"...In other news a series of random suicides are popping up in the area of Azabu Juuban, in Tokyo, Japan." said the news castor as a close up map filled the TV screen. A series of X's dotted the map to show where the bodies were found. The news castor continued with the leading story, "Authorities claim that these are completely random, but there are speculations of a possible cult..."
Silence fell as the TV was turned off.
"Oh, dear. Isn't that the location of the Sailor Soldiers?" said a red-head as she looked over at a plump, elderly couple as they nodded in agreement. "Mama, Papa, I believe it's time that I took my leave of you."
They stood up and the red-head walked over to the couple with whom she had lived with for many years. They weren't really her parents. Far from it. For in all actuality, she was several years their senior, but looked all of twenty-one. They smile and hugged.
"Must you go? It's going to be very busy shortly." said the elderly man.
"Oh Papa," said his wife with a chuckle. "You've got me and the helpers to aid you on your way."
He laughed full heartedly and replied, "You're right, Mama. But still it seems so much easier with our friend here...."
The red-head smiles and chuckled. "My friend, there will be other nights in other years for me to help you. But there's another group that needs me more. For now, I must bid adu. Goodbye, Santa. Tell Rudolph and the others that I'm sorry to miss this year's ride."
She then put on her hooded cloak and walked out the door, into a light snow storm. With the abilities and stamina of the Sailor Soldier powers she was endowed with, the red-head took large leaps on her way towards Japan.
Santa looked at his wife and sighed.
"It's a long way from here to Japan, Mama."
"It sure is Papa. But what can we do about it? The reindeer are too busy limbering up for this year's ride or I'm sure we'd be able to lend her one of them."
"Don't we have a spare sleigh? You remember, Mama? The one that is collecting dust..."
"Yes we do. But the fact still remains that there are no available reindeer to pull it."
"Oh. Right."
"Besides, where she's going it'd seem a bit odd to have a sleigh pulled by reindeer going down the streets."
They sigh and both look towards the horizon in the direction where their red-headed friend went.
"Hey Santa!" a new voice called out.
Santa turned and saw Dasher leading two Clydesdale horses towards him.
"Clydesdale horses? In this area of the world? How on Earth did they get here?" asked Santa's wife.
"Mama, you read my mind. Dasher, what's going on?"
"These two here have come a long way to aid and guide our red-headed friend in her travels. They can in essence fly like we reindeer can, but...hey, where's she?"
"Something came up and she had to go. I fear for the worst because we couldn't spare any reindeer for the second sleigh that's collecting dust."
"Well then," Dasher said to the two Clydesdale horses. "You two came in just about the nick of time. If we can get you hitched up quick enough, then she should be only reaching the edge of the North Pole boundaries when you find her. Uh, you two can find her, right?"
The two Clydesdales nodded and neighed. In two blinks of an eye and a shake of a tail, the sleigh looked good as new again. The Clydesdales were then hitched up and on their way.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the final class of the day. The students sat in their seats and waited for Kurasu-sensei to appear. Even Tsukino Usagi, who was normally always late, was on time. Minutes passed, and the students began to be concerned . Kurasu-sensei was never late to class before. As if on cue, the principal walked in with grief written on his face.
"Class, it brings me great sadness to say this, but it must be said. On Saturday morning, Kurasu-sensei was found dead at his house. There is reason to believe it was suicide, but it isn't confirmed."
The class as a whole gasped at the news. The students murmured amongst themselves. The shocking news practically slammed into Usagi. Tears streamed from her eyes.
'Kurasu-sensei is gone? How? Why? He seemed so happy on Friday.'
The principal looked at the students and weakly smiled. He then motioned at the person outside the door. A six foot tall, red headed woman walked in gracefully. Usagi and her classmates looked in awe. Something about the new person temporarily snapped her out of her blue funk.
'She is so tall. Even taller than Mako-chan...almost as tall as Mamo-chan...' Usagi thought.
She looked over at Makoto, who shared the same classes this year. Makoto looked back at Usagi and nodded. They were thinking just about the exact same thing. They both went back to looking at new comer.
"And now, class, I would like to introduce your new history sensei, Merrie Khriste Massu."
The students stood up and bowed.
"Hello, Khriste-sensei." they said in unison.
"Hello, students. I am truly sorry to have come at such a sad occasion. If any of you feel like you need to talk about it, I'll be here for a while after class is done for the day."
The principal took his leave as the students sat down.
"Now, as for today's agenda, I was thinking that maybe you all can introduce yourselves and tell me what projects you were currently working on for this class. Does anyone want to go first or shall I randomly choose someone to go first?"
A few students, including Usagi and Makoto, rose their hands. Khriste-sensei pointed at Makoto. Makoto stood up.
"I am Kino Makoto..." Makoto started introducing herself.
By the time the last bell rang, Khriste-sensei had learned the student's names and found that the current history subject was about the Second Crusade that was waged in Lebanon in the late 1100's. Makoto had to tug on one of Usagi's pony tails to keep her from falling asleep as Khriste-sensei put in her two cents worth about what happened during that time period.
After class a few students, including Makoto and Usagi, actually took Khriste-sensei up on her offer to lend a listening ear. Before the two friends left, Khriste-sensei smiled and winked with a knowing gesture.
'Weird! It's like if she could read our minds or knew our other identities or something.' Makoto thought and later told Usagi who quickly agreed that she got the same feeling.
In a corner booth in the Fruit Parlor, that was above the Crown Arcade, Luna and Artemis sat in with Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako. They were holding a study session and also talking about the new history teacher.
"Could she really be able to do such a thing?" Makoto asked the cat advisors.
"Doubtful...But still, I wonder why that name seems to ring a bell. Oooh...it's like my memory is clouded over...something tells me that name was important in the past, but why is hard to tell right now." Luna said, swishing her tail.
"It's strange..." Artemis started to say.
Before Artemis could finish his thought, the breaking of one of the large windows caught the attention of everyone in the parlor. Standing there in front of the now broken window was a male with semi-short cropped blue hair, blood red eyes, gauntlets and a white one piece sleeveless outfit that could only be described as something resembling Greek attire but with a rounded out lemon-yellow sailor collar and little mosquitoes embroidered on the thin bronze stripe near the skirted hemline. He was also barefooted, yet hadn't a single scratch on him from the broken glass.
The crowd of customers and employees started to panic as the unidentified man started upturning tables and chairs. There was nothing that the five girls could do. It had been a little over a year since their last transformation, and still there was the fact that they couldn't let others in on their other identities.
"Everyone, get these people out of here!" Luna exclaimed to the girls.
"Right!" they said in unison.
As Khriste rode home in her sleigh, a smile of contentment sprawled on her face. If her senses were correct, which most of the time they were, she may have just found out something in her new history class. She wasn't certain, but in time all would come together like pieces of a puzzle. She pulled her hooded cloak closer to her body as she lightly tugged at the reigns. A sudden chill went down Khriste's spine.
"Oh gosh, another one?" she asked quietly.
She urged the horses to go faster as she lifted the hood of the cloak over her head. Even though the street was devoid of any onlookers, she waited until after the horses took off before shouting out a five word magical phrase.
"This guy is tough. It'd be easier to blast him, then try to move the stuff away from the door to get everyone out of here." Makoto said to the others barely over a whisper.
"But you can't just let your identities be revealed... Even if it is to a small group." Artemis said.
"I can't get a good fix on him on my mini-computer." Ami said in frustration while typing furiously.
"Whomever he is, he's definitely a real big pest..." Minako said with a scowl on her face.
The enemy picked up another table and flung it at the girls. Before it could reach them however, a wreath shot through the air and crashed into the table, stopping it in its tracks. That attracted the enemy's attention, plus that of the five girls. All of the other patrons were either trying to franticly move the rubble out of the way, or were too frozen with fright to really notice the new arrival.
"Oh, dear. I suppose I'll have to pay for that table now." said a new, yet disembodied voice.
"Who're you?" the enemy asked, looking around for the source of the voice.
Suddenly as if by magic, a new Sailor Soldier appeared. She removed a hooded cloak that had poinsettias embroidered around the hemline and tossed it aside. Then she shook her short cropped red hair and smiled.
"Guided by the shining light, Northern Star, I am the joyful sailor suited soldier, Sailor Christmas. On behalf of the hopes and joys of the Christmas season, I'll put an end to those who do harm to others. Prepare to see the light!"
"Ooh, another pest to squash!" the enemy said with an evil chuckle.
"Not this time you don't, nor ever! Poinsettia Petal Dance!"
The attack, which consisted of poinsettia petals, swirled around Sailor Christmas before being directed at the enemy. The five girls watched as the poinsettia petals knock the enemy around, some of the petals even cut into his flesh.
That within itself only made the enemy more angry. Energy balls formed around his fists. The energy balls took the form of insecticide spray bottles. With the anger built up within him, he grasped his hands tightly around the necks of the bottles.
"Pesticite Spr..."
"Hold it!" shouted Sailor Christmas as she let loose another wreath and knocked the spray bottles out of his hands. "Don't you realize we're in an enclosed building? If you spray in here, then you're likely to harm yourself as well as your targets!"
"Uhm, Pesticite think not. You just made it good for Pesticite. Pesticite leave now and let you see what happens when those break." he sneered. He hurled an energy bolt at the spray bottles and took a running leap out of the broken window. As he disappeared from sight, he evilly laughed and said, "Pesticite go bye-bye!"
The two spray bottles exploded and let out a noxious liquid. As soon as the liquid touched the floor, toxic fumes started rising. Barely able to have any time to think, Sailor Christmas spotted the two cats who started to cough as they were closer to the floor. She grabbed them and wrapped them in her cloak while holding them with one arm in a protective manor. With her free hand she gathered another wreath and broke through the rubble so that everyone could escape.
She noticed how five girls were trying to help the other patrons out the doors. She smiles for a second and then remembered the liquid. Holding the cats as close as possible to her body, Sailor Christmas took a running leap out of the window and disappeared into the sunset.