"Looks like he actually did something right for a change," Lady Muerta said.  Her remark was made in reference to the scene that she and her sisters were watching through their crystal ball.
     "Who, Cuchillo?" Nova asked.  She had appeared out of nowhere and was suddenly standing behind the Death Ladies and looking over their shoulders into their crystal ball.  "He did something right?  This I’ve got to see."
     "Nova!" Lady Espirita shrieked.  "You…um, you startled us," she said, trying to appear calm.
     "My apoligies," Nova said, bowing before her leaders.  "So what exactly did Cuchillo do?"
     "Well, we didn’t see exactly what happened," Lady Diabla said, "but we did see him stealing Sailor Spica’s sword!"
     "Really?" Nova acted impressed, although she was disappointed that the sword she had given him hadn’t worked.  "Sailor Spica?  Isn’t she the carrier of the Dream Sword?"
     "Yes, she is," Muerta answered.
     "And do you know what else?" Diabla asked.  "The Sapphire Star might be contained in the Dream Sword!"  At the thought of that, the Ladies all shrieked with laughter.
     Nova, however, was doubtful.  "I’m not sure about this.  I mean, usually Cuchillo is so irresponsible and all…do you think he really might have gotten the Star?"
     "He may be irresponsible," Espirita said, "but I think he might have changed."
     "I don’t think so," Nova said.  "I think he’s just the same irresponsible Cuchillo that he always was.  And always will be," she added, mostly for effect.
     "I’m what?" Cuchillo had appeared behind Nova, back from his mission, carrying the Dream Sword.
     "Oh…nothing," Nova replied, obviously abashed at his sudden entrance.
     Cuchillo ignored her and walked forward, kneeling before the Death Ladies.  "M’ladies, the Dream Sword of Sailor Spica," he pronounced.
     "Nicely done, Cuchillo," Muerta acknowledged.  "Now how did you come by this?"
     "It was quite easy, really," Cuchillo said modestly.  Upon hearing this Nova snorted, but Cuchillo chose to ignore her.  "I weakened Spica, then just snatched the sword out of her hands."  He snapped his fingers.  "It was that easy."
     "It was that easy, my foot," Nova muttered.  Apparently no one heard her, or else they would have reacted.  "It was my creation that allowed him to weaken Spica and steal her sword."
     "Impressive," Diabla said.
     "And this sword allows me to use her powers," Cuchillo added, carefully leaving out how he was able to use sailor soldier powers in the first place.  "I can attack using her attacks."
     "You could probably even transform into her!" Nova added, giggling at the idea.  "Imagine that, Cuchillo as Sailor Spica!"
     "Nova…" Espirita began.  "If you don’t mind, we would rather that you leave."  Nova stalked off, but did not leave the room.
     "So Cuchillo…" Muerta asked.  "What about that daimon that you were able to rescue from the battle at the human library?"
     "The one that you kept alive for at least an hour, unlike your other daimons?" Nova added with a smirk.
     "Nova, I recall Espirita telling you to leave," Diabla said.  Nova sighed dejectedly and left, but waited in the hallway outside the Ladies’ room, listening.
     "The daimon?" Cuchillo replied.  "Oh, that daimon.  Since I won’t be needing him anymore now that I have Spica’s powers, I have him secured in my laboratory.  If I ever require his services again, I will call upon him."
     "Anyway, Cuchillo," Diabla continued.  "We praise you for your excellent work.  If you keep this up we may be able to promote you!"
     "I assure you, Madam," Cuchillo replied modestly, "that isn’t necessary."
     "Oh, but it is!" Espirita said.  "You are doing superb work, Cuchillo.  Much better than that lazy brick Oscurio.  We would like for you to collect as much energy as possible, on your next mission.  Understood?"
     "Yes, Ladies," Cuchillo agreed.  He bowed to them once again, then left the room only to find Nova hiding behind the door.
     "So you’re getting promoted?" she asked.  "How…interesting."
     "Nova!" Cuchillo yelled, caught off guard.
     "Did you hear what Espirita said about Oscurio?" Nova whispered in a gossipy tone, giggling.  "A ‘lazy brick,’ is he?  When you fail she’ll probably refer to you like that."
     "Oh, shut up!" Cuchillo silenced her.  "I will not fail, Nova.  You shall see."
     "I shall see, all right," Nova muttered, as she turned down the corridor towards her office.  "I shall see that he does fail."

     Daphne hurried into class, hoping that she wouldn’t be late.  Just as the bell rang, she slid into her seat next to Michelle.  "Hi, Michelle," Daphne greeted her friend, slightly out of breath.
     Michelle smiled at her, although disapproving.  "Daphne, you and Sara are always late," she complained.  "Will you ever learn to be responsible?"
     "I’m responsible!" Daphne argued.  "I’m just not a fast walker.  I mean, they only give you five minutes in between classes here!  At my old school they gave us seven, so I could take my time more."
     "Seven?"  Michelle repeated, shaking her head in disbelief.  "Well five minutes is enough for me, and I probably walk slower than you, Daphne."
     "Attention, class!" Mrs. Walter, the teacher, called out.  "We have a new student.  She will be arriving soon."  Right on cue, the door opened.  In stepped a girl carrying a sky-blue bookbag over her shoulder.  The girl had extremely long light green hair and blue eyes.  She wore all blue, and her clothes were stylish and matched perfectly.  She smiled at the class, and she appeared very friendly-looking.  (Author’s note: Gee, I wonder who she is?)
     "Oh, and here she is  right now!" Mrs. Walter exclaimed.  "Class, this is Shiloe Jefferson.  She has been home-schooled all her life and is just trying out regular school, so please everyone be friendly to her."  The teacher turned to Shiloe.  "Shiloe, why don’t you tell us about yourslef…?"
     Shiloe smiled and nodded to the teacher, then faced the class.  "Well, I’m fifteen years old, and I like archery, gymnastics, and ballet.  My other hobby is programming computers, which my dad taught me to do since he’s a programmer himself.  I only live with my dad…my mom died when I was seven."
     "Oh, how sad," the teacher murmured. "I’m sorry about your mother, Shiloe.  Well, why don’t you take a seat in behind of Daphne Colinas over there?  Daphne, raise your hand so that Shiloe can find you."  Daphne did as she was told, and Shiloe walked over to her and sat down behind her.
     "Hello!" Daphne turned around immediately, and greeted the new girl.  "I’m Daphne Colinas, but you already know that, right?  Anyway, I’m—"
     "Miss Colinas," Mrs. Walter said.  "I’m teaching the day’s lesson, and you are disturbing the class!"
     "Sorry," Daphne replied.  Once the teacher had turned around again, she turned back to Shiloe.  "So what’s homeschooling like?"
     "Actually," Shiloe said, "it’s a lot like regular school.  Only it’s just me, and my dad is the only teacher."  She glanced at the math problems that Mrs. Walter was writing.  "And I learn differently.  No chalkboards or anything, and I don’t study algebra, I study college math."
     "You study what?" Michelle turned around, suddenly interested.  "College?"
     "Yeah, college-level math," Shiloe replied.  "I studied algebra a long time ago…when I was in fifth grade."
     Michelle was stunned.  "Fifth?!"
     The teacher turned around again.  "Michelle Weston, Daphne Colinas, and Shiloe Jefferson.  If you are going to disturb my class, you can go stand in the hall until the period is over."
     The three girls sighed, walking out the door dejectedly.
     "Anyway," Michelle continued, picking up the conversation where they left off, "so you study college-level stuff?"
     "Yeah," Shiloe replied, like it was no big deal to her.  "Stuff like math, English, biochemistry, Shakespearean literature…I also study languages like Japanese and Spanish.  All equivalent to what one might learn in first-year college."
 Michelle could only stare, slack-jawed.  Daphne decided to fill in this awkward pause by saying, "So are you some kind of genius or something?"
     "Actually, yes," Shiloe confirmed.  "I am.  I’m just attending normal school to just see what it’s like, you know?  I studied all this stuff in sixth and seventh grade, but I’m repeating it because I’ve never really attended normal school.  I did when I was in kindergarten, but my teachers suggested that my dad homeschool me because I could learn much more quickly than the other kids."
     Michelle had snapped out of her trance-like state.  "So you…you’ve already been through high school?" she asked.  "You’re actually supposed to be in college now, but you’re going back to school in order to see what it’s like?"
     "Yeah," Shiloe replied.  "My dad thinks I’m too sheltered, but I’m not.  It was his idea for me to come back to school in the first place," she shrugged.
     Just then the bell rang, and it was time to go to lunch.  After the girls explained this to Shiloe, they headed for the lunchroom.
     "You know what?" Shiloe asked all of a sudden, as Daphne and Michelle were sitting at their usual table.  "Somehow it feels like I know you guys from somewhere, but I don’t know…"
     "Really?" Daphne answered.  "Me too.  It’s like…well, I don’t really believe in reincarnation but it’s like I knew you in a past life."
     At that comment, Michelle whispered to Daphne, "You think she’s a Sailor Astro?  I mean, if she was we would have known her in a past life, right?"
     Daphne nodded in response, then whispered back, "I don’t know."
    Then, looking back at Shiloe, she thought to herself, "Oh my God!  She looks exactly like…"  But she didn’t finish that thought, because at that moment Dani, Lilia, and Sara sat down at the table.
    "Hi guys!" Sara greeted them.  "Oh, hello," she added to Shiloe.  "You’re the new girl, right?  The genius girl who is trying out high school.  Aren’t you?"  Lilia elbowed Sara, trying to clue her into her insensitivity.
    "Yes, I am," Shiloe replied, laughing.  "It’s okay.  You can call me genius girl if you want to."  This caused Sara, and eventually everyone else, to laugh with her.
    "Well, I’m Sara Riker," Sara said, and the others introduced themselves too.
    Shortly thereafter, Ryan took a seat at the table.  "Hi guys," he said.  "Sorry I’m late, but I…hey!" he stopped, noticing Shiloe.  "You’re the new girl aren’t you?"
    Before Shiloe had gotten a chance to respond, Sara jumped in.  "She’s that genius who is trying high school for the first time!"  Upon hearing this, Ryan eyed her, genuinely interested.
    "Are you?" he asked.
    "Yes," Shiloe replied.  "I’m ‘that genius girl’ that you’ve probably all heard of.  And yes, I’m just trying out high school here."  Suddenly, she looked strangely at Dani, staring intently at her.
    "Um, Daniella?" Shiloe spoke up.
    "What?" Dani asked, looking up and noticing how strangely Shiloe was looking at her.
    "Or…should I say Sailor Zephyr?" Shiloe added, a smug grin crossing her face.
    The others just stared back at her in total shock.  Dani looked around to make sure no one heard, then whispered, "How did you know who I am?"
    "Maybe I should introduce myself," Shiloe said.  "I am Sailor Spica, Soldier of Dreams."
    That introduction caused everyone at the table to gasp in shock.  Michelle smacked her forehead, "How could I have been so stupid?" she wondered aloud.  "I didn’t even notice!"
    "Really, Andromeda," Shiloe apologized, "it’s all right."  That comment only raised more gasps of shock from the others.
    "Hey, hold the fort a minute," Ryan broke in.  "How can we be sure?  I mean, how do we know that you’re not some Darkdeath warrior trying to sabotage us?"
    "Well, Orion," Shiloe said.  "You guys can just come outside and I’ll transform.  All right?"
    The other Astros only nodded in total shock, and they proceeded to follow Shiloe outside.  She led them to a secluded area behind the school building, then stopped.
    "Okay, this should do," she said finally.  "No one will be able to find us here."
    "Well?" Daphne urged.  "Go on and transform."
    "Have patience, Inferno," Shiloe laughed.  "Spica Astral Star Power, transform!"  When she had said her transformation phrase, a purple mist faded in.  The mist faded in and out around her, and when it had disappeared it revealed a fully transformed Sailor Spica.
    "Oh…my…" Michelle whispered.
    "What the heck?" Dani muttered, shocked.
    Spica smiled back at them, "Now you guys transform."  The others nodded shakily and began their respective transformations.
    "Zephyr Astral Star Power…"
    "Io Astral Star Power…"
    "Vega Astral Star Power…"
    "Andromeda Astral Star Power…"
    "Orion Astral Star Power…"
    "Inferno Astral Star Power…"
    "TRANSFORM!" all the Astros yelled in unison.  They went through their various transformations, then posed.
    "Well," Sailor Zephyr said, "welcome to the team Shiloe, Sailor Spica."