InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Incipience ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

There were few things that instilled fear among the denizens of the Dark Kingdom, and fewer still that did not involve the wrath of the Queen. Luckily for the ones present upon his return, Jadeite, as he stalked through the halls, was promptly included amongst such things.

Those unfortunate to be in his path wisely scrambled to get out of the way.

As soon as the familiar door crept into his line of sight, Jadeite flicked his fingers. It swung open with a crash that echoed through the halls, making the palace walls reverberate ominously. Even the other king, his fellow Shitennou, looked surprised by the aggressive entrance.

"Jadeite?" Nephrite blinked at him, his expression so visibly baffled that Jadeite might have found it amusing under different circumstances. The surprise passed just as quickly as it had come, the other man's expression sobering as Nephrite, more calmly, shut the door behind his sudden guest. "What has happened?"

Recalling it, Jadeite's irritation flared anew, and he grit his jaw. "They have a demon, Nephrite. A demon!"

Nephrite blinked, then furrowed his brows. "The youma-"

"No. Not one of ours." The words came more softly now and, though he still seethed, with a calmness that spoke to the severity of the problem.

Nephrite held his gaze for a moment, his own hardened with a seriousness that they had not needed to act with in the years since Beryl had woken them.

"You are certain of this?" When Jadeite did not waver, the other man set a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Hm. Creating servants of dirt and clay may no longer be enough if that is the case. It may be more fruitful for you to return to more…subtle means of operation to avoid detection for a time."

"I know the methods you prefer. I never wanted to draw so much at once in the first place." Jadeite heaved a sigh at the admission and raked his fingers through his hair irritably. "But I have my orders, and the Great Ruler is growing impatient."

There was a long stretch of silence before Nephrite hummed quietly.

"Well, that is a predicament, isn't it?" Nephrite inclined his head, the gesture one that Jadeite knew meant the man was calculating something. "If you fail, gathering energy is likely to fall to me. Perhaps it would be more prudent to simply assist on that front now instead."

Well, that wasn't quite what he had been expecting. It wasn't often that they allied so directly anymore. "You-?"

Nephrite didn't allow him to finish the question, cutting him off with a wave of the hand as he turned back to the paperwork laid out on his desk instead. "I have already petitioned the Queen to allow my entry to the human city to search for the Silver Crystal."

"Oh?" Jadeite inclined his head. "I thought Zoicite had his eye on that task."

The weary sigh that Nephrite emitted at that was telling enough on its own, and Jadeite could not help the amused smirk that curled his lips.

"Yes, and Zoicite's ambitions are enough of a distraction as it is." Nephrite dragged a hand through his hair and, with a shake of the head, motioned towards the plans Jadeite had clearly interrupted. "Zoicite is clever…one of us, certainly, but too brash for such a delicate situation."

Jadeite regarded the other man for a moment, his lips thinning thoughtfully. "If you will be establishing yourself in that city…well, that changes things a bit."

All things considered it wasn't a bad idea.

While the rivalry amongst his fellow Shitennou was, mostly, surface level, Nephrite was the king that he was perhaps on most civil terms with. Yet, even then, their tactics were decidedly oppositional. For them to work in tandem was ingenious. The sailor soldiers would never see it coming. They were used to his tactics.

"Perhaps we can use this to our advantage."

---

The remainder of the weekend had gone far too slowly for Usagi's liking. Sure, it was only a day given the events on Saturday that had delayed Kagome's departure to that evening, but after all that had happened it felt like much longer. Usagi still had a thing or two to show that Inuyasha too.

'The jerk! He even tried to make Kagome-chan leave as soon as we got back!' The man had at least been placated easily enough by an invite to dinner from Kagome's mother and Usagi had spent almost the entire meal sneaking the odd glare at him and trading the occasional barb.

Then he'd all but dragged Kagome to the well house once they had finished eating and Usagi had nearly lost it. In fact, she had lost it, and her temper had only been quelled by her friend's gentle touch as Kagome set a hand on her shoulder, smiled, and promised to be back soon.

"I'm supposed to train with Sango and Miroku a bit more this time, so I really should go anyway. But that means I'll have some more tricks to show you when I get back, okay?"

Usagi had sniffled, gotten distracted by Inuyasha's derisive snort over 'girls being dramatic', and probably would have leapt into another shouting match with him if Kagome hadn't simply giggled and gripped her hand.

"I'll be there to meet you Monday afternoon like always. Promise."

For once, Usagi had been downright eager for the start of the new week to roll around. She was still Usagi though, and she could not help the impulse to show up to the Higurashi shrine the next day just in case Kagome made it back early.

She had been greeted just as warmly as ever when she'd met Kunloon at the bottom of the steps and opted to spend the afternoon there after she had promptly stolen a bag of groceries from the older woman to insist on helping her. She stayed for dinner again that night, this time remembering to call her mother, and had been regaled with theatrical narrations of the many legends and stories that the shrine had been built on. Usagi had listened raptly, especially when the tale of the Shikon no Tama had come up. Hearing Kagome's grandfather tell it, she realized just how much Kagome herself had glossed over in her own summary of the tale.

She'd felt a little bit of her disdain towards Inuyasha waver, reminded of his part in the story, but decided he was still a jerk.

When her alarm had gone off that morning, it had barely rung twice before Usagi had launched herself from her bed, sending Luna flying with a startled yowl. Uninterested in the commentary that was sure to come of her early rising, Usagi only hastily grabbed her lunchbox and stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth before sprinting out the door.

Accustomed to the mad dash with a much more constrained time limit, she was actually early for once. Other students milled about, chatting over the latest gossip as she sunk into her desk, wanting class to start for once, if only so the day could be over already.

After all, Usagi had never been particularly patient.

Nonetheless, while she still wasn't the most dedicated student, Usagi had never been so happy to see Miss Haruna. When the woman had walked in, looking the same as she remembered her, Usagi felt her heart skip a beat before it fluttered with relief of a guilt she hadn't entirely realized she had been carrying. Luckily, everyone else was too busy welcoming their teacher back to notice the way she nearly cried.

"Alright, class, settle down. The results of your mock exams are in today!"

Usagi heaved a sigh. She knew that already. It was all any of her classmates had been talking about since she'd walked in the front gates. Even with the distraction of class, they continued undeterred once the bell for lunch eventually sounded. Her mother would surely be surprised to find out that she'd not only passed but actually achieved a fairly average ranking.

Fifty-two percent was still no Umino, but even he hadn't landed first place. Her classmates didn't speak very kindly of the student who had though.

"-scored first place again, as usual."

Not even a month ago, she'd have been just as excitedly gossiping along with them. Now, hearing the way they spoke, it grated on her.

Usagi hadn't even caught a name yet, but there were whispers that it was a girl, apparently the top-ranking student of their school, who was considered a verifiable genius. Their whispers didn't present that intelligence in a positive light, however, often followed by scoffs and snide declarations that the girl was either a cheat or a snob, sometimes both.

"That's her, Mizuno Ami."

Usagi looked up then, finally given a name and a face. The timid looking girl that entered the hall was certainly not what she had expected after all the chatter that had preceded her. Although she supposed that wasn't really fair to the other girl to begin with. She had a sad look to her eyes that made Usagi frown and tilt her head, curiously watching the other girl as she peered out the window. 'She doesn't seem so bad…she looks lonely.'

Usagi tried to ignore the quiet whispers as the other girl settled by the window to stare longingly outside. She tried to pay attention when Naru began chatting excitedly about news of an amusement park set to open in the upcoming summer months. She tried to think of anything but the cruel murmurs of her classmates that were not so quiet that the other student could be unaware of them.

But Usagi couldn't ignore the telltale glint of sadness in the other girl's eyes when she chanced a peek over at her.

Usagi clenched her fists at her sides. The circle of her classmates didn't seem to notice her ire, only growing more animated in their chatting when the top student -Mizuno- only took out a tiny lunchbox and a book to turn back towards her now empty classroom, clearly intending to eat alone at her desk.

Something inside Usagi snapped.

Puffing out her cheeks, Usagi let out a determined huff and ignored her classmates' confused murmurs of her name when she stomped towards the door to swing it open so suddenly. "Mizuno-chan?"

The other girl looked at her in surprise, eyes wide and confused as she peered up at Usagi over the edge of her book. "Oh? Yes?"

Her classmates had quieted themselves now, opting to stare at the two instead as Usagi held her hand out to the top student. "I'm Tsukino Usagi. It's really nice out today, so I'm going to eat outside. Want to join me?"

Mizuno blinked a few more times, her mouth opening and closing for a moment as she clearly fumbled with a response to friendliness she was unaccustomed to. She glanced to the cluster of students, whispering amongst themselves once more, before she finally turned back to Usagi. "W-well…alright."

---

Kagome couldn't wait to see Usagi.

It wasn't that she had any particularly exciting stories to share. Much to Inuyasha's dismay, her already shortened time in the feudal era had proven to be somewhat unproductive. In fact, the only rumor of a jewel shard that they had managed to track down had turned out to be a bust entirely. 'But Shippo's crush on Satsuki was so cute! Usagi will love this story!'

After sharing a bit more of what had been happening on her own side of the well, including the abduction that Inuyasha had arrived to, even the half demon had begrudgingly admitted that the time was better spent training with Sango and Miroku. Once the lizard demon they stumbled on had been taken care of, they had returned to the village, albeit empty handed, and spent the remaining time doing just that.

Miroku had been very interested to hear that she had managed to cast a barrier.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to recreate it. That wasn't for lack of trying, of course. However, no matter how much Kagome had urged her power back to the palms of her hands, tried to command it to form before her, it had refused to solidify as it had before.

When she had finally grown too frustrated for the lesson to be productive much longer, Sango had shooed the monk away to distract her with more physical training. Handling a sword was still not her strong point, but she was getting better at defending herself. Hand to hand wasn't quite as frightening now, at least not as much as the prospect of being helpless if she were to be faced with it.

"Don't worry, not-a-soldier. The Dark Kingdom wants you alive."

Her thoughts wandered back to their last fight, to the man who had bested her twice now, and Kagome absently rubbed the side of her arm. The skin was still bruised and tender, aching where he'd held her, something she was sure Sango had picked up on but had been kind enough not to point out.

"Kagome-chan!"

All at once, Kagome found herself rapidly brought back to the present, barely looking up in time to see the mess of blonde hair before the girl had practically tackled her.

"Oomph." Kagome stumbled, catching her footing just in time to keep them both from tumbling to the ground in a heap. A little smile curled her lips and Kagome shook her head, a fond look softening her expression as she offered her friend an affectionate pat on the head. "Hey, Usagi-chan. Did I keep you waiting?"

"Nope!" Usagi perked up then, a happy grin on her face that seemed to have been missing far too much in recent days. "Oh, Kagome-chan, this is Mizuno-chan!"

Kagome blinked, only now noticing the other girl timidly hanging back by the gates that Usagi had sprinted out of. The girl, deep blue hair cut in a bob, was the living image of a wallflower. Despite the eye-catching color of her hair, she stood close to the gate with a posture that made her look small in a way that spoke of being used to going unnoticed. "Mizuno?"

"Yes?" The girl looked up at the sound of her name and anyone else might have missed the way her shoulders squared just slightly, speaking of a history where being noticed clearly hadn't been a good thing.

Kagome furrowed her brows and a glance down at Usagi, the blonde's lips pressed into an irritated pout, told her that she hadn't been the only one to notice. When Usagi glanced at her, Kagome saw the glimmer in her eyes, the look of righteous anger that simmered just beneath the surface. A glance back to the gates, where a cluster of students were not being terribly subtle in the way they pointed at the girl despite their hushed tones, and Kagome understood.

Well, that wouldn't do.

Offering Usagi a little nod of unspoken agreement, Kagome turned to the girl with a determined air of her own. She offered Mizuno a smile and the girl seemed startled by the friendly gesture. "Nice to meet you, Mizuno-chan. I'm Higurashi Kagome."

Mizuno looked absolutely bewildered by the turn of events, something that made Kagome's heart ache, but gingerly returned the gesture after a moment.

"It is nice to meet you, Higurashi-chan." Mizuno seemed distracted though, looking her over with a furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, you just seem…familiar. Did your class attend the academic debates last year?"

Brightening, Kagome suddenly understood the familiar air to her. "Oh! Yeah, we did! I thought I recognized you from somewhere!"

That time in her life, a life before juggling travel through the well and thwarting demonic plots, seemed so far away at times. Kagome wasn't sure whether she should smile fondly at the memories or grieve the achievements she'd likely never claim again.

For Mizuno's sake, she chose to smile. "You trounced us on the math and science categories, especially the medical stuff. Hojo-kun has been sulking and burying himself in training at his parents' shop ever since!"

"Oh, yes! You secured the win for mythology and history though if I remember?"

The weight of Usagi's grip on her arm left her and Mizuno's smile widened a little at Kagome's sheepish grin. "Ah, well I have an unfair advantage growing up on a shrine and all. Besides, I'm not quite top of the class as much these days now."

The loud beep of Usagi's communicator went off suddenly, halting the conversation. Kagome furrowed her brows and glanced over at the device questioningly. Luna had presented it to the girl after the debacle at Shapely, to avoid the potential necessity of another frantic run across the city. The feline was surprisingly adept with technology, something she seemed to have taken to bonding with Souta over; the pair had been perched in front of a small blue laptop when she had gotten in through the well late Sunday evening, long after Usagi had already headed home.

However, her musings over Souta's budding friendship with Luna would have to wait since she highly doubted the call was to chat over the most recent Sailor V game. "Usagi-chan?"

"Um…sorry, Kagome-chan but it's Luna…" Usagi looked a little stricken then as she looked between Mizuno and herself, and Kagome furrowed her brows.

Mizuno, to her credit, was perfectly gracious about it. "That's quite alright. I should really get going anyway. It wouldn't do for me to be late to class."

"Class?" With a baffled expression on her face, Usagi turned back to look at the pair of them, forgetting all about her still ringing communicator as she pointed over her shoulder towards the gates they'd just come from. "But…didn't we just…"

Understanding dawned on Kagome's face and Usagi jumped a little when she snapped her fingers at the realization.

"Ohh, I get it…cram school?" Usagi still looked a bit dumbfounded, but Kagome only offered her a grin as she thrust her thumb over her shoulder towards the other girl. "Yeah, Hojo-kun has been attending seminars like that since our defeat to Mizuno-chan last year."

"Yes. Oh, but I really do need to head that way. It was lovely meeting you, Higurashi-chan. Tsukino-chan?"

Usagi perked up at the sound of her name and turned back to her classmate with a blink.

Mizuno's expression softened a bit, a look in her eyes that spoke of an unfamiliarity to kindness that both warmed Kagome's heart and made it ache. "Thank you for inviting me. I will see you in class tomorrow?"

Whatever had Usagi so on edge seemed to leave her for a moment, and that familiar light within her seemed to brighten again as a little smile curled her lips. "Y-yeah."

Mizuno bowed a polite farewell and the pair waited until she had rounded the corner before Usagi flipped open her now silent communicator. "Luna?"

"Usagi-chan! What took-"

"Sorry, Luna, my fault!" Deciding to head off the lecture that Usagi surely didn't need, Kagome popped her head over the other girl's shoulder to peer down at the tiny screen with a sheepish grin. "We got caught up talking with Usagi-chan's classmate. Did you find something?"

Luna heaved a sigh but let the matter drop. "Yes. We have detected a strange reading of energy not too far from you. I am on my way to investigate now."

Kagome furrowed her brows and straightened. She could practically feel Usagi's curious stare as she closed her eyes, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she tried to expand her senses a little further. Coming up with nothing, she let it go after a moment.

"I don't sense anything strange…we must not be close enough." With a defeated huff, Kagome strode back to Usagi's side to peek over her shoulder once more. "Where are you headed, Luna? We'll meet you there."

---

As it turned out, the source was actually quite close. That alone left Kagome with an uncomfortable feeling of concern. At that distance, or lack thereof, she should have been able to sense something. Eyeing the front doors suspiciously, Usagi tucked to her side, she was uncertain what to make of the establishment.

It looked like an office building at first glance, but when Kagome peered up through one of the many windows she thought she could see the layout of a computer lab. The front door opened automatically, but there was a guard just inside, checking student IDs if she were to hazard a guess.

Then a familiar head of blue hair popped into her line of sight and Kagome blinked. "That's Mizuno-chan…this must be her cram school."

Luna's gaze narrowed, a sharp expression of suspicion that Kagome recognized, if only because it had been directed towards her not so long ago. "Are you certain this Mizuno is not an enemy? They have used disguises before."

"No…Mizuno-chan didn't feel the same." Kagome took a step forward, her brows furrowed as she watched yet more students steadily trickle in behind the girl. "But I do feel dark energy inside now…she might be in danger."

Usagi turned to her with a look of concern and Luna hummed beside them before murmuring quietly. "We need to find a way inside."

Kagome glanced back at the front door and furrowed her brows as she eyed the guard, who felt normal enough, pensively. Then she looked back to Usagi, the girl looking equally thoughtful, and brightened.

"Oh, I know! Usagi-chan, can I borrow your notebook?" Usagi looked a little confused, her brows furrowed as she dug into her bag for the still rarely used item, but handed it over nonetheless. When Kagome saw that it, as she'd suspected, had the Juban school logo printed on the front cover, she grinned. "Perfect. Follow my lead, I've got an idea."

Once again, Kagome found herself uncertain what to make of just how easy it had become for her to fool people. Instead of attempting to sneak inside undetected, she grabbed Usagi's hand and sprinted them both right up to the guard's desk. Luna caught on easily, but Usagi's harried and bewildered expression only added credence to the act when Kagome hastily shoved the notebook at the man and, wearing what was perhaps an over-the-top expression of concern, babbled about mixing up notebooks with one of the attending students.

He waved them in with an exasperated grunt, but Kagome waited until they were out of sight before turning to Usagi with a giggle. "I almost can't believe that worked."

Usagi let out a giggle of her own, a tiny smile curling her lips at the sheer absurdity of it before the moment of their small victory promptly ended.

A scream cut through the air, the sound close, coming from just down the hall. Kagome's eyes widened and Usagi let out a sound of alarm as her hand darted up to clutch her broach. "That's Mizuno-chan!"

Kagome looked around, wondering if they could be so lucky that one of the classrooms might be empty for them to transform, but the power flickered, and lights went out instead. That would do.

Exchanging a look with Usagi, the magic faded just as the lights flickered back on and another scream echoed down the hall. Usagi reached the door first and bolted in with an order for the monster to 'stop right there' that might have made Kagome laugh in any other situation.

Not far behind the blonde soldier, Kagome had to throw herself back from the door with a yelp when something that looked like paper nearly took her head off. Chancing a hesitant peek inside, she nearly charged in when she saw the group surrounding Sailor Moon, but another cry caught her attention. Kagome turned just in time to see the monster heft a student up by the back of their head and her breath caught when she saw the familiar blue locks in its claws.

'Mizuno-chan!' The girl yelped and the monster raised a hand over her, morphing the limb into the unnerving shape of an axe. Kagome hastily knocked an arrow, and then promptly swore. She couldn't get a clear enough shot without the risk of hitting Mizuno. Gritting her teeth, she contemplated simply vaulting over the desk to tackle the creature when the energy around its prey suddenly shifted. 'That mark-!'

Eyes widening, Kagome realized that the outcome of this scheme was rapidly going very differently than they had anticipated. The demon looked just as surprised, its eyes widening as it flung the girl to the floor with a snarl. At least, Kagome supposed, they could now be certain that Mizuno Ami was no monster. "Luna!"

"I see it!" Luna darted in then, leaping over the empty desks with a grace that seemed to come from more than simply her form as a cat.

Kagome didn't get to watch much else of the exchange, because one of the students that had been crowding Sailor Moon seemed to have finally noticed her presence. The boy yanked her further into the room, his grip on her arm making her eyes water as he sent her tumbling between a row of desks.

"Mercury Power…make up!"

There was a wash of magic, but Kagome didn't get the opportunity to look because student who had grabbed her lumbered forward, two more flanking him. Behind her, she could hear Sailor Moon's cry of distress and clenched her fist. Her eyes darted between the students looming over her, innocent in this fight, and the monster that controlled them. 'If I could just take out the demon they wouldn't be a problem!'

"Bubble Spray!"

All at once, a mist covered the room and Kagome could have slumped in relief. The air suddenly felt lighter, cleaner in a way that seemed to lessen the grasp of the dark energy the demon controlled.

But this was hardly the time to theorize about the new soldier's power.

At any rate, it looked like she would be taking the direct approach today. The trio that had surrounded her didn't move, only able to mumble little sounds of mindless confusion as the control on them waned enough to loosen their guidance, but not enough to free them. They paid her no mind as she inched back, vanishing into the mist in the opposite direction.

The demon's hiss of annoyance was probably a good sign at least, Kagome mused. Peering through the mist, she felt her lips curl victoriously and darted towards the demon, a beacon of taint in a fog of purer power.

"Where'd you go…got you!"

"Actually, no." The demon spun around to face her just in time for Kagome to catch it by its mutated paw. The blade it had formed cut into her hand but, despite the blood that trickled down her palm, the creature clearly must have known enough of her to understand its fate given the way its eyes widened. Kagome grinned. "Got you!"

She didn't give it the chance to scream.

When the light of purification finally dimmed, the mist had also faded away. Sailor Moon walked up to them then, clutching her arm and appearing uncertain whether to be confused, awed, or concerned as she looked them over.

Kagome heaved a sigh and shoved a hand into her pocket to fish out an ofuda. While the demon was gone, she could still feel a lingering aura of dark energy humming quietly throughout the building. If they could curse a tape she didn't want to think about what they could do with a building made up of computer labs.

Pressing the charm to a spot on the wall beside the door, Kagome heaved a breath of relief as the lingering weight of the dark taint faded away and glanced back over her shoulder.

"You okay, Mizuno-chan?" The girl looked at her with a start and Kagome watched as several emotions flickered over her face at once. After another moment and a cursory glance between Usagi and Luna, she shook her head with a weary smile. "I think we should go talk."

---

"This is…quite a lot."

For what it was worth, Mizuno handled the rundown surprisingly well. After what they had run in on, she supposed the events at the cram school at least gave some credence to such a fantastical story.

The Crown Arcade had fortunately been quite close, and the hour was late enough that only a few other people loitered by the games, leaving them with the café mostly to themselves. Furuhata had greeted them at the door and, though he'd arched a brow, mercifully overlooked Luna riding in on Kagome's shoulder.

"You're not kidding." Kagome dropped back into the booth with a sigh. Just as quickly though, she perked back up and offered the new soldier a reassuring grin. "But you got the hang of it really quickly back there!"

Mizuno blushed a bit at the praise and averted her gaze shyly for a few seconds before furrowing her brow once more. "And…you say the enemy still has a dangerous device that does the same thing?"

Usagi shifted beside her nervously and Kagome leaned against the table on her elbow, propping her chin in her palm with a sigh.

"Yeah…well, sort of. We can't really be sure. Their tricks don't seem to work on me…at least not the same way they do to um…" Lowering her gaze to glance around briefly and assure their privacy, she inclined her head purposefully towards the crowd. "…regular people."

Mizuno nodded with a look of understanding, then briefly closed her eyes with a sigh. "This will take some getting used to, I'm afraid."

Far too familiar with that particular thought, Kagome could have cackled. Instead, she only shook her head, torn between amusement and weariness. "Well, if that's not the understatement of the century I don't know what is."

Mizuno cracked a hesitant little smile at the quip, then shook her head. "Well, mother will be worried if I return too late. I think I ought to head home for now."

When Mizuno turned to offer Luna the Mercury pen and communicator that had been brought out during their explanation, the cat shook her head. "No, those are yours to keep. The transformation pens and communicators are attuned to their soldiers. These belong to the soldier of Mercury. They will only respond to you."

Mizuno only looked surprised for a moment before giving Luna another solemn nod of agreement, and Kagome pursed her lips. While Kagome did feel a sense of guilt at yet another person getting dragged into a battle that none of them really understood, having another ally, another friend who they didn't have to hide from, should have been a good thing. She couldn't let Mizuno leave looking so downtrodden.

Kagome straightened suddenly, the motion making Usagi jump in surprise beside her. "Hey, wait. Mizuno-chan?"

The girl paused by the door, looking back to them with a curious blink. "Y-yes?"

Relaxing a little, Kagome tilted her head with a smile. "Call me Kagome, okay?"

"Oh. Well…alright. Call me Ami then." Ami gave them a smile of her own, her eyes a little lighter as she offered one last tiny wave before the door shut behind her.

The bell jingled as it shut, the sound of it almost uncomfortably loud in the quieter air of their little corner.

"Usagi-chan?" Kagome furrowed her brow as she turned to her friend, inching a bit closer to look the girl over carefully. "Are you okay? You've been so quiet-"

"I'll work harder!"

Kagome jumped, bewildered by the sudden outburst, and finding herself absolutely at a loss as to what had spurred the girl's tears. She looked to Luna for help, but the cat seemed just as confused, offering only a shake of the head. She turned back to the girl and opened her mouth to question it, but Usagi didn't give her the chance.

"I knew Kagome-chan was smart but…I never realized you were…" Usagi drew back then, hunching over the table and sniffling dramatically. "I must seem so…dumb."

"What?" Kagome faltered and spun to look at Usagi, alarmed. "Usagi-chan, of course you aren't…"

"Ami is a genius…she wasn't afraid to fight. Will you really want to keep hanging out with me now that she's…"

With the pieces rapidly falling into place, Kagome felt her lips thin with the urge to curse just how deep her friend's insecurities had been ingrained. Recalling how many times Usagi had compared herself to that other friend of hers, Umino, Kagome wondered for a moment just how many times she had been subjected to it before they'd met. 'How many times has Tsukino-san asked her to be more like Umino?'

Her nostrils flared and Kagome set her jaw. "Usagi!"

Usagi jumped, distracted enough to quiet and look up at her. There were a few lingering tears in her eyes, but she only sniffled quietly and peered through her bangs. Kagome felt her anger cool a little, and the hardness in her gaze softened as she looked at her friend.

"Sorry, Bun." Kagome sighed heavily, hooked an arm around Usagi's neck and tugged the blonde down to her with a grin. "The return window on this friendship has closed. You're stuck with me now."

Usagi gave a little squeak of surprise but, after a moment, settled into Kagome's side and gingerly wrapped her arms around one that the priestess held her with. "O-okay."

Kagome chanced a glance down at Usagi, and a little smile curled her lips at the girl's relaxed expression. A few tears still stained Usagi's cheeks, but they were old now and her eyes were closed as she lounged against Kagome, more at peace now.

"Thanks, Kago-chan."

---

They stayed at the Crown Arcade for a while. Thankfully, Furuhata was kind enough not to say anything about the way they took up the large booth in the corner, nor mention the cat that they'd brought in to sit at the table with them. Kagome wasn't certain if that was a testament to their strangeness or his, but decided not to question the lucky streak they'd had that day.

Once Usagi had calmed enough to relax again, she had almost immediately leapt back up with a squeal about remembering something. She'd seemed excited, so Kagome only tilted her head to watch the other girl fish for something in her bag, a determined look on her face.

Usagi's shout of victory was all the warning she got before the girl had shoved the crinkled paper of her mock exam into her face.

Kagome had needed to blink a few times before she'd processed it but had nearly leapt from the table with a cheer once she did. Usagi, at least, seemed to preen under the praise that followed, but Kagome suspected that was more to do with the milkshake she had ordered the blonde to celebrate a job well done. The time had gone by before either one of them had realized.

Kagome felt bad about not walking Usagi home but relented when Luna went with her. She'd watched them until they rounded the corner out of her sight and then turned to make her own mad dash for the station. She could make the next train if she moved quickly enough.

Unfortunately, while moving quickly was not a problem, maintaining her balance when a man rounded the corner and stepped in front of her was. Kagome reeled back to avoid the collision, catching only a glimpse of the man's look of surprise before she landed on her backside with a wince. "Ooh…that hurt."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry."

Reminded very rapidly of the person she had nearly collided with, Kagome looked up with a blink. Not expecting him to have hung around at all, most people only pausing long enough to stare or grumble in offense, she was expecting the hand he offered even less.

"Please, let me help."

Blinking a few more times, Kagome hesitantly accepted the gesture. He pulled her to her feet seamlessly, earning a little squeak as she was righted so suddenly. "Th-thanks."

"There." He looked her over appraisingly, his eyes raking over her before settling on her face. "Are you alright, miss…?"

"Ah, Higurashi Kagome." A flush colored her cheeks, and Kagome hastily smoothed out her skirt, realizing just how ruffled she was from her less than graceful tumble. "And yeah, I'm fine, just not watching where I was going."

The whistle of the train sounded, and a glance just past the turnstile showed the tail end of the last car as it pulled away from the platform. The man's gaze followed hers and Kagome felt her shoulders slump in defeat. He turned back to her then and offered her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, I could be so lucky to be the one you ran into."

Kagome took pause at the comment, caught off guard by enough that she could not help the heat that rushed to her cheeks. It took a moment more for her to fully process that the smile on his face, soft and full of charm, was meant for her. He must have noticed her befuddled expression given the glint of amusement that danced in his eyes, but he was kind enough not to mention it.

Instead, he inclined his head towards the café beside the platform and offered her his arm.

"My name is Sanjouin Masato."