Amy sighed, absently listening to the other senshi argue. Luna and Artemis were extremely suspicious of the new girl, Cassie, but Amy was not so sure of her involvment with the forces of evil. Bemused, Amy thought back to her first meeting with the girl in question. Despite that lingering sense of familiarity, Amy was also inexplicably certain that Cassie was an ally, not an enemy. *But how can I be so certain?* Amy mused. *I hardly know the girl...*

Lita's thoughts followed roughly the same path. *It's like she's important to someone I care about, she thought. And I like her because she makes him happy...* Startled, Lita caught her train of thought and tried desperately to hold onto it, but it faded quickly, leaving her with no memory of that stray thought.

Raye for once found herself defending Serena, although she wasn't entirely sure why she should be so certain that Cassie was not an enemy. Serena and Mina argued vehemently with their guardian cats, who started to despair of warning the senshi of possible danger.

"Why won't you girls just listen to us for once!?" Luna demanded. "There's something about that girl, something..."

"--Familiar," Darien finished, surprising everyone. He grinned sheepishly. "Well, we're all thinking it, so one of us may as well bring it up. Face it guys, there's something extremely familiar about that girl. Maybe we knew her back in our past lives, during the Silver Millenium. Or maybe she's just one of those girls that automatically puts people at ease around her. But I'd be willing to bet that all of you girls are quick to defend her and have absolutely no idea why."

The girls all nodded slowly, but Luna and Artemis pounced on Darien's words. "That's it, exactly, you're all defending her even though you don't know her at all! If that's not suspicious and manipulative, I don't know what is!" Artemis looked around at the girls triumphantly, and barely managed to duck as Mina swatted at him.

"You're right, of course, but I still don't think Cassie's one of the bad guys."

Amy shook her head. "Me neither, but I don't think we can really take that chance. Even if she is just a normal human girl, we'll all have to be very careful around her; whether she's an enemy or not, we can't risk her discovering that we are sailor senshi."

Everyone agreed, and the meeting gradually broke up. Amy walked home silently, still confused as to why she was so convinced that Cassie was an ally...

Cassie, for her part, was just as confused as the other girls. She trudged home alone, trying to sort out what happened to her in her meeting with Serena and her friends. *I've just got this feeling that they're here to help me,* she thinks silently. *That I've got something important to do and they are the only ones that will understand...* The thought quickly faded, leaving her once more to ponder that brief meeting.

From the shadows, a figure watched Cassie pass intently. Deep blue eyes followed the girl's movements, almost as if drinking her in. She turned into her own apartment complex, and the shadowed figure abruptly disappeared, vanishing into the night

In the park near Tokyo Tower, the air shimmered as an ominous figure materialized. The figure was male, and characterized by loose orange clothing, flaming orange eyes, and a shock of unnaturally brilliant red hair. He motioned with one hand, and a shorter figure shimmered into existance beside him.

"Yes, my lord?" The youma was female, wearing the typical tight-fitting youma costume, and a flowing braid of silver hair to her waist. She was armed with several razor blades projecting from her wrists and elbows.

The Elemental called Blaze turned to the youma in disgust. "It's about time, youma Slasher. Your orders are to find the Sailor Senshi and destroy them."

The youma bowed quickly and vanished. Blaze gazed out at the surrounding city of Tokyo for a moment longer.

"I must find the princess and the Star Sapphire before our master breaks free..."

The youma Slasher reappeared elsewhere in the park and began to harrass innocent passers-by. She wounded several teenagers with her blades, and had started to scare young children by the time Amy passed the park.

Alarmed, Amy ducked behind a tree and pulled out her communicator. "Guys, we've got trouble in the park! It looks like a youma, and it's attacking innocent people! I need back-up, hurry!"

Shoving her communicator back out of sight, Amy quickly transformed.

"Mercury Star Power -- Make Up!"

She ran into the park and faced the youma. "I don't know who you are, but I won't let you torment innocent people! I am Sailor Mercury, and you're toast, youma! Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The youma laughed derisively and easily dodged Mercury's attack. "Silly girl, where are your friends? I'm not interested in just you, I want to have a little chat with all of you together. Is that so much to ask?" She absently shot a volley of razorblades at Sailor Mercury from her right wrist.

Mercury dodged breathlessly, and fell at the feet of the other senshi.

"How dare you attack our beautiful park? I am Sailor Jupiter, and I will not allow you to deface such a lovely place!"

"People come here to get away from the pressures of living in the city. I am Sailor Venus, and I will not let you terrorize these people!"

"Don't you youma ever learn not to mess with the Sailor Senshi? I am Sailor Mars, and I'm getting tired of scum like you!"

"Really, like you guys have a chance anyway! I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice, and on behalf of the moon, I will punish you!"

The youma smiled evilly. "Well, isn't this a nice little reunion? Now that you've all had a chance to make your cute little speeches, I will destroy you!" Slasher jumped into the air and shot several volleys of blades at the senshi.

Angered, Sailor Jupiter jumped out of the way and rounded on the youma. "That's not very nice, you know. Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The attack hit Slasher and weakened her slightly. Sailor Venus darted in to help. "Venus Love Me Chain!" The glittering chain struck the youma head-on, and she dropped to her knees.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" shouted Sailor Mars.

Sailor Moon raised her Scepter. "Moon Princess Halation!" The youma Slasher wailed as she disintegrated.

"Well, that was easy," Jupiter quipped.

The air shimmered in front of them, and the senshi gasped as Blaze appeared.

"Don't celebrate just yet, ladies. Youma Slasher was nothing more than a test. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blaze -- I am the Elemental of Fire and one of the four great warriors of the Elements. Now, where is the Star Sapphire!?"

Sailor Moon stared at the Elemental. "The Elements? And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

Blaze glared at her. "You will learn the power of my masters in time. If you do not surrender the Star Sapphire, my master will be forced to destroy you and your world!"

The senshi looked at each other, confused. "Star Sapphire? Never heard of it!" Sailor Moon fluttered a hand at Blaze. "Now be a good little flunkie and go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under. We don't have any Star Sapphire, and even if we did, we certainly wouldn't give it to morons like you!"

Blaze's orange eyes flashed fire, and he began to fade. "Believe me, you little Sailor brats, we will meet again. And our next meeting will not be so amiable..."

He faded from sight, returning to his own world.

Master...?" Blaze's voice was tentative.

"What is it?" The red eyes flared to life, boring into Blaze.

"The Senshi know nothing of the Sapphire. They have defeated the first youma, and Sailor Moon speaks the truth when she says she has never heard of the Star Sapphire."

"Ah, but I know she has heard of it. It has been so long... she has no memory of the Sapphire, it was not necessary. But without it they have no hope of defeating me." The flickering red eyes turned back to Blaze after that brief moment of distraction. "Keep an eye on the senshi. They will lead you to the Star Princess. And she has the Sapphire..."