"I'm so tired!" Serena whined. "Luna still hasn't moved, and I just can't get a good night's sleep! Amy, have you found anything yet?"
Amy watched the ground in front of her as she walked. "No, but I think I may have found a signal that connects both Luna and Artemis to something else." She looked into Serena's eyes. "I can't trace its source yet. It'll be a while longer, I'm afraid."
Serena smiled sadly. "It can't be helped. We wouldn't even have that much without you, Amy. Thanks."
The rest of the walk to school was silent.
*****
Amy jerked her head up and tore her eyes off the softly glowing computer monitor. Something was making noise outside. She saved all of the data and walked over to turn on her bedroom light. As she moved she glanced at the clock. Two AM. Everyone else was probably asleep by now. She flipped on the switch. The noise continued right outside her window. Suddenly she heard a muffled cry for help. She came to a decision and ran out of the house toward the noise. In the alley behind her house she skidded to a stop. A woman lay on the ground in a pool of something red. "What happened?" she asked, shocked. The woman slowly raised her head. Oddly, she was smiling.
"Nothing, yet."
Amy heard a foot fall behind her. Before she could face her attacker, all went black.
*****
"Don't let the chemicals wear off. Record what I need and put her under again," the sultry voice crooned to the creatures scurrying beneath. "She can't remember anything, or the Scouts could suspect some sort of subterfuge. As soon as you've recorded the message, put her back. We'll need her later."
"Yes, M'Lady." The creature's pale hair fell across its face as it bowed to the shrouded woman.
*****
"I didn't see Amy at school today," Lita said to Serena, "Have you heard anything?"
"No," Serena said around the pastry she'd just stuffed into her mouth. "Mmm, these are good. I know, let's take these over to Amy's and ask how she's doing. Maybe she's sick. These would cheer her up." She wiped crumbs off her face. "I suppose it's good that I don't cook as well as you, Lita, or I'd never stop eating."
Lita laughed as she picked up the plate of pastries. "You never stop anyway!" she teased, and then set off. Serena sneaked up behind her and snatched another as they walked down the sidewalk.
*****
A soft knock sounded at the bedroom door, and then it slowly swung open. Serena stuck her head in. "Amy, what are you doing in bed?!" she asked, shocked. The walked into the room, and Lita followed. "Your mom said you'd been hurt!"
"Well, I went outside to investigate a noise late last night, and I woke up here in bed with a doctor saying they'd found me asleep in the alley behind my house." She shrugged. "I don't remember what happened. Though I had some rather strange dreams."
Serena gingerly touched a bright white bandage wrapped around Amy's forehead. "Why's this here?"
"Oh, I have a bump on my head," she laughed softly. "It's nothing."
"Are you sure, Amy?"
She smiled and looked over at Lita. "What's that you've brought? Oh! How about a pastry for me, Lita? Unless Serena made them!" Her ploy worked- Serena was distracted.
She stuck her tongue out at Amy. "Yep, she's feeling better, all right."
Lita held one out to Amy with a chuckle. "No, I made them. I saved one for you. It wasn't easy, you know!" They all laughed. Amy took a generous bite and chewed it with obvious enjoyment. Then she turned her head to face Serena.
"I think I've found something on Luna and Artemis. I'll have to work on it a little more but as soon as I know, I'll tell you."
Serena smiled and patted her hand. "I know you will." She looked down at her watch. "Oh! Look at the time! Mom's going to be mad I'm not home yet. I didn't tell her I'd be coming here. I'd better go. See ya later, guys. Glad everything's okay, Amy." With a brief touch on Amy's hand, Serena turned and dashed out of the room-without her coat.
Amy looked at it with amusement and shook her head.
Lita smiled briefly. "And how much do you want to bet she won't notice it's gone until tomorrow." She put the plate of pasties down on Amy's bedside table and picked up Serena's coat. Then she turned back to Amy fast enough that Amy couldn't cover her grimace of pain. Lita sat down on the side of the bed. "You can't fool me, Amy. I don't even think you fooled Serena. Something else is wrong. Spill." She crossed her arms stubbornly, making it clear she wouldn't leave without an answer.
Amy sighed. "I don't know why, but I'm very nervous. I think something very serious happened," Amy's voice took on an uncharacteristic hint of complaint as she touched her bandages, "but I can't remember a thing. I shouldn't be forgetting things from the size of this injury. And look here," she bared her arm, and Lita leaned in close.
Lita gasped in shock. "Amy! What happened?" There were bruises all along her upper arm.
"I can't see it too well, but it looks like someone injected something into me. I'm just glad the doctor didn't see it, or who knows what he would think." Amy put down her sleeve again. "The last thing I remember it was about two in the morning. I was found at about seven-thirty. Who knows what was done to me in those five and a half hours?"
"Amy," Lita said with worry, "I think you should tell the others. This is too much trouble for you to keep it to yourself."
"I knew that but-I didn't want to worry Serena. You know how worried she is when anyone of us has a problem."
"I do, but they all do need to be told," Lita insisted, knowing how stubborn Amy could be."
Amy finally nodded. "Bring them here tomorrow for a meeting and I'll tell everyone."
*****
That night as Serena was about to get ready for bed her compact went off. She picked it up and opened it.
"Serena! It's Amy. I've found out where the signal originates from. It's at the public park next to school. I'll call the others and we'll meet you there."
"Thanks Amy-" Serena started, but Amy had already signed off. "Hmph, that's odd. Well, I already know there's going to be trouble so-" she grabbed her broach and held it up, "Moon Crystal Power...Make Up!"
*****
"Message sent, M'Lady." The white hair of the humanoid glowed in the monitor's pale light. "I don't think she suspected anything was amiss, even though we had to cut off the transmission when she started to respond."
"Good, good. The plan is proceeding." The woman turned with a swirl of inky black cloth. "I will inform my mother of our progress."
*****
Sailor Moon looked around. She didn't see the others. Maybe she was just the first to arrive. She decided to start looking by herself before the others got to the park. After a few minutes she was in the middle of a grove of trees. Suddenly a swirling black and green vortex opened in front of her. A few octopus creatures stepped onto the grass. She backed away in fear as they spotted her. Just before she turned away and ran she saw a dark figure step out of the portal. She heard the monsters crashing through the woods after her as she felt something hot creep up on her with a deep ominous crackle. She spun to face whatever was coming after her, and a blazing fireball roared into her. She got her arms up defensively just in time, but the force of contact threw her up against a tree. She looked up only to see the advancing creature getting closer. In desperation she stumbled off again. She looked over her shoulder and saw the dark caped creature gesture, and a flicker of fire appeared in its cupped hands. She put her head down and ran faster.
Where were the others? Amy had said they'd be coming! The sharp snap of a cracking twig told her the octopus creatures were almost on her. She looked ahead and saw she'd run in a circle. She was coming up on the vortex. She felt another fireball behind her. With gasping breaths she spun around to face it, and backed away. Crack! She hit her head on a low hanging branch, and she noticed she was falling for far too long as darkness overwhelmed her senses.
*****
Lita was worried. She had told everyone but Serena about the meeting at Amy's, but Serena hadn't shown up at school. She'd walked over to Serena's house, but her parents thought Serena had gone to school early again. Now, as a last ditch effort, she was walking to Darien's apartment. She rang the bell at his door.
"Yes?" he opened it. "Lita! What brings you here?"
She held her books in front of her and her shoulders slumped. "Have you seen Serena lately?"
"No, actually, I haven't. Why? What's wrong?" he said loudly, worried. Lita looked over her shoulder uncomfortably. Darien stepped back. "You'd better come in so we can talk."
She walked in and stood just in front of Darien's closed door. "I'm really worried, Darien. No one's seen her since last night! She never showed up at school." She looked up at Darien's worried face. "There's some unknown Negaverse plot going on right now. We need her as our leader, especially since Artemis and Luna aren't awake yet."
Darien shook his head. "I don't know where she could be. If I see her, I'll tell her to call you."
"Thanks." Lita got up to leave.
"How's Amy, by the way?"
"She'll be fine. She's trying find the source of the attack on Artemis and Luna. Maybe that information will give us some answers."
"If you find out, maybe you could give me a call-if you want the help."
Lita smiled in an attempt to soothe the worry written across his face. "We'll probably do that. See you."
Darien opened the door and let her out. "Good-bye. I-I hope you find her."
"I'm sure we will." Lita slipped out, even more worried.
*****
Rei looked at Lita in surprise. "What do you mean she's gone?" Her hair whipped around her shoulder, she turned her head so quickly.
"Nobody knows where she is!" Lita's frustration was obvious by the slight growl in her voice.
Erin looked around and the Scouts gathered with her in Amy's bedroom. "It must have something to do with what's happened to Luna and Artemis. We have to consider that she might have been taken somehow."
"No!" Amy gasped.
Erin kept a determined look in her eyes. "We have to know where those signals converge. It's our only chance to find out what's happening."
Amy got out of bed and began to walk over to her desk.
"Amy!" Lita got up and walked over to her. "Should you be up?" She lowered her voice, "Are you sure that you're really okay? You haven't told the other girls about those needle marks yet, but I know they don't mean anything good."
Amy shrugged out from Lita's grasp. "I have to finish. I think I've gotten enough data to be able to find where the signals converge. It'll just take a little more time in front of the computer. It's no problem."
Mina nodded. "It has to be done, but don't hurt yourself doing it. We'll need you for the fight when you find them."
"This shouldn't take too long," Amy responded.
*****
"Is she always so stubborn?" Erin asked after they had left Amy's house.
Mina shook her head. "No, she's just worried about Serena." Mina looked into Erin's eyes. "Serena can seem a bit..."
"Flaky," Lita offered. Erin smiled.
"I have noticed that. I thought it was something of a facade. I mean, the leader of the Sailor Scouts wouldn't really be like that, would she?"
"She is," Rei commented with a roll of her eyes. Lita flashed her an annoyed look.
"She forgets things a lot, and is-well-flaky, but we are important to her, and she will fight to defend us." She tossed her head and her brown ponytail swished behind her head. "She has the biggest heart of anybody I've ever known."
"I think I speak for all of us, even Rei, when I say she is the most important person to each of us-ever." Mina looked around at the girls around her, a hint of moisture in her eyes.
Erin too scanned the small circle. "I've only known you guys for a little while, but I think I already know what you mean." Her eyes glazed over, and as she spoke she seemed different somehow, almost childlike and insecure. "Where I come from, everything was so competitive. I've never had someone be my friend out of kindness. Before, they've always wanted something. Serena is my friend because-because she really cares." She blinked, took a deep breath, and pulled herself together with flick of her long thick braid. "Sorry," her chuckle sounded forced and strained, "didn't mean to get so morose."
Rei touched her tightly clenched hand. "I think we all understand," she said, pity in her eyes.
*****
The next morning Amy called each Scout. "Erin! You have a communicator too?" she asked, surprised.
Erin smiled and nodded, "I never used it because I didn't know you guys, and I wasn't sure what it was for until that meeting, but Luna told me I'd need it one day. Guess she was right." Her eyes crinkled as she smiled her characteristic wide grin.
"Great. Listen, everyone, I've found out where the signals converge. We'll all meet there."
"Where is it, Amy?"
"It seems to be near the public park over by school. Everyone know where it is?"
"Yes."
"Uh-huh."
"Got it!"
"See you there!"
"Over and out." Amy closed her compact and ran out of the house, toward the rendezvous.
*****
"As you suggested, M'Lady, we monitored their transmissions and succeeded in fooling them-they shouldn't suspect anything."
The woman's hood shadowed her eyes, but the light illuminated her smug smile. "Good."
*****
"We're all here now, Amy." The girls stood in an indecisive group, waiting, as she arrived.
"I know. Unfortunately I don't know what we're looking for. We should search the park."
"I suggest we stick together," Erin said briskly. "If this is our enemy's base of operations we should at least stay in sight of each other while we comb this park."
"Good idea!"
"All right."
"I'll be right over here."
Lita grabbed Amy before they started searching. "Are you okay?"
Amy smiled. "I caught a cat nap, I'm fine."
Lita examined her face carefully, then let her go, satisfied. "I'm just doing what Serena would want. She wouldn't let you work yourself to death, so I won't either." She covered her concern with her usual abrasive manner.
Amy understood. "Now we need to help Serena. Let's look over there." She pointed. All of the girls walked through the park quietly, trying to find something. After about ten minutes of searching Erin called out, "Over here!" The girls rushed toward the sound of her voice.
"What'd you find?"
"I-I hope this isn't what I think this is. Look, over at this tree-see the burn marks on the bark? There's the outline of a person here." She pointed at the scorched tree trunk.
"Oh no!" Mina cried out, "You don't think Serena..." She covered her mouth with both hands, as if to keep the words behind her lips, unspoken.
Rei looked carefully at the tree, then turned her head away with a small sound.
"Actually," Erin looked up with tears in her eyes, "it was-" she held up something-charred but recognizable- "Sailor Moon because this-" she handed it to Lita, "is her Moon Scepter."