Makoto was checked over in the ER—moving to the front of the queue thanks to Ami’s influence—where a doctor determined her head injury was minor. After she was cleared to leave, she headed up to meet Ami in her office.

Ami had collected the equipment they needed and loaded it all into two large duffel bags, which she and Makoto carried to the car without much interaction.

“Do you know how that monster located you?” Ami asked out of the blue as Makoto drove out of the parking lot and began the journey back to Minako’s apartment.

She had to think back to before the fight. “Yeah, it had detached one of its creepy eyes and stuck it on me back at the school,” she said.

“Oh, good,” Ami concluded.

“Good?”

“Well, if it did something like that, it indicates that their organization’s tracking abilities are limited. Now that the monster is gone, you shouldn’t have to worry about being targeted outside of the school, and they aren’t likely to go looking for you there given the armed police response.”

Makoto didn’t share Ami’s optimism. Whether a result of being a Moon Kingdom reincarnate or a Sailor Soldier, Maladoll had pursued her because of the purity of her energy. The monster would surely have shared its intention to target her with its superior. It may have even been sent by them. If so, it was only a matter of time before some other enemy came looking for her. She had to be prepared for that eventuality.

“There’s something I haven’t mentioned yet,” Makoto started. “That monster said something interesting at the school and again before you showed up tonight.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He mentioned Jadeite.”

“Jadeite?” Ami repeated. “That is interesting!”

“It can’t be the same guy, though, can it?” asked Makoto.

Ami considered this for a moment before replying, “We never knew exactly what happened to him after Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and I fought him at the airport. Soon after that, Nephrite started appearing, but we never saw Jadeite again. If he was alive, he should have been destroyed along with the rest of the Dark Kingdom. Then again…”

“What?”

“Well, Minako believed the enemies she fought were alien in origin, but the ones from tonight? They were much more like Youma.”

“Youma?” Makoto repeated. “So, you think there could be survivors from the Dark Kingdom, after all, and Jadeite is one of them?”

“Perhaps. Alternatively, they could have been created by Jadeite himself. Either way, I think it’s a safe assumption going forward that he is indeed alive.”

Ami sighed deeply and rubbed her temples. Makoto refrained from asking her what was wrong seeing as it was obvious. Enemies, both new and old, were coming out of the woodwork, and the only real force that could oppose them was currently unconscious and awaiting medical attention.

When they arrived at Minako’s building, Makoto turned off the ignition, but Ami told her, “I can handle the bags myself. You should head home.”

Makoto objected, “B-but I should do something.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ami insisted as she got out of the passenger side door, but before closing it behind her, she leaned down, showing a kind smile, and said gently, “I don’t want to push you, Mako, but with the two strikingly different foes Minako faced and now Jadeite, that makes three separate groups that could comprise the Blood Moon Alliance. If they’re as big a threat as I believe them to be, we’re going to need your strength.”

Makoto turned away silently, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Then, the two girls said good night. As she drove away, watching Ami carrying the big bags in the rearview mirror, Makoto bit her lip. She knew Ami was right, as always. She had already come to that realization herself. The problem was, her fear of fighting wasn’t going to disappear overnight, if at all. It was going to take work. Work that needed to begin right away.

***

Thanks to Ami’s treatment, Artemis awoke three days later, groggy and confused. Minako, however, remained unconscious, albeit purposefully. While the redness of her skin had faded somewhat, Ami had informed the Moon Cats that the girl needed more time to recover from the unseen, internal effects of energy damage, so she was therefore keeping her sedated for the time being.

Luna felt uneasy about this, but Minako’s sedation had the secondary effect of ensuring she didn’t further injure herself in the course of protecting the city, which was a reasonable consideration after she recklessly invoked her powers against Maladoll.

While Artemis snoozed next to her, Luna watched the news on Minako’s living room television, which was airing a special report.

“And now, more on the recent spate of hospitalizations across Tokyo,” a suited female news anchor began. “In the last week, hospitals across Tokyo have seen an exponential rise in patients experiencing extreme dehydration and fatigue. The patients are admitted in an unconscious state and can take up to a week to recover. Health officials had previously attributed the cause to an undiagnosed viral outbreak.

“However, following an astonishing press conference from the Chief of Police, the hospitalizations have been linked to a recent incident at a local area school. According to Chief Aburame, it is understood that the attack involved a monster of unknown origin. This monster attacked children during their recess, leaving no less than eleven young victims and two adults unconscious before armed police arrived on the scene.

“The monster is said to have escaped, while its victims were left with identical symptoms to those crowding hospitals across the city. After multiple sources within the police department leaked information about the attack, and concerned parents protested outside the school, the chief was forced to make a statement. He attributed the delay in releasing information to concern about public panic.

“Chief Aburame assured reporters that his department had the matter under control, as evident from the swift response of his officers. However, speculation is rife that last week’s downtown bombing, which claimed the lives of numerous citizens and first responders, may also be connected to the monster sighting, which might explain the armed police unit’s preparedness.

“Following the incident many witnesses told of strange lights in the sky. There have even been reports that Sailor V was involved, which if true, would mark the last known sighting of the crime-fighting heroine. When asked about this, Chief Aburame had this to say.”

The news programme cut to footage of the press conference at that point. The red-faced, mustachioed Police chief stood at a podium, where he responded to a question about Sailor V.

“It is true that the vigilante known as Sailor V was seen on the night in question. She interfered with an arrest before fleeing the scene, but there is no reason to believe she is connected to the, err, bombing, which is still under investigation. My department will not tolerate the actions of vigilantes in this city! However, should Sailor V have any information to share… I suggest she come forward. Depending on the value of her information, I may consider leniency.”

“Given the chief’s previous stance on Sailor V,” the news reporter continued, “his words have left viewers wondering whether he may be out of his depth. Confirmed sightings of monsters, which some believe to be extraterrestrial in nature, have not been recorded in over six years. Though information about that time is scarce, Sailor V is said to have been one of the heroes who fought against them, saving the city and the planet on several occasions.

“Usually spotted across Tokyo several times a week, Sailor V has been noticeably absent as hospitalizations for what doctors are calling ‘energy sickness’ continue and missing persons reports rise. Is the city facing a dangerous new threat? Do the police know more than they are telling the public? Stay with us for our continuing coverage.”