"Sailor Slave"

"Rubius, your last attempt to capture Rini, as usual, has failed! What went wrong this time?" the Wiseman burst out at Rubius.

"Wiseman, it wasn't my fault! The scouts should have been in school! And that leads me to one of two possible conclusions: Either they aren't teenagers as we thought, but adults, or they skipped school yesterday. And if the second is true, then attendance records at the school should show them absent, and narrow down the search for their identities."

"Well, I have had no more visions; you are out of luck. Should I send someone else to take your place now?"

"Please, Wiseman, give me just... two months to get Rini back, and I will succeed!"

"Tell me your next plan then!"

"Simple. The scouts will not expect another attack so soon! Sailor Nega will gather more energy and use it to transform one of the scouts into a Nega-slave!"

"Their powers will protect them from being transformed. You must come up with a better plan!"

"That's the second half. Aurora is enrolled in the local junior high school. Her mission right now is to uncover the identities of the scouts!"

"This had better work."

"It will!"

"Remember, unless you accomplish your mission soon, either take control of the city or capture the rabbit kid, within the next two months, you will be replaced with a higher Negamoon authority in the past!"

"Yes, Wiseman."

The transmission flickered out, leaving Rubius standing in the shadows.

"Hi, Mina!" Raye called to Mina, who was half a block ahead of her on the sidewalk. She jogged to catch up to the girl who turned her head around but showed no intention of slowing down.

"Oh, hi! Any thoughts on Sailor Nega?" Mina asked.

"I have no idea who she is or where she came from!"

"You could call on the great fire at your temple," Mina offered.

"Y'know, that's a really good idea! I'll try it as soon as I get to the temple after school!"

"Have you seen Serena?" Molly asked Melvin, who was holding a magnifying glass, staring at an antpile.

"Nope. But I heard she's eating lunch with that new girl, Aurora," Melvin answered. Then, he sneezed, dropping the magnifying glass onto the ant pile. Instantly, thousands of ants covered it.

"Melvin, you got a cold?" Molly asked, trying to show concern ever so nonchalantly.

"No, Molly, it's allergies, fall fever," he answered.

"Take allergy pills. Or get an allergy shot!"

"They give me a rash."

Molly tried to push the thought out of her mind. "Well, last night Serena said she'd help me with my homework during lunch today. And now I can't find her!" she exclaimed.

"I can help you with it!" Melvin triumphantly said.

"Melvin, that's just not the point! I'm gonna find Serena!" Molly ran off.

"I'm the cleaning helper! This is my aunt! I get to help her! This is not a chant!" Rini sang.

"Great job, honey!" Serena's mother praised.

"Can I have a jelly sandwhich? Pleeaase??" Rini looked up, her eyes as large as she could make them.

"Sure you can, just after I clean the windows and do the laundry."

"How long will that take?"

"About a couple of minutes."