Thursday morning, after another night of nightmares, Usagi was pleasantly surprised when she arrived at school. Makoto was there, and seemed to be doing well. Despite the risk of being late to class if she didn't report there immediately, she stopped her and made sure appearances weren't deceiving: "Mako! So, what did the doctor say?
- Oh Usagi, I didn't go. I don't know what I had, but it's over. Makoto the Great is back, like it or not!
- You are an idiot! What if it comes back?
- Then I'll go. Who do you think I am? … Ah, but what do you have about me today?"
She punctuated her last sentence with a thundering slap on her arm and Usagi concluded the interjection was intended for a fly who's tiny black cadaver was falling toward the floor at this very moment. The bizarre rash on her fingers hadn't subsided, the dark red tip of her fingers contrasting with the impossibly white palm of her hand and the stripes of that same white on the back of the hand, matched with a greyish colour that inspired no good, remained, and the one on her face must have done the same, she wore a complete make up, she who never put on more than lipstick usually. She was about to scold her about that when the bell announced the beginning of class and the young woman escaped her. She strolled to the class, thinking little of the punishment awaiting her.
The enemies rarely attacked anywhere than in their immediate proximity. Either their leader was mocking them, either he was only after them, too stupid to realise they were too strong, or he wanted to study them before the real fight. And of course, three warriors in the same building, it was begging for it. During the afternoon, two courses before the end of class, the fire alarm rang.
Brazen and persuaded it was only one more exercise, the students came out calmly from the classrooms, enjoying this unique chance to chat. Usagi gave in and joined a conversation between Naru and Kuri. The exit was in sight when a hideous form came out of a corridor crossing theirs. In front of the windowed door, against the light, only its silhouette was visible, but it was more reminding of an insect than of the human it had the size of, and it was enough to create a movement of panic. Not daring to transform in front of the group, Usagi followed, looking for an occasion to leave the group.
She didn't have to. Someone shoved her while pushing his way through the crowd against the way of the retreat, she didn't see the person but recognised the voice: "Double Shabon Freeze and Spray!"
Conveniently hidden by the fog, she transformed. The group had resumed fleeing and there wasn't too much people to get in the way. The creature was half trapped into the ice, but unlike the archer, it didn't render it powerless.
A small block of ice detached from the mass, then a larger one, and a monstrous segmented leg came out, managing to cling to Mercury's clothes.
Moon didn't wait and threw her tiara with a boomerang effect, she didn't want to have to run after it, there was no time for that, and it sliced the giant insect's leg. It had for other effect to shatter the ice and free the beast, which threw itself on Mercury, easily lifting her bogy and taking it to its hideous mandibles. Mercury screamed painfully, beating the creature with her fists and feet, managing to pull out one of its antennas, which only made it angrier.
The tiara finished its ellipse and was now coming back, and with an hardly believable luck, sliced in two halves the thorax where the two legs holding the warrior were attacked. Mercury fell, the horrible head still attached to her side. She pulled it off. Moon picked back her tiara while the remains convulsively stirred, then disappeared, and bend over Mercury.
It wasn't a pretty sight. In fact, there was nothing to see, her side was soaked with so much blood it was impossible to guess what it could hide. She was on the verge of panic when Mercury sat. "That damned thing! It tried to eat me!
- Ami! Are you going to be alright?
- Yes, it just sliced in the fat, it hurts badly but a few stitches should do.
- Wow! It's lucky you're fat!
- What? Me, fat?
- Well, you have to accept the fact you'll never be as beautiful and slender as me!
- Grow up, Usagi."
Usagi let Ami convince her she only had minor cuts and returned with her to the centre of the school, to face whatever other monsters were left there was and evacuate whatever other victims were left. They met nothing for a while.
Then they heard a short raging scream, the kind one let out while delivering a good blow, and the voice was Makoto's. They ran and found their friend engaged in a fistfight against a large monkey with evil red eyes and a long tail that twitched like a snake preparing to bite. Usagi threw her tiara, cutting the monkey's throat.
"I'm glad you're there, she said with relief, I can't transform, it's a nuisance.
– I'll see if my computer can find out why. Usagi, you cover us, don't you?
- Of course Ami."
Mercury activated her visor and took out her computer, then analysed the inoperative transformation tool. "I don't understand… it reacts normally to the test, it seems it didn't receive the necessary energy to initiate the transformation… that must be the source of the problem…
- Wow, you have a program that analyses transformation tools? Moon asked while reading over her shoulder.
– I used it several times during the Millennium, I probably designed it but I don't remember and… Usagi! Who is watching right now?
- Heu… sorry…
- Lets see… Well this is unusual, if I analyse your energy, Mako, it says you are Usagi!
- WHAT? Makoto said, shocked, This damned machine is provoking me, or what?
- I think… when Usagi resurrected you, she gave you some of her energy, in a few days it should take back your frequencies.
– I hope so… What would I do if I began turning into Usagi?
- Come on, she's not that bad, just a little… I would really, really pity you."
Sailor Moon, hearing this, faced the girls that dared to call themselves her friends, arms crossed, and ordered to return to combat. They advanced farther in the school, but found only one beast, and unconscious on top of that. A creature reminding of illustrations of the demon Lucifer, with the feet and horns of a goat, a bloody red skin tone, but without the misleading beauty of the mythological character, was obviously wounded. Makoto stated she had fought it earlier. Mercury, bending down, took a lecture of its energy, then let Sailor Moon take care of it. She finished it off with her sceptre, only needing to activate it partially.

Chapter 5