with a sweet sigh, Yaten closed his eyes, looking deceptively innocent.
"BBBBBBBRRIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG."
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" screamed Yaten as he bolted from his desk, chair tipping back. Seiya woke up with a start, falling to the floor, and Ami was having a hard time keeping Taiki in his seat as his weight combined with gravity slid him in the direction of down. "I can't take it anymore! I just can't take it! THIS DAMN PLANET IS DRIVING ME INSANE!"
A rush of voices filled the room as Yaten began kicking and punching the air, venting out his frustration, and shouted in fury as the tie to his hair came loose, the fan behind him wrapping the silver strands around him and into tangles, and kids backed away as a demonic glint in his eyes began to glint even brighter.
Seiya bit back a sob and wept into his hands. Ever compassionate Usagi knelt down beside him, rubbing her hand along his back to sooth him, and once he stopped crying, she took it away. Seiya began to cry again. Makoto watched from a distance at all the chaos, sighed, and wished she were Ami right then, sprawled beneath the dead weight of Taiki.
A beeper went off. Somebody's cell-phone rang. A Tamagachi bird died, and its owner mourned, his friends rushing to comfort him. A real bird nearly got sucked into the fan's blades, but a girl turned it off before it could do any real damage. Lunch bags appeared on desks, along with manga, romance novels, a small and discrete bottle of sake, and a couple Gameboys. Paper airplanes soared. Spitballs flew. A CD player's volume was turned up enough for everybody to compliment on Gackt's new album, and tubes of lipstick were whisked out for one last splash of color.
Hey, if Yaten could break the rules, then anybody could.
"Ne... Yaten-san. Stop it. You're setting a bad example to the children."
"And YOU." Yaten swiveled around to face Minako, and jabbed a finger in her direction. Minako started to become dizzy trying to keep her focus on his face. "Don't get me started on--"
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
Gackt fell silent. The screams and laughter stopped. The only sound heard was the simultaneous turn of heads and gasps as the first period teacher stared at the destruction of the classroom.
Seiya stopped crying, looked to Usagi, and both scrambled to their seats.
Taiki finally regained consciousness, and helped the bruised Ami to sit on her bruised butt, murmuring apologies as he touched a bruise on her arm, and a bruise on her neck, and another bruise right below her armpit. Ami closed a bruised eye a whimpered a bruised whimper, leaving Taiki's soul bruised and adding another bruise to his guilt.
"Taiki Kou, take Miss Mizuno to the nurse's office immediately."
Ami blanched a bruised blanche, and Taiki, horrified, helped her out of her seat, and after several bruising moans from her bruised mouth, he picked her up and carried her out of the room in his arms. Makoto REALLY wished she had been Ami at that moment.
"Yaten Kou. Take a seat and fix your hair."
"No."
A collective gasp sounded the room.
*What the hell do you think you're doing?* thought Seiya as he grimaced at Yaten's disobedience. This was not good. Not good at all.
"I assume you didn't understand what I asked of you."
"Oh, I heard you just fine."
"Then I suggest you sit down."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Look, you're testing my patience, and when I get angry it's not pretty."
The teacher rose an eyebrow. "Really, now?" he said wryly.
"Mm-hmm. So I'll stand, thank you. And I'm liking my hair the way it is, right now, so I would prefer it if you wouldn't order me around."
Seiya began to choke, and Usagi pounded her hands on his back a little to enthusiastically, ramming him into the ground. The teacher paid them no mind.
"All right," he said, a cocky smile forming at his lips. "You can stand..."
Yaten smiled, and the teacher's face darkened. "... In the hall. With two buckets of water."
Yaten's eyes widened, and he sputtered, "Y-you can't do that!"
"Ohoho, but I can, Mr. Kou," he replied and pointed to the door. "I don't care if you're some fancy famous teen idol. I've seen them come and go all my life. You're all the same with your puffed up egos. Now get out. And make sure not a drop of water is spilled, or you'll be out there for an extra hour."
"How dare you--"
"I wouldn't test MY patience if I were you."
"Why you..."
"NOW!"
Yaten burned bright red, and his hair caught on fire. Minako's eyes widened, and in a small attempt to stop him from damaging his image even more, she started to tug on his jacket, but he brushed her hand away.
She turned to look at Seiya desperately who was just as shocked as she was. But not shocked enough to not see what would happen.
"Are you leaving, or do I have to call the principle?"
"Do you really want to see my power?"
"_I_ have the power here."
"Don't be so sure about that." Yaten smiled evilly, and began to pull something out of his pocket. "...Healer Star Po--"
"YATEN!!!" Shrieked Seiya, bolting from the floor, but Minako caught the teacher's attention before the leader of the Three Lights could.
"Please!" she cried. "He's had a terrible week! Their manager's been running them to the ground and--"
"Miss Aino, you may join him out in the hall."
Minako stopped cold. "W-what?"
"You heard me. Both of you, in the hall."
Minako bit her lip and turned to Yaten. "Let's go."
"Oh, no--"
"Yaten-san. This is going to be in the papers tomorrow morning. Don't make it any worse. Don't ruin the Three Lights' reputation anymore than you already have."
"Don't tell me what to do you purple spotted peacock--"
Minako dragged him into the hall, clamping a hand over his mouth.
"Wow," said Makoto, and Seiya began to bang his head against his desk, trying to end the pain. Unfortunately for him, he didn't hit hard enough.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nezu was flipping through a magazine on hamster toys, dainty feet planted smack dab in the middle of her desk, when the phone rang.
And time stopped.
And Nezu began to sweat.
And the phone rang.
And time began.
And Nezu continued to sweat.
*To pick up, or not to pick up. Pick up. Not pick up. Eenie meenie mynie moe... oh, hell.*
The phone rang for the third time, and her hand trembled as she lifted the receiver. "Th-third production room!"
"Producer Nezu, the president is calling."
"Y-yes." There was a click as the connection was made. "M-madame Galaxia! You wanted to speak with me?"
"Have you found a true Star Seed yet, Sailor Iron Mouse?"
"I-I was just finishing a search before you called."
There was a slight pause. Nezu began to pray.
"Do you have any leads?"
"Oh! Um. Yes!" She sweeped her free hand across the mound of free papers, and finally found a crumpled up yellow flyer still sticky with Chinese take out.
"Here's one right now! Mr. Furui, founder of the Celestial Retreat... 'Guaranteeing a lifting of the heart of any weary and distressed soul.' He looks..." She frowned at the picture of him. "...ripe."
"Take care of it now."
"Yes, Madame Galaxia!"
She hung up the phone and stared at the picture. Poor, poor Mr. Furui. She wished she had found a more handsome man... a much younger man. But her brain had turned off.
She sighed, grabbed her jacket, put on her hat and sun glasses, and walked out the door. A vacation. That's what she needed. She might even get some nice R & R on this mission before she returned the Star Seed to Galaxia. She didn't want to think about all the years shaved off her life just from getting this job.
Live the day as if it was your last. Which was exactly what Nezu tried to do. Because in her case, it was more likely that each day would be her last alive. And sometimes, she thought as she walked to the train station, she wished it was.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Yaten-san. You're eye is twitching." Minako scooted a couple steps away from him, careful not to spill the buckets in her hands. Yaten's head gave a little jerk, and Minako squealed.
"I'll show him he's not the boss of me I'm my own woman nobody knows who I am only me only me my hair's fine just fine oh yes oh no I don't have an ego trip not an ego trip nope nope nope--"
"YATEN!" she screamed and dumped a bucket of water over his head.
Yaten came back to reality, sputtering, sopping wet, gagging on water and hair. Minako pounded his back, and finally, when all the water was out of his lungs he turned to her, scraping all his hair out of his face and gasped, "T-thank you" before crashing down onto the floor.
They needed a vacation. Bad.
And Minako had just the vacation they needed once she unfolded a yellow paper airplane near her feet, "Celestial Retreat" written in big bold letters at the top of the page.
*Oh yes*, she thought as she read the description. *Perfect. Deep in the heart of the mountains, very secluded, and VERY romantic. This will be just the thing to get the Three Lights to fall desperately in love with me.*
Minako began to giggle, and the door opened wide. The teacher stared in horror at the blond as she doubled over laughing, falling on top of the unconscious and wet Light.
Why did he EVER want to be a teacher? He was beginning to forget more and more.
* * * * * * * * * *
"A vacation?" guffawed Seiya. Minako nodded, holding onto her hair as the wind whipped past her and the Three Lights. The three boys let their tied hair fly with the gusts for dramatics sake.
She couldn't say the roof was the best place to talk to them, but with all her fellow crazed fans there wasn't much room for attention.
"What are you talking about?" asked the now spic and span and sane Yaten. "Our schedule's tied up for the next two weeks. You know that."
"I talked to your manager, and he said it was okay."
"W-what?" gasped Taiki. "He actually AGREED to do this? Surely you must have talked to the wrong man."
"Hey, there were bottles of vodka collecting dust in the cabinet at home. I even had him sign an agreement."
"And when did you have time to make reservations, get the tickets, and still be in school the entire time?"
"Never doubt the powers of Aino Minako!"
Seiya sighed happily. "This is good, you guys. This is really good. We haven't had a time to relax since... well..."
"Since before we started the band," finished Taiki. The two boys exchanged relieved glances, and smiled to Minako.
"Well, maybe we don't WANT to relax." They turned to stare at the scowling Yaten. "Did you ever think about that? We're too booked up to have fun."
"Awe, come on!" cried Seiya.
"I concur!"
"No. Have you two forgotten why we're here in the first place?"
"Of course we haven't--"
"Then all the more reason to keep on going."
"What about this morning?" asked Seiya. "How about that, huh?"
"You're over working yourself," agreed Minako. "Anymore scenes like that, and the Three Lights will be in an asylum."
"And what would you know about that?" accosted Yaten. "You've never been an idol. You don't know what it takes. If we're not out there in front of people's faces 24/7--"
"I may not know what it's like to be an idol!" she cried. "But I know a cry for help when I see it!"
There was silence on the roof, and Minako let her hair join in the dance of the wind.
"I'm your guys' assistant, right? It's my duty to take care of you--"
"You know NOTHING of duty!" cried Yaten.
"Yaten-kun," said Seiya, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I think it's time to stop attacking her. She's right. We need a break. We've been working to hard. We're going to burn out someday, but let's not make it sooner than we need."
"I will never burn out," he hissed. "If you guys decide to, that's fine. But I'll make sure she has a light to see. It's my duty."
Yaten walked away, slamming the metal door on his way in.
"Don't let him get to you," Taiki said after Minako lowered her head. "He's usually not that cruel."
"Hey, Taiki-kun. Don't lie to her." Seiya turned to her. "He's that way to all of us. It's just his nature."
"He can be nice sometimes," she said quietly.
"Only to cats," Seiya scoffed. "They fit him perfectly."
"Don't insult them," pouted Minako.
"So we're taking a vacation." Taiki rolled the word on his tongue, savoring it. "How long do we have? A day?"
"Try four days and three nights," she said, and whipped out some tickets. "Pack your bags, dears! We're leaving at 5:00!"
She evaded their attempts to grab the tickets, skipped to the door, and hopped out of sight.
"Did she just say 'we'?" asked Seiya.
"She was holding up four tickets."
They paled, and Seiya grimaced. "I knew this was too good to be true."
Haruka and Michiru watched the last of the Three Lights go back down the stairs, and came out from behind the corner.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ah, lunch. The one time Usagi felt truly comfortable at school. Laughter buzzing through the air, quiet contentment and... PASTRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER ONE TRUE LOVE... well, besides Mamo-chan, of course... right? Of course!
"You'll choke if you eat that fast."
"Rei-chan!" cried Usagi, nearly flinging her bun in the air. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
Rei shrugged and popped a plum that Makoto had handed over to her in her mouth. "It's lunch hour. And anyways..." She lowered her body, bringing the other girls with her. "Something fishy is going on around here."
"What do you mean?" Minako asked, pressing her cheek against Rei's, causing the out of placed girl to squeal.
"M-Minako-chan! I didn't hear you!" and Rei sat straight up. The other inner senshi looked at each other, and shrugged, ears prepared to take in all.
"Ne... Rei-chan," said Minako and rested her chin between thumb and forefinger. "You look awfully guilty about something."
"Guilty? Me? Hmph. Really, Minako-chan." But the flush on her cheeks betrayed her. Minako peered closely at her friend who met her eye to eye.
"And by the way you jumped when I joined you guys... were you talking about me?"
"Well, um..."
"No," said Makoto, and moved over to stand next to Minako. "But I think were GOING to."
"We were?" asked Usagi. "What about? Did you sneak into Rei-chan's school again, Minako-chan?"
"Minako!" cried Ami. "How could you! Do you know how much trouble you could get into? So that's why you weren't in school for that test last week."
"Hey," said Minako. "Should I tell everybody how you pretended to be sick the other day so you could get into the hospital where Taiki-san was taking care of patients?"
Ami turned beat red, and her friends honed in on her as if she was fresh meat and they hadn't eaten in days.
"Ami-chan!" gasped Makoto. "I didn't know you had it in you!"
"What happened?" asked Usagi. "Did he take your temperature...?"
"...With his lips?" They all stared at Rei. "I heard it was the best thing to use if you don't have a thermometer."
"Well... um..." Blushing furiously, she pulled out a white wash cloth. "He was doing it for community service" ("Publicity," whispered Minako into Rei's ear.) "... and I WAS getting a small temperature... it wasn't so far away from my house."
"Try the other side of Juuban," said Minako, and a scandalous gasp omitted from the other inner senshi. Ami turned a deeper shade of red.
"So what's the wash cloth for?" asked Makoto.
"He... he cooled my fever down with it..."
"You even stole from the hospital!" cried Usagi.
Minako and Makoto beamed. "Our little girl is growing up!"
"Please, minna! Stop it!" Ami hid behind her lunch box.
"What's this?" came a quiet voice behind her, and Ami watched with horror as the white cloth was lifted from the table and above her head. By the look of the other girls' faces, she knew who it was.
"This is Juuban Hospital's isn't it?" asked Taiki.
"O-of course not!" she cried and snatched it from his hands, burying her face in embarrassment. The other girls sweat dropped.
"She just likes wash cloths," said Makoto.
"Certain kinds," elaborated Minako.
"Specifically ones touched by Taiki-san!"
"Usagi!"
Ami melted into the floor, and Taiki blinked. Saving the poor girl from complete desolation, Seiya decided to change the subject.
"So, Odango. Are you going to finish that pastry?"
Usagi answered by stuffing the entire bun in her mouth in defiance, and gathering the rest of her food into her arms. Seiya chuckled, Taiki pondered over the white wash cloth, and Rei narrowed her eyes when she saw the sly look on Minako's face.
"Where's Yaten-san?" asked Makoto.
"Probably sulking in a dark corner," said Seiya.
"He doesn't want to admit we need to have time to ourselves sometimes."
"Well, he's going anyway."
"Going where?" asked Usagi.
Seiya began to open his mouth, when Minako clamped a hand over it and smiled. "Nowhere, nowhere! Just to the gig they have lined up next week."
Seiya rose an eyebrow and muffled something beneath her hand. Minako lowered her head and hissed, "If the others find out, you'll have no time to yourself. ESPECIALLY with Usagi-chan around. She's fun, but high maintenance."
But, but... he could handle high maintenance while kicking back in the sun, couldn't he?
Seiya stared desperately at his Odango, and then back to the intense Minako, and back to Odango, his eyes drifting to Makoto's bento box along the way. He looked back to Minako again, and finally sighed, defeated, nodding his head in agreement.
"You're doing the right thing," whispered Minako. By the smile on her lips though, Seiya doubted it.
"What are you whispering about?!" cried Usagi. "It's not nice to keep secrets!"
"Yeah, Minako-chan," agreed Makoto.
"It's nothing!" she cried, and crossed her arms defensively, ending all tries to pry the truth out of her.
She and Rei locked eyes, bolts of electricity crossing in the space between them. Something was definitely up with that girl, and Rei would be damned if she didn't find out what it was.
* * * * * * * * * *
The phone rang.
And time stopped.
Until Minako picked up the receiver.
"Moshi-moshi?" she chirped.
"Aino-kun."
"Seiya-san!"
"Are you all packed?"
"Yup. Just finished."
"Did you want us to pick you up, or were you going to meet us at the train station?"
*Minako-sama! How beautiful you look! Let me carry you to our chariot! Such delicate feet should not touch the filthy ground.*
*Oh, Seiya-san, how sweet!*
*My princess, let ME carry you.*
*Nay, my dear Taiki, I asked first.*
*Fair Seiya, _I_ was more romantic.*
*How dare you--*
*Oh, Yaten-san! I didn't know you were so strong!*
*Damnation! He beat us to her!*
*My lady, not only am I strong, I have great endurance as well.*
"Mina-chan!" cried Artemis, bringing Minako back into reality. "You're getting a nose bleed!"
"Definitely pick me up," said Minako.
"What time?"
"The train leaves at 5:00, baka." Minako heard the grumpy Yaten in the distance. "We'd be going out of our way if we picked her up. She might as well join us at the station."
*Eek! Yaten-san, you dropped me!*
*I just realized I don't have a romantic bone in my body.*
"I agree." Taiki's voice wafted into her ears. "It would draw too much attention, anyways."
"Is that all right?" Seiya asked, hearing Minako's sigh.
Damn. "Sure!"
"Great. See you then. Ja."
"Bye bye."
She delicately hung up the phone, and kicked the bed post in frustration, startling Artemis from his resting place on a Sailor V pillow. He walked towards her and watched as she sat on her suit case and tried to close in the gap enough to lock it tight, only to have her hair get caught in between.
"I swear someday I'm going to cut it to Haruka-san's length," she muttered, and popped the lock, sweeping the golden strands from the jaws of the suitcase.
"Since when does Seiya-san talk to you on the phone?"
"Well, why shouldn't he?"
"And picking you up? What's that about? Mina-chan, you still haven't told me why you're packing."
"That reminds me!" Minako picked up the phone, dialed a number and grinned when her call got connected.
"Crown Arcade."
"Motoki-kun!"
"Minako-chan! Hey, I hear you've been hanging around the Three Lights lately."
"Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't dropped by in a while."
"Well, the place sure is empty without you."
She blushed. "Um... well, speaking of places, I'm going to be gone for a few days with the Three Lights."
"What?!" cried Artemis.
"Really?" said Motoki. "The girls must be going nuts."
"The thing is... I haven't told the others yet. And you know how Artemis can get a message across."
"I'm going to tell Usagi-chan right now," said Artemis, but yowled when Minako grabbed a hold of his tail, dragging him into her trusty basket. She closed the lid and began wrapping it with duct tape.
"Do I ever," replied Motoki.
"So I was wondering if you could take care of Artemis for about four days? I'll only be missing a little school, and Artemis loves staying at the Crown."
"Sure, that's fine. I still have a place set up for him."
"Thanks, Motoki-kun."
"No problem."
"And... Motoki-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise not to tell the others if they come by? If... if they find out where I am, I'll never be able to fulfill my dreams!"
There was a pause, and she could hear her friend inhale.
"Well... you're not telling me exactly where you're going to begin with."
"I know. Thanks for doing this."
"Are... are you going to be doing something I should know about while you're there? I mean, you ARE going to be with three guys without adult supervision, right?"
"It's not like that!" she cried. "It's purely innocent."
"If I know you, Minako-chan," he said. "Nothing with you is ever purely innocent. Take care. I'll see you when you drop Artemis by."
"So THIS is what you've been hiding from me!" wailed Artemis. "Mina-chan! Let me out!"
She picked up the basket, and pried the lid open enough to stare painfully at his huge eyes. "I'm so sorry, Artemis. I can't tell you. I'll make it up to you later, I promise."
This was beyond humiliating, she realized as a small white paw poked through, batting at her fingers despairingly. Her heart beat faster as she thought of all the ways bringing an over bearing guardian cat with her would limit her chances of getting closer to Three Lights.
"If you loved me, you would let me out."
"I know you! You'd follow me and tell the others."
"It's only because I'm worried! You're the leader of the senshi. It's your duty to protect the princess--"
"And how can I when these new enemies can stop my attacks just by BLINKING?"
"You just need to train more--"
She shook her head violently. "There's something wrong with me. Maybe it's my fuku... the Sailor Starlights look tough, right? Maybe it's all in the image and I need a new outfit."
"Don't say that! Mina-chan, I love you--"
"I love you too, Artemis. Just please, don't ask me to tell you where I'm going. Not this time. I NEED to do this... This isn't just for the Three Lights. This is for ME. I just need to get away from everything here. There's something that I'm missing... I have a feeling that once I get there, I'll find all my answers."
She touched his paw, and Artemis observed her carefully. "Hey, I'll have Motoki call Usagi-chan, and you can stay with Luna. How about that? It's not like you'd be telling her anything the others won't know soon enough."
Artemis smiled sadly. "It's the least you can do."
END PART 1A