"Kinsei-san being associated with Sailor V makes sense, I think, but... We have even fewer leads on this second Guardian. It's possible they're genuinely just copy-cats, but... It'd be odd for an ordinary human to fight monsters."

"Maybe the second one is Angel-san, and that's why they hit it off well enough to work together on the musical."

"That'd be a pretty wild coincidence."

"Almost as wild as two Sailor Guardians being in the same class and going to the same library after school for years before properly meeting. Wait, now that sounds distressingly plausible."

She laughs. "We're both very reserved people naturally, aren't we?" 

"Guess so." Erika laughs a bit.

"Though, I think Luna said the other Guardians would be around our age. Kinsei-san fits, but Angel-san is older, isn't she?"

She frowns and flips to Angel's bio. "By a few years, yeah. And she's an Aquarius, which is ruled by Uranus – which doesn't fit, since we're looking for Venus, Mars, and Jupiter... Mars will be an Aries, Jupiter a Sagittarius, Venus either a Libra or Taurus – Luna's fairly certain a Taurus, and that the planet Eris hypothesis is correct, which means Venus only rules Taurus." (Eris being a planet whose existence can be inferred from astrology, but which hasn't been found yet – all of Ceres, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were first theorized by astrologers, though, based on the zodiac not lining up perfectly with the traditionally dual-assigned planets, and Venus is the only modern planet to still have a dual assignment.) "Aino Kinsei is a Taurus, which fits at least..."

"It could be a copycat... Or just unrelated."

"And even if they're more powerful than ordinary humans, Luna's said even humans without Sailor Crystals can learn magic. Or, there could be strife between monsters, and two of them disguised themselves while fighting the others."

"Mm. Idol Sailors are fun to think about, though."

"They are."

"And, what was it Kinsei-san said about their meeting? 'The kind of wild coincidence that can only be fate' – maybe it's fate pulling us together."

"Could be."

"It feels like it."

Smile.

Back to work?

Back to work! Ami doesn't finish correlating foreign sightings with Aino Kinsei's movements – that'll easily take days, though, even longer to substantiate rumors, so she isn't too worried about it.

The cafe's open late, but they should probably head to Erika's home to get some rest before heading to the radio station once Erika's mom's asleep. (Ami believes the most efficient way to go about this is to have another sleepover, so they're not trying to meet up at the radio station later.)

Sleepover is good. (wait heck the bed again That can be Future Erika problems, that approach worked out last time.)

Ami will take a quick nap before the appointed time, like last time – though since they want to be at the station before midnight, she doesn't get in quite as much sleep. It's enough, though.

Good enough to not fall asleep in the middle of a fight.

Quietly out of the house, then they can transform and make their way to the broadcast tower.

They're going to have to get past a guard on the first floor – either via disguises or via going in a window; there's a few open on the tower, some into dark rooms. 

Disguises could be useful for moving around inside too. If Mercury doesn't object?

"Not at all."

"Mercury Power – change me into an elegant reporter!" Light shimmers around her, turning her serafuku into a white blazer and blue pencil skirt. She still has the same blue hair and face, but she looks subtly grown up. 

"Moon Power, Change Me into a night-shift technician!"

It doesn't change her much, though she's now in an unfamiliar uniform with an ID showing her face and the word 'TECHNICIAN.' Mercury walks up to the guard with a confident stroll, flashes her power-provided ID (which helpfully informs everyone she's a reporter) at him, and they're waved through without incident, or any real apparent interest on his part. (Luna follows at their heels, well under his line of sight.)

Now, for Midnight Zero... There's a directory for FM no. 10's recording studio, which seems like the best place to start. Mercury doesn't break stride or show any uncertainty as she heads to the elevator. 

Perfect. Moon follows her confidently. They belong here, after all.

Nobody stops or questions them, and the door to the studio is unlocked... Mercury opens it – revealing a room with a handful of employees, all slumped over onto their desks or in their chairs. Mercury curses and goes to check on them. "They're all breathing," she says, quietly, then glances at the closed door into the recording area proper. The little 'Recording In Progress' light is illuminated.