Usagi leaned up against the wall, looking at the three young men who were menacing her. 'As Sailor Moon I could do this easily,' she thought, 'but that would ruin my secret identity.' One young man reached for her, and she cringed. "Leave her alone," a voice commanded. Usagi looked up to see a tall, brown haired girl standing there. She was obviously athletic, and she also filled out her dress wonderfully. "Mind your own business," another boy snarled. A cool smile, "You obviously don't know how to treat a lady." The three young men charged the taller girl, and Usagi closed her eyes, not wanting to see her being hurt. She heard the sounds of a scuffle, and peeked out to see the boys fleeing down the alley, all bruised and battered. "Wow," she murmured softly. The brown haired woman watched them run with a smile on her face. She turned to meet Usagi's eyes, asking her, "Are you all right?" "Yes," Usagi was wide eyed, deeply impressed by this amazon. "Good," she answered her simply, and then she turned to walk away with her long skirt blowing in the breeze. 'Who is that woman?' Usagi thought, looking at her in awe. Naru and Umico were talking as Usagi arrived at school. "Did you hear?" Umico asked, pushing his glasses up so they caught the light. "Heard what?" Usagi tried to sound bored with him, but she knew that Umico knew all the good gossip. "There's a new transfer student who got thrown out of her old school for fighting," Umico reported to them cheerfully. "Really?" a surprised Naru asked. Usagi quickly asked him, "Who is it?" even as she remembered her rescuer from this morning. 'Could it be her?' she wondered. "Makoto Kino," he reported, flipping open his notebook and reciting her vital statistics. "Be careful, Usagi," he cautioned her, "people say she's dangerous." "Good morning, Usagi," Ami smiled, walking up to them. She gave Naru and Umico a nod, then gaze Usagi a piercing gaze, "Where's Luna?" 'She's really beginning to suspect something,' Usagi thought even as she answered, "I guess she's still at home." "Did you hear about the new student?" Naru asked her eagerly. Once Naru got Ami's full attention, Usagi gracefully slipped away. Well, she did bump into a wall on the way out, but it was mostly gracefully. 'I wish I could tell her,' Usagi thought, 'but Minako thinks it would be a bad idea.' She sighed, 'And she's probably right.' Usagi fidgeted through her morning classes, waiting eagerly for lunch time. Finally, it was time and she cleaned her bento box up in moments. 'Ahh, that was good,' Usagi sighed happily. 'Thank you, mom,' she thought. She went out into the courtyard, and noticed a group of students talking together. "There she is," one whispered, another answered, "I heard she's violent." Usagi got closer, and saw that they were talking about her rescuer. Makoto leaned up against the tree, her arms behind her head as she gazed defiantly around her. The boys and girls kept their distance, treating her with caution. Usagi boldly made her way over, flopping down beside the taller girl. She gazed at the surprised girl's lunch admiringly, "Your bento looks yummy." Makoto was looking at her in shock, blurting out, "You're not afraid of me?" Usagi blinked, "Why?" A slow smile appeared on Makoto's face. "Do you want a rice ball?" she asked her. "Please!" Usagi said happily. She munched like an innocent child, with pure, undisguised enjoyment. "Thank you for this morning, by the way," Usagi said around a mouthful. "Creeps like that," Makoto shrugged, "are no problem." She smiled, watching Usagi eat as she consumed her own bento a bit more slowly. They talked quietly, the lunch hour passing by quickly as they became friends. "Would you like to walk home with me?" Usagi offered cheerfully. "I'd be glad to," Makoto smiled, and they separated to return to class. Ami frowned thoughtfully as she walked home from school. 'I suppose I shouldn't tease Usagi,' she thought, then grinned, 'but it's so fun.' She had deduced Sailor Moon's identity almost instantly, but she couldn't quite decide how to tell Usagi. It wasn't the sort of conversation she had considered having with the girl before, even though they were becoming friends. A shape flicked at the corner of her eye, and she saw a little black cat keeping pace with her along a nearby wall. "Hello, Luna," Ami smiled. The cat hesitated, the it jumped into her arms, "Meow!" Ami nearly laughed as she said conversationally, "Did you know, Sailor Moon has a little black cat like you?" Luna froze for a moment, then "Meow?" Ami scratched between the cast's ears, bringing a soft purr up, even as she said with a chuckle, "Don't try to sound innocent." "Hey, Ami!" she heard the call, and looked up to see Usagi coming. Walking beside her was a taller girl, with brown hair tied back in a pony tail. She looked clearly fit, bursting with vitality. And she had the greenest eyes Ami had ever seen. "Makoto," Usagi smiled cheerfully, "this is my friend Ami. The lazy cat she's holding," she added with a wicked smile, "is my pet, Luna." Ami looked at the taller girl, her eyes wide. "Nice to meet you," Makoto smiled. She bent forward, their faces almost touching as she scratched Luna under the chin, murmuring, "What a pretty kitty." Usagi looked at the two girl's, Ami almost struck dumb, and just had to smile. "Let's all go to the Crown together," she suggested. Ami shook of her blush, stuttering, "Yes." "I almost thought I was going to have to save Usagi," Minako laughed as she and Natsuna sat talking on the couch. "Quite the coincidence, this Makoto saving her," Natsuna smiled. "No coincidence," Minako shook her head, "she's another Senshi." "That's three counting you," Natsuna said thoughtfully, "and you've all met Usagi." She paused, then asked, "Why is that?" "We're drawn to her, I think," Minako said. She smiled, "Now we just need to find the last of the Inners." "Inners?" Natsuna asked. "The Inner planets," Minako explained. Natsuna sat up, "Does that mean there are Senshi of the outer planets, too?" Minako just smiled mysteriously.
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