Hi sighed and stretched out as the lunch bell finally rang. It was Tuesday now and even though the teachers tried hard to make the students work, the students were still more interested in talking about the events of the ball Sunday. All that seemed to be accomplished was many people receiving detention for talking in class. Hi and Ai had both stayed quiet, tired and sore from their fight yesterday. She allowed herself a wry smile. None of the history lessons showed the Sailor Senshi being tired and bruised in school after beating one of their enemies.

Hi slowly stood up and stretched again, arching her back with a sigh as conversations flew around her. She picked up her bag and smiled to Ai. �Want to eat outside today? I could use some fresh air.�

Ai nodded and smothered a yawn. �Sounds good to me, Hi-chan.�

Together the two girls walked out of the school but stopped in the doorway upon seeing a crowd of people in the normally peaceful yard. Students were gossiping and were ringed around two people, a bulky senior who was well known for making derogatory comments about anything and a slim junior whom Hi didn�t recognize.

�It�s a fight.� Ai said unnecessarily.

Hi nodded and shrugged. �Their folly not ours.� The tall redhead started to push past the fringe of the crowd to find somewhere to sit and eat when she caught a hint of the comments the two were flinging at each other and stopped short.

�Those precious Zodiac Senshi are probably total frauds!� The older boy, Clef his name was, sneered.

�What would you know about it? I saw you pushing girls aside so you could get your cowardly self out of the ball room at the first sign of trouble!� The younger girl stated.

Hi raised an eyebrow and took a closer look. She was slim and didn�t look capable of holding her own in a strong wind let alone against a bully. She had dark brown hair that was cut short to frame her face but went longer as it got back so in the centre of her back it reached almost to her waist, looking like a large V.

Clef�s face reddened. �Why you,� he mumbled, and lunged clumsily forward.

But the brunette moved with practiced speed, dodging his blow and delivering what looked to be a solid punch to his gut.

Clef doubled over, falling to his knees as tears formed in his eyes. �You shouldn�t insult that what you don�t know about.� The junior declared, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. �The Zodiac Senshi are protecting the children from harm, everyone knows that.�

�The teachers are coming!� A boy standing near the door proclaimed and the noise died down, students scattering so that when the teachers burst out of the school everyone was settled in normal lunchtime activities while Clef knelt in the dirt still holding his stomach.

Lunch break was almost over when suddenly both Hi and Ai opened their eyes and sat up straight. Grabbing their stuff they ran to the fence that separated the high school from the elementary school on the other side, propelled by a feeling of increasing urgency. Someone had gotten the idea that schools would work well if they were grouped together, maybe so older brothers and sisters could walk their family to school without having to take a detour.

�What are they doing?� Ai asked confused as she saw Doku, Nijima and Milo standing in the schoolyard. Doku was holding a sleeping Megumi and Nijima and Milo were holding onto both of happy looking Aki�s hands. She sighed as Hana came running out of the school to them. �They are picking up Hana I guess.� She answered herself.

Hi rubbed the back of her neck feeling a pressure building. �Something is happening.�

Ai nodded. �Lets get over there,� she said, already climbing up the fence.

Hi nodded and the two hit the ground on the other side at the same time, running towards Doku and the others.

�Doku!� Hi yelled when the pressure of foreknowledge became even more intense.

Doku looked up and nodded when he saw the two girls running and looked to Nijima and Milo to catch the glares the palace girls were sending the other girls. �Don�t worry about that now, get Hana and Aki back into the school!� He said sharply.

Nijima opened her mouth to protest but shut it again as Ai swept up Hana and pressed her into the shorter woman�s arms.

No sooner had Ai and Hi spun around to stand in front of the other three and the children then a crystal being appeared in the yard in front of them where Hana had stood not a moment before. Hi frowned hearing the screams of the kids echoed by Nijima and Milo and favoured them with a dark look over her shoulder before looking around quickly. The yard was clear already but she could see faces pressed to windows and a row of high schoolers standing against the fence watching. �Way to help.� She mumbled.

With a sigh she turned her attention to a crystal being. This one hadn�t even shown up in human form, she was just, something else. She had the torso, arms and head of a woman but from the waist down she expanded into the body of a spider. Sunlight glinted of the crystal of her body as she laughed. �You think to interfere in our mission humans?� She asked in a grating voice that made a chill crawl up Hi�s spine.

�We sure don�t plan on letting you hurt these children.� Hi replied as she dropped into a fighting position.

�And what do you intend on doing about it?�

Hi swallowed as she heard Hana and Aki start to cry, which woke up Megumi who joined in the tears. Nijima and Milo went up a bit in Hi�s opinion as they tried to calm the three girls down and reassure them.

�What are we going to do?� Ai whispered.

�I don�t know, we can�t transform without being known and it would be too hard to protect the children if we are known.� Doku replied just as quietly.

Hi looked up at him gratefully. He had given Megumi to Milo and joined Hi and Ai out of hearing distance from the other two as long as they kept their voices low.

Hi started to answer when she was cut off by a shout and the sound of crystal shattering.

The crystal being let out a roar of pain and as Hi stared at the scene in disbelief she guessed why. The brunette who had been fighting earlier had thrown a large rock from atop the fence and it had hit with enough force to break off the end of one of the crystal beings legs. �Leave those kids alone!� The brunette yelled as the crystal being screamed in pure anger. Then she jumped down off the fence and ran off down the street towards a construction sight where no one was currently working.

The crystal spider blinked a couple times then shrieked and jumped after the girl causing the students on the other side of the fence to scatter screaming.

Hi, Ai and Doku stared after the disappearing spider in growing disbelief. After a second Doku shook it off and turned to Nijima and Milo. �Get them to the palace we�re going to go help her.�

Nijima opened her mouth to protest but the three had already run after the spider.

The three soldiers ducked into an alley and nodded to each other.

�Aries Celestial Power Make Up!�

�Libra Celestial Power Make Up!�

�Scorpio Celestial Power Make Up!�

They arrived at the site to see the brunette pinned to the ground by sticky webbing around her legs although she was she still struggling and throwing punches at a faintly cracked crystal spider.

�Don�t try to hurt defenders of the innocent!� Aries proclaimed, spinning her glaive in a circle and stopping it dead horizontal in front of her body. �Children of new age mythology, I am Sailor Aries, full of the flaming wrath of war!�

�I, Sailor Libra, can weigh your soul for good or evil!�

�I am Sailor Scorpio and I�ll impale you with the deadly string of the scorpion!�

The spider finally managed to pin the struggling brunette to the ground and turned to face the Zodiacs.

Sailor Scorpio raised his sword. �Death Devour!� He shouted, flinging the attack forward to knock the spider off its victim. However the spider quickly regained it�s balance and shot a blast of webbing forward which trapped Scorpio again a half built wall.

�Scorpio!� Aries cried, seeing his arms were trapped and he couldn�t use his sword to free himself.

�Get it first!� He commanded quickly, and Aries flushed before turning to the spider.

�Revenge Flames Strike!� She yelled, but instead of pointing to the spider to direct the attack she pointed her glaive at Scorpio and her finger at the trapped brunette. Flames leapt from her glaive and finger and engulfed her two targets. The brunette barely had time to scream before the flames finished burning through the webbing and jumped off. The two balls of fire combined into a large ball of fire that came back to Aries� glaive. She smiled at the spider then shot the enhanced attack at it ending the attack shooting across the construction site into a large metal pole.

�Good job Aries.� Libra said wryly as she walked over to the wide-eyed brunette and held out a hand.

Aries grinned as she watched the crystal shards fall to the ground, suffering a vague sense of unease as she remembered the other ones disappearing before they hit the ground before she remembered her worries and turned to Scorpio, question in her eyes.

He smiled at her and came over to her side resting his hand on her shoulder lightly. �Thanks for freeing me.� He said simply, causing her to blush faintly.

�Attacking that spider was a really stupid thing to do.� Libra chided the brunette softly.

�Well someone had to, I mean everyone except those other girls were too afraid to do anything and I couldn�t let those kids get hurt.�

Scorpio exchanged a look with Aries. �What is your name?� He asked.

The girl grinned. �I�m Ryuuno Ki! I just transferred here because, well I really don�t know what made me transfer her but here I am and I want to help you guys!�

Aries frowned at the name. �Were you born with green eyes and your parents said someone else had chosen your name?�

Ki looked surprised. �How did you know?�

Aries sighed and shook her head while Libra blinked. �It seems to be going around.� She said wryly. �I wish I could get that boy in my dreams again, it would be so nice to have some knowledge of what we were doing.�

Libra shrugged. �She doesn�t appear to know who we are like Scorpio knew before we checked him.�

Scorpio looked thoughtful. �I wouldn�t have known if I hadn�t met you before you first found out as well.�

�What are you talking about?� Ki asked, sounding confused. �I am standing right here you know.�

Aries laughed at her bluntness. �I like her I really do, but I don�t know if we should advertise and check everyone unless we have a reason to believe they may be some of our ancient friends by going on plain instincts.�

Libra shook her head. �It�s not just that though, I mean she did say she wanted to protect the children and went far enough with that to actually attack the crystals.�

Aries started to answer when sunlight glinting off something caught her eye. �Ai-chan, watch out!� She screamed out her friends real name without thinking as she saw hundreds of tiny crystal spiders flying for Libra�s unprotected back.

Libra started to turn, but Ki reacted quicker, lunging forward and knocking Libra out of the way.

Aries stared in stunned horror as she saw the movements in slow motion, saw drops of blood fly up into the air and then fall to the ground as Libra and Ki fell down in a tangled heap.

She just stood there unmoving as the multitude of spiders moved again, orienting on the two girls. But Scorpio was faster as she ran to the two and swept them up, jumping up onto the roof of one of the tractors. Aries shook herself and quickly followed; almost sobbing in relief as she saw Libra get up, apparently unhurt.

Seeing the tears in her friend�s eyes, Libra quickly hugged Aries. �I�m fine, she took it for me.�

Aries looked down at Ki and swallowed seeing the blood staining the pale young girls uniform. �That was so brave.� She murmured, and then smiled as her eyes caught on the faint diamond and cross on the girl�s forehead.

�I�m just glad, I could help.� Ki whispered as she tried to smile. �I wish I could help you all more.�

Aries smiled again. �Don�t worry you will, tell me your Zodiac sign while Libra heals you alright?�

�Sagittarius, and heal me how?�

Aries nodded to Libra and reached into her dimensional pocket to get the box.

Libra spun her staff around before pointing it down at Ki. �Scales of Libra, weigh this beings fate! Scales Heal!� The soft light poured out of the scales atop the staff and bathed the girl healing energy. When the light was faded Ki blinked, surprised to find her wounds and pain gone, although her uniform was still riddled in holes and stained with blood.

�I think we should hurry this up,� Scorpio announced as he watched the spiders climbing up to them.

Aries made a face and held out the small arrow shaped pin to Ki.

Ki swallowed hard looking unsure but seeing the smiles of welcome on Libra and Aries� faces nodded and took the pin.

Jagged bolts of green lightning shot from the pin, forming into arrows that formed a whirlwind of electricity around Ki. It covered her totally only for the space of a couple heartbeats before it formed into the shape of a bow in front of her, which she grabbed in her left hand. She now wore an outfit the twin of Aries and Libra�s although hers was of dark green trimmed with light green and decorated with Sagittarius signs.

�Wow so cool,� Sagittarius grinned and stood up, twitsting to try and see herself better. �I�m a Zodiac Senshi!�

The other three laughed. �We won�t be for long if someone doesn�t do something about these spiders,� Scorpio commented with a teasing grin. �Would you like to do the honours?�

�Of course!� Sagittarius drew her bow, looking like she could barely contain her excitement as the bolt of lightning appeared ready to shot. �Lightning Arrows Rain!� She cried, aiming up into the air. She fired the bow and the lightning shot up, splitting into countless arrows, which fell to earth in streaks of light, each spearing a spider. Within seconds there was not a hint of crystal anywhere.

Sagittarius jumped down to the ground with a happy yell, drawing her new teammates into an impromptu celebration when Aries suddenly stopped and tilted her head to the side hearing a bell.

�We�re late!� She groaned.

Doku laughed at the crestfallen expression on the faces of the three girls as he detransformed. �Well think about it this way Hi-chan, I am going to have to explain running after it to Nijima and Milo while you only need to talk to teachers.

Hi brightened while Ai laughed. �I don�t envy you one bit Doku!�

Ki looked confused. �Who are Nijima and Milo?�

Doku shrugged. �Nijima is the younger sister of Sailor Neptune and Milo is the adopted daughter of Uranus and Neptune.�

Ki looked awed while Hi and Ai hid grins. �And you are on a first name basis with them?�

Doku grinned and pointed to the crest of Pluto on his sleeve. �I�m Yukino Doku, Ki-chan. Sailor Pluto�s adopted son.�

Ki jaw dropped while Ai and Hi broke out in laughter. �Come on Ki-chan, let�s go back to class before we�re too much later.�

Hi and Ai took one of Ki�s arms each. �And you get to explain to your teacher why you need a new uniform! And remember you don�t know who any of the Zodiac Senshi are!�

�Got it!� Ki grinned and allowed the older girls to pull her off while Doku just smiled indulgently and headed in the direction of the palace.

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