Note: Characters of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon belong to the guy that created the manga Naoko Takeuchi and not me, but the characters besides that belong to me!

PEACE SHATTERED
CHAPTER 3

"What are you doing back here?!" Usagi asked impatiently.

"I don’t know! Puu told me that I was needed and that I should come. So here I am."

"It might have something to do with this new enemy." Mamoru said thoughtfully.

"What could she do? The youma’s we’ve been fighting have just waved off our attacks like they were nothing to it!"

"Then how have you been beating the youma’s?"

"At every fight this . . . girl appears! She calls herself the Guardian of Souls. Not to mention she looks like a ghost! And with her is a ghost animal that attacks the youma, does something to weaken it. The ghost Senshi says ‘Soul Collect’ a white ball appears in her hands and the youma turns to dust! She never touches the thing!" Makoto fumes.

Minna is at Crowns and talking to Usa. Sufficed to say, they were *very* surprised to see Usa.

"Konnichi wa Minna." Came a quite voice.

"Neko-chan! Come sit with us!"

Neko gives a little wave but doesn’t sit down.

"Gomen nasai minna. I can’t sit down, I have much to do." She tells them miserably before walking off.

"What’s wrong with her?" Usagi wondered.

"Haven’t you heard odango? She’s moving, you really got to be careful what you say to her." Seiya intruded.

"Why is she moving?" Minako asked.

"You know that huge fire last night?" Yaten asked as he walked to the table. Everyone nodded.

"That was her apartment building that burned to the ground. So she had to move." Yaten whispered. Everyone gasped.

*************************

Neko went into the mattress outlet and started her search for a comfortable and affordable mattress. Finally, she decided on a small twin mattress and a wobbly frame. Next, she bought some decent looking clothes for work. And finally, she bought a week’s worth of food. The mattress arrived that same day [and] she got some sleep on it.

Neko jolted awake when there was a knock on the door and a note was slid underneath, against her better judgement, she read the letter.

Neko:

I have a good friend who wants to meet you but is too shy to ask for a date. Go to the Tokyo Towers restaurant at eight tonight, reservations have already been made.

From Seiya.

Neko’s eyes widened, the Tokyo Towers was the fanciest restaurant in the whole city! And she had nothing suitable to wear! Only business suits for work filled her closet. She ran outside to the phone and called Usagi.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Usagi? It’s Neko, I really need your help!"

"Sure I’ll help! What’s up?"

"I just got an invite to the Tokyo Towers for tonight and I have nothing to wear!"

"Nani!? I’ll get the others and we’ll go together. I’ll bring Mamo-chan, you bring a guy too! We’ll need a male vote on this."

"Where should we meet?"

"We’ll meet in the food court at the mall, ja ne!"

Neko ran up to Seiya’s apartment and knocked.

"Hey Neko, you got my letter?"

"Yeah! But you’ve gotten yourself in deeper than you think. You’re coming with me to the mall to help me, Usagi and her friends shop for a good dress. Now move it!"

<I don’t believe it,> Neko thought as she followed Seiya to the van. <Panicking over this date has forced me to overcome my shyness!>

*************************

"It’s so typical of Odango to want to meet in a food court!" Seiya laughed as he and Neko walked to minna sitting at a table.

"Hey Odango!" Seiya called.

"My name is not odango it’s Usagi! Besides, only Mamo-chan is allowed to call me odango. Hey Neko! I want you to meet my cousin Usa."

Neko looked back and forth between Usagi and Usa in confusion.

"Cousin? Are you sure? She looks more like a sister or daughter." Neko said.

Mamoru gave a little cough.

"Usa huh? I guess that means another odango. But Neko’s right, you sure she’s not a sister?" Seiya said with a grin. Minako decided to ease the tension.

"What are we waiting around here for? Neko’s got a date and we have some major shopping to do!"

It worked, everyone laughed and pulled Neko into the nearest dress shop, Seiya and Mamoru looked rather uncomfortable in there.

While the girls were arguing which dress looked better on Neko, Neko looked in the corner and pulled out a long light red dress and went to the dressing room with it. Minna stopped their bickering and waited for Neko to come out. When she did, everyone gasped, the dress looked stunning on her. It complemented her hair and accented everything that could be accented, it was that sort of dress that was daring yet sensible. The males in the room were just stunned into silence.

Mamoru leaned over and whispered in Seiya’s ear.

"Who did you set her up with?"

Seiya just grinned and whispered his one word answer.

"Yaten."

Mamoru looked like he was choking.

"Does Neko or Yaten know?"

"Iie."

Mamoru excused himself and darted outside for some air.

"That dress is definitely you Neko! Your mystery date will love it!" Rei told her enthusiastically. Neko smiled and paid for the dress.

"Seiya, where’s Mamo-chan?"

Seiya grinned.

"He decided he needed some air when I told him who I set Neko up with."

*************************

Yaten sighed when he read the note.

"Seiya is so immature, but I might as well humour him."

"Who’s immature?"

"Seiya is, read this note Taiki, he’s trying to set me up with someone."

Taiki scanned the note over.

"Point taken. Are you really going to do this?"

"Hey, I’m not going to let some poor girl be humiliated by his sense of humour."

Taiki nodded.

*************************

Everyone went to Usagi’s house to prepare Neko for her first date, of course this meant that they had shooed Seiya away.

"You are going to blow his mind Neko! Any guy who isn’t married is going to be so jealous of the guy who managed to snag you!" Minako giggled.

"I hope I get an invite to a fancy restaurant from a secret admirer." Makoto sighed.

"You know, the guy could be uglier than a mule’s . . ." Usagi stomped on Usa’s foot.

"Nah! If Seiya approved him than he’s got to be cute!" Rei told Neko reassuringly.

"Is there any guy you truly wish your mystery date to be?" Usagi asked.

Neko, for the first time that day, blushed deeply.

"Who Neko?" Ami gently insisted.

"I really wish it to be . . . I just can’t say it!" She said, blushing harder.

"You can tell us! We’re all your pals!" Minako said.

"It’s silly . . . you’d all laugh."

"We promise we won’t laugh Neko, we all promise."

Neko gave a little smile.

"I wish it was . . . Yaten." She whispered softly.

Everyone froze and stared at Neko. It was so quiet in the room you could hear a pin drop on the carpet.

"Why Yaten? I know he’s hunky but . . ." Minako started.

"But he’s way out of my league I know. To me that’s a good reason, reaching for a star and trying to catch it. But he wouldn’t pay attention to a girl like me."

"That’s utter nonsense and you know it! Yaten’s a great guy, you’ll see." Minako fumed, Neko gave a little laugh before she stood up and prepared herself mentally for this encounter.

*************************

Neko was shaking in fear as she sat at the reserved table and waited. Eight o-clock came, and a figure approached the door. Just as it was going to swing open, a youma charged into the room and grabbed a couple by their collars. Neko almost slithered into a dark corner.

"ETERNAL SOULS ERUPT MAKE-UP!"

*************************

Well? Any comments so far? I know it got a little sappy there, I’ve been reading too many romances. E-mail me at catofnight@home.com.

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Updated on Thursday, July 8, 1999.