“How are you feeling today?” Luna asked her mate a week after his energy had been drained.

“Much better, now that you’re here,” Artemis replied with a wry smile.

“Oh, stop,” said Luna. “Seriously, though, Artemis. Are you feeling less sluggish today?”

Artemis nodded, and answered, “Yes. I’ve been taking the medicine Ami left and drinking lots of water. I’m fine, Luna. It’s Minako I’m worried about. Can’t we wake her up yet?”

“That’s for Ami to decide,” said Luna.

“Wouldn’t it be better to have Minako seen by a doctor, though?”

“Don’t be silly, Artemis! Ami may not have become a medical doctor in the end, but she’s still more knowledgeable than most, and perfectly equipped to deal with Minako’s condition. As much as she might deny it, our genius girl’s scientific training and research have made her as good as, if not better than, any normal human doctor.”

“Even so,” Artemis began, “I don’t like that Minako’s been unconscious for so long. She is going to be furious when she does wake up—and not just because of Ami’s sedatives. If the news is anything to go by, things are getting bad out there.”

“Those news people exaggerate!” Luna chided. “Ami’s been patrolling in Minako’s stead, so I’m sure things aren’t as bad as they make out. Although…”

“What?”

“Well, the last time I spoke to her, she mentioned that the enemies have started appearing in pairs, so she hasn’t engaged them.”

Artemis shook his head. “If Ami is injured too…” he despaired.

“Ami is too smart for it to come to that,” Luna asserted. “She doesn’t want the enemy to know Sailor V has help, so she’s been keeping a low profile. For the most part, she is just creating distractions, so people have the chance to escape. She’s also relaying the enemy locations to the police.”

“How’s she doing that?”

Luna chuckled to herself, explaining, “She hacks into their network and delivers messages posing as Sailor V. She even uses the Sailor V game sprite! Apparently, the police chief isn’t too happy about it, but they’ve been acting on her information and sending their armed units. It doesn’t sound like there have been any confrontations yet, but the police have been able to collect victims while chasing away the monsters in the process.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“It sounds risky!”

“It will have to do for now. Ami is supposed to be here tonight to check on Minako. We can get an update from her then.”

“What about Makoto? How is she?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Luna admitted. “The good news is she’s finally stopped making all that food for everyone and driving it all over town, but she still hasn’t been home very much. She’s been leaving for work earlier and coming home later. Then, when she gets home, she usually goes right to bed. Between my coming here and trying to see Ami, I keep missing her.”

“I’m still surprised that Ami told her everything. Maybe this means she’s taken it badly? Maybe she’s upset with us for keeping the truth from her?”

“I hope not,” Luna sighed.

----------------------------------------

Sailor Mercury ducked into an alley, panting as she flattened her back against the wall as if to conceal herself. There was no need, of course, because she had retreated under cover of her Aqua Mist. Beyond the alley, two monsters had targeted a convenience store, but thanks to Mercury’s distraction, most of the customers had been able to escape before having their energy drained.

Those who hadn’t would be treated by first responders, who should be on their way. Ami had sent a communication to the police as soon as her computer had detected the high energy signatures. She wasn’t happy that she wasn’t able to do more than this, but Ami had never imagined a time when she would be the only battle-ready Sailor Soldier available.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Shaking her head as she caught her breath, Mercury consulted her hand-held computer. Once she confirmed that the monsters had departed, she powered down, returning to her civilian clothes. The most annoying thing about acting covertly to throw off the Blood Moon Alliance was that she kept ending up miles from home and without her car.

It made sense for her to intercept attack locations as quickly as possible by transforming and scouring the city’s rooftops, but Ami couldn’t increase her chances of being seen just to get home a little faster. She wasn’t a fan of taxis, but they were at least better than public transport. The only problem with them was the waiting.

After phoning for a car and reaching the next block over, to avoid congestion from the pending emergency services vehicles, Ami waited on the corner and folded her arms tightly for warmth. Spotting a couple approaching her hand-in-hand from the other end of the sidewalk, she felt a little silly wearing her lab coat so far from the hospital. However, it was a chilly night, and the sleeveless dress she had worn for a grant proposal meeting earlier that day offered her little protection from the elements.

“Ami?”

So surprised by the sudden mention of her name as the couple passed by her, Ami didn’t acknowledge it.

“Ami Mizuno? Is that you?” a female voice urged.

Realizing that this wasn’t a figment of her imagination, Ami turned, racking her brain to discern the person who had spoken. She didn’t think she knew anybody who lived in this part of town. Then again, it wasn’t like she had any friends to speak of. Was it a colleague, then? No, nobody at the hospital would call her by her forename.

The voice was familiar somehow, but it wasn’t until Ami caught sight of the young woman’s auburn curls, that she placed it.

“It’s me,” the woman offered with a kind smile, “Naru!”