Alan
25th November 2003, 05:00 AM
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Oh, and here's a revised edition of this. Changes were made, so comments =
are appreciated. On-list is fine. :)
Sailor Moon does not belong to me. That is all.
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: smfic1.txt
An Alternate View
A Sailor Moon fanfiction
Phase 1 - New Moon
"Please... don't hurt me!" the young woman cried out, backing
away as her boyfriend fell limp from the arms of the thing that had
attacked them as they were heading home.
"I won't hurt you..." it said, its face twisted in a hideous
leer as it took a step forward. "I'll simply drain you of your energy
for my Queen!" It reached out, one clawed hand flexing menacingly,
toward the young woman.
"Noooo!"
A moment later, the young woman lay still, her chest rising
slowly.
"Lord Jadeite will be pleased," the creature hissed, then
crouched before launching itself into the air, aiming for the nearby
roof.
A colored blur struck as it was halfway through the jump,
slamming into it with enough force to pitch the creature back to the
pavement in the alleyway.
"I had almost given up hope that one of you would show your face
tonight," a voice said cheerfully. "Thank you so much for not
disapointing me, youma."
The youma hissed, moving into a crouch as it scanned the area.
It was her. It had to be. The Destroyer.
"Behind you," the voice said, a velvet whisper in the dim alley
way. The youma hissed, spinning, its claws extended to shred whatever
might be there.
They met only air.
"Ooops, too slow," came the voice again, from above, mocking.
"Have to be faster if you want to live."
The youma crouched again, hissing still, then shot from the
alleyway at a sprint.
"Looks like this one might be a bit smarter than the last few,"
the voice remarked, before a shadow detached itself from the ledge above
where the youma had stood and took off at a run across the rooftop after
the creature, twin ponytails trailing behind her as she ran.
Chibipoe Productions
Presents
An Alternate View
A Sailor Moon Fiction
The youma's breath burned in its lungs as it ran, sparing a
second every few minutes to look back over its shoulder fearfully.
Seeing nothing, it slowed down, gasping for air.
"Shouldn't have stopped, youma," the voice of the Destroyer
called out, air whistling as the hunter catapulted off of the roof, feet
smashing into the middle of the youma's back, sending it sprawling. The
figure backflipped out of the attack, using her momentum to land
gracefully.
"I will not be taken by you, Destroyer!" the youma screamed,
regaining its feet with startling swiftness and lunging at the shadowed
figure of its attacker.
"The last fifty said the same thing," retorted her attacker,
smoothly moving out of the way of the charge and seizing the creature's
arm in the same instant, throwing it into a light post with all the
momentum of the avoided charge. The lightpost bent around the youma's
body with a loud clang. "You're no different from them."
"Raaaarrrr!" it screamed, charging at her again, enraged.
"This ends," the voice whispered, blocking the attack with a
sharp kick to the chest, before spinning once with another kick that
flung the youma up into the air. For a moment, it seemed to hang there,
motionless.
"Moon Tiara...Action," the words wafted across the gap as the
youma hung there, its eyes widening as it realised it was going to die.
The spinning golden disc tore through the air with a hiss, and
the youma convulsed once, then exploded into sparkles, leaving behind a
glowing sphere of energy.
"I'll just return this to those people, I suppose," the figure
said, catching the disc in one hand as it returned to its original
shape, a golden tiara with a jewel in the center.
Lightning raked across the ground before she could reach the
sphere, stopping her just short of it. "Not so quickly."
"And the king shows himself again..." she murmured, the tiara
settling on her forehead. "I was wondering when you'd grace me with your
presence...Jadeite."
"I'll be taking that energy, Sailor Moon," the hard, cold
voice spoke again.A blonde male appeared, clad in a military-style
uniform.
"Considering the outcome of our last little fight, I don't
recommend you try that." the female said, the lightning's flashes
illuminating her at last. Golden hair crowned her features, twin buns
with ponytails reaching down to her knees on either side of her head. A
red, white, and blue fuku adorned her body, a red collar with a moon on
it circled her neck.
"That was a fluke," he snarled. "You will not fare so well next
time." He put out a hand, and the energy sphere floated toward him.
"Your side still bothering you?" Sailor Moon asked sweetly, an
almost smile on her face that did not reach her eyes.
"Begone, Destroyer," Jadeite snapped, the sphere hovering above
his hand. "You'll find no more prey tonight."
"You're partly right," she agreed. "Only you left to finish
off." With that, she sprang at him, all trace of humor gone.
"Predictable," Jadeite murmured, his other hand coming up. Light
flickered before him, a rounded barrier springing up a half-second before
she reached him. She struck it and rebounded, landing in a crouch and
launching herself forward again. He inwardly allowed a smile,
remembering how she had landed in an ungainly tangle of limbs once, long
ago, when they had fought like this. But now, she didn't waste time
crying for help. She merely changed tactics, launching herself up before
she reached his barrier.
"Another time, Sailor Moon," Jadeite said, saluting as he faded
away, the energy sphere in hand. She came down in a rush, fist at the
ready, but passed only through air to strike the concrete where he had
stood. A crater blossomed out around her fist upon impact, the sound
reverberating through the night.
"Damn..." she swore, standing slowly and looking around. "Damn,
damn, damn."
"Sailor Moon?" a soft voice asked, the light, almost
imperceptible sound of tiny feet on concrete reaching her ears.
"Yes, Luna?" she answered, tilting her head to the side.
"Did he get away?"
"Yes, damnit," she addressed the black cat that stared up at
her, the crescent moon on its forehead gleaming. "He always runs away."
"Patience," Luna murmured. "Eventually you will corner him."
"And then what?" Sailor Moon asked, bitterness in her tone.
"They'll send someone else,most likely. And we'll play the whole
thing out again."
"The police are coming," Luna answered, too familiar with her
protege to feed her frustrations with arguments. "We should go."
"You're right," Sailor Moon nodded. "Nothing left to do here but
be harassed by the police." With that, she leapt onto the nearest
lightpole, then onward onto a rooftop, the cat following easily. Side by
side, the two ran off into the night, where no moon was visible
overhead.
*
Elsewhere, in a place where no moon had ever graced the sky
above, Jadeite knelt, the energy he had retrieved held out before him in
offering.
"You have done well, Jadeite," the sultry voice proclaimed from
her throne. "This energy will be essential to our plans of conquest."
"You honor me, my Queen," Jadeite replied, his head bowed.
"But," she continued, as if he had not spoken. "I sense that you
enjoy fighting our adversary. Perhaps a bit too much."
"I admit that my heart soars when I fight her," he said quietly.
"She is a worthy opponent, my Queen. But, I would not permit that to
endanger the tasks you have set down for me."
"See that it does not," Queen Beryl nodded, her eyes watching
him intently. "You have redeemed yourself from your earlier blunder, of
letting yourself get too involved in fighting her. My generals are too
precious to be killed. Take care that your lust for combat does not
overwhelm your loyalty to me."
"I am your loyal servant, my Queen," Jadeite told her. "I shall
not fail you."
*
Sailor Moon landed on the roof without a sound, turning once to
see Luna land neatly beside her, then walked toward the unlatched
skylight before them.
"Another night and I still haven't found it, Luna," she said
quietly, raising the opening in the window to let Luna drop down into
the loft. "I wonder sometimes if this is really worth it."
"We can't let the Dark Kingdom acquire this world, Sailor Moon,"
Luna's voice drifted up as she landed smoothly on the back of a couch.
"That would be disastrous."
"You know that's never been my reason for doing this," Sailor
Moon replied, turning to look up at the sky for a moment before falling
backwards through the opening and landing smoothly on her feet. The
skylight snapped shut behind her, the latch falling into place with a
click.
"Reasons aside, it is still your mission," Luna said, the words
carrying the feel of a ongoing argument as she curled up on the back of
the couch.
"Whatever, Luna," she laid a hand across the golden locket
nestled in the red bow on her uniform and closed her eyes. It grew warm
beneath her hand, and ribbons unwound from around her body, flowing back
into the locket until she stood in her normal clothes once more.
As always, she reached up, touching the back of her head,
relieved to find the odango and ponytails gone, leaving her with the
short bob-cut she'd worn for years. That done, Tsukino Usagi placed the
locket on the coffee table and crossed the room, her feet sinking
slightly into the plush carpet.
"Did anything seem odd about that attack to you, Usagi?" Luna
asked, watching the girl enter the kitchen and begin looking for some
food.
"No," the muffled reply came back. "Standard hit and run energy
drain. Nothing they haven't been doing for several years now."
"Jadeite doesn't show himself just for a hit and run, Usagi,"
Luna countered, yawning. "Especially not since he challenged you and
lost."
"Yeah, he has been playing it safe since then," Usagi agreed,
placing a container of Chinese leftovers in the microwave and setting it
to warm up. "Probably doesn't want to be gutted again."
"Being overconfident will cost you one day, Usagi," Luna warned,
resting her head on her paws as she watched the young woman come back
into the living room and settle on the couch with her dinner.
"Perhaps," Usagi agreed. "But I'll deal with that day when it
comes." She switched on the tv to the news, turning it up loud enough to
signal that she wasn't interested in continuing the conversation.
"In breaking news tonight," the announcer said as the screen
came up. "Sailor V was again spotted this evening, preventing a bank
robbery as well as several convenience store robberies."
"Wonderful," Usagi muttered. "Her again."
"You idolized her once, didn't you?" Luna asked quietly.
"Don't remind me," came the reply as she turned her attention
back to the tv.
"Sailor V!" a reporter called out, rushing forward at the head
of a crowd toward the figure as she dusted off her hands. "Can we get a
comment?"
"I have a few minutes," the blonde said, eyes sparkling behind
the mask she wore.
"What do you think of the reports about this vigilante Sailor
Moon?" one screamed, shoving a microphone into her face. "And the
similarities between your costume and hers? Are you her in disguise?"
"Sailor Moon is a myth," Sailor V said patiently, with the air
of someone who has answered this question many times. "No one has ever
seen this so-called vigilante or ever gotten her picture."
"You didn't answer if you were her, though!" Another shouted.
"Sorry, that's all the time I have for questions," Sailor V
announced, flashing the victory sign at the cameras. "Take care." With
that, she launched into the air, vanishing from sight as the cameramen
tried to track her movements.
"Show-off," Usagi muttered, pressing the remote's channel up
button and snarling as she found another news report about Sailor V.
"We at channel twelve want to extend our thanks to Sailor V, our
city's protector, for the valiant efforts she puts forth to keep us all
safe from harm." the anchorman was saying.
"We here at the Tsukino household want you to stuff it," Usagi
retorted, mimicking the man before changing the channel yet again to a
music station.
"Ooooh, Aino Minako," Usagi smiled, setting the remote down and
starting on her food as Aino Minako's latest single, Moonlight Densetsu,
echoed from her television's speakers.
"I don't understand how you can listen to this preprocessed
garbage," Luna complained, shaking her head slowly as she regarded her
charge. "Why don't you try some classical music? Tchaikovsky. Mozart.
Beethoven."
"They're all boring, Luna," Usagi rolled her eyes, as if the
answer was obvious. "Aino Minako is not."
"Sayeth she who has never listened to them," Luna muttered,
turning her head away from the televsion. "When all you listen to is
that tripe, it's little wonder you fail to recognise good music when you
hear it."
"Pfftt," Usagi turned her head toward the feline, sticking out
her tongue. "You're just jealous that I won't let you play those cds
when I'm around."
"Seeing as how I am a feline," the cat said, turning her nose up
slightly. "It would hardly do for me to be bothered with something as
mundane as putting the cd in the stereo. That's what you humans are
for."
"Oh, right," rolling her eyes, Usagi set her food down and
scooped the cat off of the back of the couch, setting Luna down in her
lap. "So we're not here to pet you until you're lazing about like a
lump, then?"
"Well...that too," Luna purred, curling up against Usagi's
stomach. "In all seriousness, I am a bit concerned about this Sailor V's
activities. She's been drawing more and more attention to herself
recently. In fact, she started doing this right about the time you
started drawing more attention to your activities."
"You think she's drawing attention away from Sailor Moon?" Usagi
asked, frowning.
"It is possible," the cat admitted. "She may be one of the
Senshi."
"And so we come back to that," Usagi sighed.
"You can't keep doing this by yourself, Usagi," Luna told her
evenly. "Eventually they're going to send something you can't handle."
"I'm not going to let you wake someone else up and have what
happened to my family happen to them," Usagi retorted. "The answer is
still no. Now, back on topic. Sailor V. Senshi."
Luna sighed. "I suspect she may be a senshi, as I said. Not,
however, one I am familiar with. She probably woke on her own. What I
don't understand is why she's drawing so much attention to herself, or
who, exactly, she is. My memories are clouded, but I don't remember a
Sailor V from the past."
"I suppose we'll find out who she is, eventually," Usagi said,
settling the cat on a cushion nearby before rising to dispose of her
food. "In the meantime, I have an early day tomorrow, so I need to get
some sleep." She dumped the container in the trash and placed her fork
in the dishwasher, then went into her bedroom. Luna sat there a moment,
an almost frown on her normally inscrutable feline face, then followed.
She narrowly missed the pair of shorts that were flung
carelessly to the floor without a backward glance as her protege
undressed. "Usagi, you have no shame."
"You're probably right, Luna," Usagi said, not really paying
attention as she pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it to the
floor as well.
"Are you planning to go out again tomorrow night?" Luna asked,
jumping up onto the bed and watching the slender young woman pull on a
oversized shirt to sleep in.
"Probably," Usagi yawned, flipping off the lights and crawling
under the covers. "Sleep now. Talk tomorrow."
"Good night, Usagi-chan," Luna whispered quietly, curling up as
well.
"G'night, Luna." the young woman replied, drifting off into
slumber.
*
It was after three a.m., and the young woman lay blissfully
unaware as she slept, curled next to the black feline she kept. He
didn't know what drew him, every month at the new moon, to this place. But here he
came, looking down on her through the skylight above. His
eyes traced the lines of her face as he touched the glass lightly, then
drew away. A rustle of cloth later, and he was gone, leaving nothing but
silence.
*
Tsukino Usagi had never been one to rise early. This fact had
not changed, despite a multitude of other things giving way to the
pressures of living alone. But, on the odd occassions when she did, in
fact, give in to her baser desires and sleep late, something inevitably
woke her.
Today was no exception. And the thing that chose to disrupt her
sleeping was the harsh trilling of the phone by the bedstand. A muffled
grunt, and a hand fumbled out from beneath the covers, lifting the
cordless unit and pulling it back underneath the sheets.
"...It's only nine a.m. What could possibly be so bad?" she
grumbled.
"Tsukino-san?" a bright voice said. "We need you down at the
Osa-P center. There was a robbery last night. We need as many photos as
possible before the police cordon off the area. You're closest. So
hurry."
"...Yes, sir," Usagi hung up without another word, pushing
herself free of the covers and heading for the shower.
She emerged roughly ten minutes later, scrubbing her hair while
rooting around for suitable clothes. Her clothes of choice were simple.
A white t-shirt with a rabbit on the front and cream-colored slacks.
Grabbing her camera and equipment, she started toward the door, then
stopped. A moment's frown and she turned back to the couch, grabbing the
golden locket on the table and pocketing it before heading out the door
without a backward glance.
The Osa-P shopping center was a fairly impressive place, all
things considered. Usagi didn't spend much time there, as it was the
place where she had rescued Naru multiple times. The fact that so many
people were always coming and going through it made it a feeding ground
for the youma.
Or it had.
After her first few stumbles, she had taken a rather brutal
approach to dealing with the youma. Not long after she made a few object
lessons out of the creatures, they had stopped with the incredibly
juvenile schemes to gather energy and resorted to the hit and run
attacks. Despite this, the Osa-P was still a prime target, and she often
faced down youma here when her hunting of them left them with nowhere
else to go.
Usagi shook her head and tilted the camera up, taking a shot of
the building from the exterior before heading toward the doors. If she
was right, she knew where the break-in had occurred. She slipped through
the door, flashing her press badge at the security officer and brushing
past before he could protest her presence. Her path brought her by the
courtyard where she stopped, staring at the scaffolding and canvas tarps
covering a good portion of the area.
"They still haven't repaired it all," she murmured, eyes falling
on a section of a sculpture that was missing half its torso, the cut
smooth and polished, as if done with a heated object.
"Cuts through anything," Usagi said whimsically, turning and
heading for the escalator. As she expected, the jewelry store had been
cordoned off, a younger woman with auburn hair arguing loudly with the
mall security.
"I don't care if the entire store was looted," she was saying.
"I run this store and I am going in there. Now get out of my way." She
made as if to push past the guard, then saw Usagi.
"Usagi....?" her eyes widened, then she pulled away from the
guard, who, caught in trying to impede her, lost his balance and fell
backwards to the floor. "Usagi!"
"Hullo, Naru," Usagi said, suppressing a smile as the girl swept
her up in a fierce hug.
"I haven't seen you in months, Usagi!" Naru said, stepping back.
"What have you been up to?"
"Work, mostly," Usagi shrugged. "And school. Just taking care of
things."
"Oh," Naru's eyes fell to the camera. "You're here to take
pictures?"
"If at all possible," she admitted, rubbing the back of her
head. "My boss said I was closest, so I got the assignment."
"Well, I think I can arrange for my best friend to get the
scoop," Naru told her, grinning. "Follow me." She strode past the guard,
who was still trying to get up, with Usagi close behind.
"Sometime during the night," Naru said, as Usagi began taking
pictures. "We had a break-in. I was crashing in the back room after
working late and came out to find him again."
"Him?" Usagi looked at Naru, pausing in mid-motion. "The
gentleman bandit, as the Journal dubbed him?"
Naru nodded. "The same. All dressed up in a tuxedo and cape,
with a top hat. Honestly, he looked rather silly."
"What happened then?"
She shrugged. "He saw me and ran, dropping what he had. But,
he'd already made quite a mess." She swept an arm around the room,
indicating the broken cases. "Honestly, I don't know what he's looking
for."
Usagi made a noncommital sound, taking a few more pictures and
then frowning. "Did you find the rose?"
"Rose?" Naru blinked. "Oh, yah, he always leaves a rose behind,
right? Afraid not."
"Ah well," Usagi slipped between a pair of overturned cases,
taking more pictures as Naru began arguing with the security guard
again. Glancing back to be sure she wasn't noticed, she knelt, reaching
beneath the nearest display, smiling as she found what she was looking
for. A single red rose, the thorns glinting menacingly, rested in her
hand.
"There you are..." she smiled slightly, holding the rose up to
her nose and breathing in the scent before quickly slipping it into her
camera bag.
"Naru, I've got to run. Thanks for letting me take some
pictures." Before Naru could protest, Usagi left, putting her camera
away as she walked, her eyes regarding the rose for a moment before she
closed the bag. "I'm going to find out what you're up to." And
she knew just who could help her out.
*
Hikawa Shrine sat on the top of a large hill, a fact that had
once irked Usagi to no end due to having to climb to the top. Now, it
barely registered on her as she cheerfully skipped to the top, coming to
a stop at the overhang and looking around. As always, when she reached
the top, the noise of the traffic on the streets below seemed to fall
away, as if some unnatural silence reigned here.
That was another thing that had bothered her once. It was so
quiet here. Except for the crows whenever she approached. It was almost
impossible for her to sneak up on the person she had come to visit.
"Usagi."
"Aaah!" Usagi jumped, spinning to face the source of the voice.
"How do you keep doing that?"
Hino Rei merely smiled. "Secret of being a shrine maiden. Can't
tell you."
"Or you'll have to kill me?" Usagi smiled, walking over to the
red and white clad girl.
Rei nodded. "There would be screaming, I think."
"Got a present for you," the blonde girl said, reaching into her
pack and extracting the rose, which had, somehow, avoided being crushed
by the camera. With a smile, she held it out.
Sighing, Rei went back to sweeping. "You could just ask, you
know."
"Should have figured I couldn't fool you," Usagi muttered,
lowing her arm. "I'm sorry."
"Baka Usagi," Rei murmured, exasperated. "Fix me some tea and
I'll look into it."
"Yay!" Usagi squealed, hugging the dark haired girl. "You're the
greatest, Rei-chan!"
"Clutz, stop molesting me or I won't be able to do this," Rei
retorted, laughing.
"You're just afraid you can't resist my charms," Usagi told her,
grinning impishly before darting away toward the main building.
"You..." Rei trailed off, shaking her head as she watched Usagi
go, then turned toward the shed to put the broom away.
The fire crackled before them, filling the small room with
warmth. Usagi sat just behind Rei, a tray with tea and cookies resting
to her left.
"You really should think about tying your hair back when you do
this, Rei," Usagi said pointedly, producing a ribbon and pulling Rei's
hair back, tying it off neatly in a ponytail so it wasn't in danger of
catching fire.
"Given that I've been doing this for several years now," Rei
said, smiling at the gesture. "I don't think I have anything to worry
about, Usagi. But... thank you."
Usagi beamed, settling back as Rei began to work.
Five minutes passed with nothing but the steady sound of Rei's
breathing, and the frequent flaring up of the fire, a fact that made
Usagi glad she'd tied off Rei's hair beforehand. Then, Rei's shoulders
slumped and she opened her eyes, the fire dying down somewhat as she
released a breath.
"Still nothing." Rei murmured, eyes dark.
"Damn," Usagi bit her lip, nodded, then scooted forward, her
arms slipping around the raven-haired woman from behind.
"Now," Rei said, leaning into the embrace. "Where's that tea?"
"Here, let me," Usagi smiled, releasing Rei and pouring two cups
halfway full with tea.
"You were out last night, weren't you?" the shrine maiden asked,
staring down into the cup with a thoughtful expression.
"Just a routine sweep," Usagi admitted, looking down at her cup
as well.
"And you saw him," she added, arching an eyebrow as Usagi looked
up in shock.
"How did you..." Usagi began.
Rei tilted her head toward the fire. "I saw."
The blonde was silent for a moment. "Yes. Jadeite appeared last
night."
"I don't need to ask if you got away, I guess," Rei murmured,
after a moment. "Since you're here and all."
"Pbbtt!" Usagi sniffed. "I'll have you know he ran away."
"Still smarting after the beating you gave him?" she asked,
rising gracefully and heading toward the door. She paused a moment as
Usagi got up as well and followed.
"I'm not sure," was the reply. "It seemed like he wanted to
fight me, but had been told not to."
"Superiors?"
"Probably," usagi shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."
Rei smiled. "Aren't we arrogant?"
"Confident," retorted Usagi. "There's a difference."
"You're not the same ditz I remember first meeting on these
steps," Rei remarked.
"No?" Usagi glanced over at Rei, who smirked.
"Not at all," she said. "You're a different ditz. But a ditz all
the same."
"You are so mean!" protested the other, pitching her voice into
an almost squeal. "Something like that, no?"
"Just like that, clutz," Rei said, smiling now. "Where are you
headed now?"
Usagi shrugged. "I need to drop these pictures off at the
Journal, and then my day's free. Why?"
"I was hoping we could have lunch."
"I think I can fit you into my busy schedule," Usagi murmured,
flipping through an imaginary book.
"Also," Rei said slowly, reaching into her hakama. "I have two
tickets for Aino Minako's concert at the end of the week. Interested?"
Usagi stood there for a moment, then her voice erupted in a
massive squeal. "Rei-chan!"
Again, Rei found herself being hugged by the shorter girl, an
embrace that was just on the proper side of being too friendly. "Baka
Usagi. If you bust my eardrums, I won't be able to hear."
"Alright!" Usagi crowed, her face alight the happiness. "I'll
drop these off, and then we can go have lunch and plan out what we'll do
for the concert. It'll be great!" She grinned, then kissed Rei soundly,
leaving the raven-haired girl standing there dazed as Usagi raced off
down the stairs.
"I'll meet you at Kino's!" Usagi called, waving.
Rei smiled, walking toward her house to change clothes. It was
going to be a good week.
*
Rain pelted against the skylight as Usagi laid in bed, one arm
curled loosely around Rei, who was sleeping peacefully. Usagi, however,
was not. Her eyes were wide open, staring at the barely visible sky
through the rain-covered window above. She could feel the moon. Without
even trying, she could pick out its exact position as it moved across
the night sky.
It called to her.
On nights like this, it was easier. The clouds obscured it from
view and thus, its pull weakened. But it was always there, tugging at
her. Somewhere there was something that demanded her attention. A need
for Sailor Moon.
Once, she would have answered it without a second thought.
Hoping that the youma she would inevitably find would be the one she had
sought every night for four years. But it never was. Now, she went out
both for that, and for other reasons.
A reason that currently slept in the bed with her, pressed close
for warmth.
And that was the reason she was going out tonight.
Without disturbing her companion, she carefully slid from bed,
tucking the covers around the sleeping raven-haired beauty and placing a
kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, Rei."
Luna stood on the bathroom counter as she quietly closed the
door, watching her, eyes serious. "You're going out?"
"Yes," Usagi whispered, nodding. "Watch her, please?"
"Be careful, Usagi," Luna whispered as the blonde's expression
turned to steel and five words slipped from her lips.
"Moon Prism Power...Make up!" Light flared in the bathroom,
momentarily blinding the feline as magic swirled within the room. When
the brilliance faded, Tsukino Usagi stood transformed.
Red and white boots surrounded her legs to just below the knees,
a blue skirt attached to a white body-suit and red ribbon that covered
her torso. Nestled in the center of the ribbon was a golden locket,
glinting in the flourescent light. A red ribbon circled her neck, a
crescent moon glinting on it. Tiny crescent moon earrings dangled from
her ears, and a golden tiara rested on her forehead. As always, the twin
odango and ponytails had returned, hair ornaments of red and gold attached
to them now. Lastly, white gloves covered her arms to just above the
elbow.
"I'll be back in a few hours, Luna," Sailor Moon told her
mentor, stepping over to the window above the shower and pushing it open
so it leaned outward. Her hands gripped the edge and she pulled herself
through, her feet the last thing Luna saw as she departed.
"She's gone?" Rei asked quietly from the doorway, a sheet
wrapped around her body.
Luna nodded silently, saying nothing as Rei walked over to the
shower, reaching up to close the window.
"Can't let the rain in," Rei said, voice held steady, with only
the faintest hint of worry. She turned to the cat as the latch clicked.
"Would you like some ice cream, Luna? I think I need some."
Again, Luna nodded, saying nothing. Rei scooped the feline up
and together they went back into the main apartment to wait.
*
The rain had started coming down harder since she had set out,
and it was now close to flooding in some areas. She hadn't found a youma
yet, but had managed to help a few people out here and there.
"As bad as Sailor V," she muttered, stopping on a roof to look
around. "Stopping muggers and such." Sighing, Sailor Moon closed her
eyes, reaching out with her senses. There had to be something...
There.
Her eyes snapped open and she backed up, then started running
toward the roof's edge. Without breaking stride, she leapt into the air,
coming down across the street with enough force to crack the cement. Not
stopping, she continued on, crossing several streets in this fashion
until she reached a darkened alleyway and launched herself into the air.
She spun in the air, diving straight down at the youma standing there,
terrorising a group of thugs.
The impact sent the youma sprawling before the feet of the
terrified punks.
"Go," Sailor Moon told them, voice firm. "Before you get hurt."
The five boys all nodded, eyes wide, and took off running as
fast as they could.
"Now then," Sailor Moon said brightly, tilting her head to look
down at the youma. "Where were we? Ah, yes." She kicked the youma
viciously in the ribs, hard enough to send it flying into the nearby
building.
"Destroyer..." it hissed, finally getting a good look at her.
"Why yes, I will be yours in a moment," she agreed, neatly
sidestepping its charge as she spoke. "I hope you're looking forward to
it as much as I am."
"I will not be killed by you!" it snarled, throwing a punch at
her.
She caught it effortlessly in her hand. "You know. I would have
some witty remark here any other time, but frankly, you're boring. You
haven't said anything that the rest of your kind haven't already told
me." A quick twist, and the youma over-balanced, its arm wrenched
painfully to the side. Sailor Moon's free hand came around, clenched
into a fist, and struck the creature squarely in the torso. The blow
drove it back several feet toward the mouth of the alley. It slumped
there, holding an arm to its midsection, then snarled.
"DIE!" Both hands came up, lightning crackling between them,
that arced out toward her.
"Pathetic," she muttered, one hand catching her tiara as it fell
free, already beginning to change shape. A rustle of cloth obscured her
vision and strong arms encircled her before she could finish her attack,
someone carrying her to the roof above.
"Let go!" she snarled, struggling against whoever held her as
they landed. She whirled to stare down into the alley, looking for the
youma. The alley lay dark and empty, though. It had fled in her moment
of distraction.
"Are you alright?" a male voice asked behind her, a white gloved
hand settling on her shoulder. "It didn't hurt you..." His words cut off
in a grunt as she drove her elbow into his stomach, then spun, punching
him in the face viciously.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Sailor Moon snarled. "It
got away!"
He stared up at her through his white domino mask, one hand to
his jaw, clearly confused and a bit angry. "You were right in the way of
its attack. I assumed you needed assistance."
She looked at him for a moment, then snorted. "I was about to
kill the damned thing. Was that obvious or are you just clueless?"
He stood, dusting himself off and spoke. "Next time, I'll make
sure not to waste my time."
"Good," Sailor Moon snorted. "Who are you, anyway?"
"Tuxedo Kamen..." he murmured, watching her carefully.
"Oh, well that's a clever nickname," Sailor Moon snorted.
"Just... wait." She looked him over once, frowning. Formal wear. A mask.
"You're the thief running around town, aren't you?"
He tilted his hat, giving her a grin. "Heard of me, have you?"
Sailor Moon nodded. "Yes. I have. And you know what? Not
impressed." The grin faded from his face just as quickly as it had
appeared.
"I'll be on my way," he almost snarled. "Unless you're going to be
like Sailor V and stop my thieving ways?"
"Well, there is one more thing," she said, almost smiling as he
stopped to see what she wanted.
Her second punch slammed into his jaw on the side she hadn't struck,
sending him dropping to the roof again. "That was for the hands."
Tuxedo Kamen sat there for a moment, working his jaw slowly to be
sure it was still in one piece. "So that was Sailor Moon..."
*
Sailor Moon skidded to a stop in the main section of the park,
looking around in frustration. "Damn! It got away."
The night was turning exceedingly less pleasant. The youma had
escaped, due to the interloper and now she was standing here, in the
pouring rain, searching for it futilely.
"I should have punched him a few more times," she muttered,
shaking her head. "As it is, I might make it back in time not to have
Rei yell at me." Frustrated, she set off at a run toward home.
She arrived about ten minutes later, frowning irritably at the
bathroom window as it had somehow been latched, and dropped into the
bathroom silently. A quick touch of her brooch, and she was again
Tsukino Usagi. Humming under her breath, she quietly opened the bathroom
door and walked out into the main area of the apartment.
"You're back?"
Usagi jumped, then turned her head to regard Rei. "You take an
inordinate amount of pleasure in doing that, I swear."
"It amazes me how the scourge of the Dark Kingdom can be so
easily surprised," Rei murmured, seated at the table near the bed, a mug
of hot chocolate held in her hands that she was watching Usagi over.
"Don't tell anyone," Usagi replied, yawning as she opened the
refrigerator and extracted the milk jug and poured a glass. "Why are you
up?"
"Waiting," Rei told her. "And thinking."
"About?"
"What you've been keeping from me."
The glass of milk hit the floor, shattering as Usagi stared at
Rei, paling. "What?"
"Baka Usagi," Rei murmured, exasperated as she rose from the
table and began cleaning the mess up. "I was talking about the photo
assignment you've got next week in Hokkaido. You can't go to Aino
Minako's concert."
"Oh," Usagi turned away, digging in the closet for the mop.
"That."
"That is the only thing you haven't told me, isn't it, Usagi?"
Rei asked from the floor, her voice like steel.
"Where the hell is the mop?" Usagi snapped, glowering at the
closet.
"Usagi."
"I don't want to talk about this, Rei," the blonde replied, not
looking at the raven-haired female.
"Then, when?" Rei murmured, letting the pieces of the cup fall
to the floor from her hands.
"How does never sound?" Usagi growled. "Is never good?"
"There's no need to get angry, Usagi. It is just a question."
"Not one I want to answer," the blonde retorted.
"Fine," Rei snorted, her own temper coming to the fore. "When
you feel like talking, you know where to find me." She stood, moving
over to collect her clothes from the floor and began to get dressed.
Usagi watched her for a moment, then opened her mouth.
"Baka," Rei announced, fastening her bra as she spoke. "As I
said, when you feel like talking, come find me." She pulled her shirt
on, grabbed her jacket, and walked out without another word.
"Rei..." Usagi stood there in the kitchen, staring at the door
as it closed. Then, she sighed, digging out the mop and broom to begin
cleaning up.
* The Past
"You know your mother doesn't think this appropriate," the
slender female in the red gown whispered, eyes half-lidded as she almost
purred.
"My mother," the other said, muffled somewhat. "Is a dreadful
bore and thinks I should marry that Prince from Terra."
"It is a politically sound marriage, Princess," her companion
replied, sitting up on her elbows to regard the blonde as she lay
sprawled on the bed next to her, head resting against the pillow. "And
he is not unattractive."
"Yes, he is handsome," she admitted, irritation in her voice.
"But he has the manners of a pig and insulted me. In fact, I think he's
carrying on with his bodyguards." She sniffed, eyes twinkling with
mischief.
The other giggled, turning to regard the Princess. "You
shouldn't tell tales, Princess."
"Who says I'm telling tales?" she replied, laughing. "It's
little wonder he was so rude, given that I interrupted his tryst with
the brown-haired member of his guard. Nephlite? Nephrite?"
"His name is Nephrite," the Senshi of Mars said with a sigh,
shaking her head at her Princess. "And I find it hard to believe that he
is having trysts with his bodyguards while here to formalise his
betrothal to you. That would be a massive insult to the Queen. She would
hardly abide such an action."
"Mother has been too busy closeted with the senshi from the
outer planets to notice any such thing," the Princess grinned. "And
while Luna and Artemis have been handling the negotiations, they can't
observe every single thing that the Prince has been doing."
"Selene..." the Senshi of Mars began. "What have you seen?"
"Oh, nothing," Selene laughed. "Except for Endymion and Nephrite
being very friendly in the royal gardens."
"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, raising one perfect
eyebrow. "This isn't some prank you and Aphrodite set up, is it?"
"This is far too good for us to bother with that," Selene
laughed. "Though, letting it get back to my mother isn't a bad idea.
Maybe it will disgrace him enough in her eyes that I won't have to go
through with this marriage."
"You're a Princess, Selene," came the patient reply. "You will
be Queen one day. You don't have the luxury of doing things at a whim."
"If I can't be with who I want, then I don't want to be Queen,"
she told her Senshi firmly. "Mother knows I don't like this too-pretty
Prince and his overbearing entourage. Yet she still insists on trying to
force this through, because it will be 'politically convenient.' I think
not. The only person I might ever want to marry, is you, Ariana."
"I'm flattered that you feel that way, Princess," Ariana, Sensh of
Mars murmured. "But you know that can't ever happen."
"We'll see about that." Selene said darkly, turning to place a
single, chaste kiss on her companion's lips. "I'm going to go talk to
mother. Take care of yourself." With that, she slid off of the bed,
brushing her dress out and departed with a smile.
* The Present
The door had been smashed in, the door frame itself also badly
damaged.
"Shingo, stay here," Usagi said, giving him a look that brooked
no argument. Carefully, she stepped through the rubble of the door,
entering the living room of her house.
And stopped, gasping.
There was blood everywhere. The walls. The floor. The furniture.
All of it. Covered in blood.
"U-usagi-chan..." a voice rasped out. Usagi blinked, her eyes
falling on her parents. Her mother had spoken, one hand raised weakly.
"Momma..." Usagi whispered, something inside her welling up in
response as tears tracked from her eyes. "Poppa..."
She took a step toward them. Then something heavy struck her
from behind, pitching her down where her parents lay. She twisted over,
eyes searching for what had attacked her. And she saw. And screamed.
"Pretty girl.." it hissed, hunched over, a pulsating mass of red
and black that defied the imagination. "Pretty shiny girl..."
"Usagi!" Shingo yelled from the doorway, having rushed in.
"Shingo! GO! Get away!" she screamed at him. "
"Kill pretty girl..." it hissed, started to lunge at her. A rush
of feet, and someone slammed into her, pushing her away. She slumped,
dazed, and then recovered awareness. The thing held Shingo, hissing at
him as he struggled.
"Shingo!" Usagi screamed, starting to crawl toward them, but
slipping in the blood. So much blood.
"Annoyingstupidboy," the creature hissed at Shingo, shaking him
violently. "Make stupidboy suffer." A black star coalesced on the
surface of the creature's chest. Light crackled from it, striking Shingo
in the chest. He began to scream, as if he were being torn apart.
"SHINGO!" Usagi's scream was piercing as she again tried to get
up. There had to be...
"Someone..." she whispered. "Anyone...help..."
"Usagi." a voice said, drawing her attention. A black cat stood
before her, almost crying. And it spoke.
"Awaken."
Light consumed everything.
Flash.
"No one's really sure what happened," the detective said to his
superior who had just arrived. "Screaming was reported at around five in
the afternoon, and the first patrolmen on the scene found her, crying
and holding her younger brother in her arms. The parents were dead, and
whatever happened, it was a doozy. The place was completely trashed." He
pointed at the huge hole in the building on the side facing the street.
"Witnesses reported a red and black, and I quote, monster,
tearing its way out of the house, leaving a trail of, and I quote again,
red slime and blood in its wake." he continued, rolling his eyes. "The
girl apparently also chopped off her hair. Two lengths of it were in a
pile near her. As near as we can tell, during whatever happened, she
fell and got her parents' blood all over her hair. Probably freaked."
"Think she did it?" the chief asked, frowning as he looked at
the girl sitting in the ambulance nearby, watching them both.
"Killed them?" the detective shook his head. "Not a chance.
Whatever did that in there was insane. And definitely not the work of a
teenage girl."
"What about the brother?"
"Well... we're not really sure," the detective admitted.
"Physically, he's only got a few bruises and maybe a cracked rib. But...
he's even less there than the girl. She at least is somewhat aware.
Hysterical, but aware. The boy... it's like he's not even there."
Flash.
"Tsukino Usagi," the judiciary said, giving the blankly staring
girl as comforting a smile as he could manage. "Until you reach the age
of majority, I am remanding you to the custody of your aunt."
"Come, Usagi-chan," her aunt said quietly, leading the girl away
without a word.
A few hours later, she sat in a quiet bedroom, the walls blank
and unadorned. She did as she had been doing for the past three days.
Staring at nothing.
"Usagi." the voice said again. Her head turned slightly,
regarding the black cat with almost a hint of awareness.
"I'm so sorry, Usagi..." the cat continued, almost crying as it
lunged forward, burying itself against her midsection."
"Luna..." the girl said, her voice rough with disuse.
Flash.
Naru was screaming. The thing that had pretended to be her
mother loomed over her, one hand reaching out menacingly.
There was a hiss. And the golden tiara streaked past her friend's
cheek, tearing into the creature above her. It screamed, the sound hideous
as it dissolved into nothing.
Then he was there. Eyes cold as he regarded her for a moment.
Then he saluted once and vanished.
Tsukino Usagi woke with a gasp, almost screaming out.
Luna was there, batting her head against Usagi's arm to get her
attention and calm her as she had done countless times before.
"The nightmare again?" Luna asked as the girl's eyes refocused
in the present and she scooped the cat up in her arms.
Usagi said nothing, merely nodding, eyes bright with unshed
tears.
"You haven't had one in a while," Luna murmured, resting against
Usagi.
"No," Usagi agreed. "Whenever Rei's here, they don't come."
"I'm sorry about all this, Usagi," the cat said. "Rei was very
inquisitive this evening. I thought I had diverted her as usual. It seems
that she's not buying the excuses anymore."
"It's alright, Luna," Usagi whispered. "I knew this would
happen. As much as I wanted it to be different."
"Are you going to tell her, then?"
"Soon," she said. "But not yet. I...can't."
"Go back to sleep, Usagi-chan," Luna told her charge. "I'll make
sure you have no more bad dreams." With that, she met Usagi's eyes, her
golden crescent flashing once, and the young woman fell back onto the
bed into dreamless sleep.
"Usagi-chan.." Luna whispered, eyes sad as she watched the
slumbering girl. "Why did it all have to be like this?"
She was watching from across the street as the raven-haired
young woman began the ascent up the stairs to Hikawa Shrine. She was the
only one who knew that the one she watched was crying, heart torn over
events earlier in the night. She knew all of this. It didn't change that
she was unable to do anything but watch. She had watched as a
civilization unrivaled in its glory had fallen to the whims of a mad
queen and her demented obsessions. She had been unable to do anything
then. But now... she would act and hope that the tragedies of the past
would not repeat themselves.
"Forgive me, Mars," she whispered to the wind, watching her
prey's back as she vanished over the crest of the hill. She raised one
hand, palm up, and blew air across it, as if blowing something away in
the direction of the shrine. With a single pained look in the direction
of the shrine, she turned to go, green hair that was almost black
swirling out behind her. Two steps, and she vanished, leaving the rain-
wet sidewalk dark and empty.
End Chapter One.
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Oh, and here's a revised edition of this. Changes were made, so comments =
are appreciated. On-list is fine. :)
Sailor Moon does not belong to me. That is all.
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: smfic1.txt
An Alternate View
A Sailor Moon fanfiction
Phase 1 - New Moon
"Please... don't hurt me!" the young woman cried out, backing
away as her boyfriend fell limp from the arms of the thing that had
attacked them as they were heading home.
"I won't hurt you..." it said, its face twisted in a hideous
leer as it took a step forward. "I'll simply drain you of your energy
for my Queen!" It reached out, one clawed hand flexing menacingly,
toward the young woman.
"Noooo!"
A moment later, the young woman lay still, her chest rising
slowly.
"Lord Jadeite will be pleased," the creature hissed, then
crouched before launching itself into the air, aiming for the nearby
roof.
A colored blur struck as it was halfway through the jump,
slamming into it with enough force to pitch the creature back to the
pavement in the alleyway.
"I had almost given up hope that one of you would show your face
tonight," a voice said cheerfully. "Thank you so much for not
disapointing me, youma."
The youma hissed, moving into a crouch as it scanned the area.
It was her. It had to be. The Destroyer.
"Behind you," the voice said, a velvet whisper in the dim alley
way. The youma hissed, spinning, its claws extended to shred whatever
might be there.
They met only air.
"Ooops, too slow," came the voice again, from above, mocking.
"Have to be faster if you want to live."
The youma crouched again, hissing still, then shot from the
alleyway at a sprint.
"Looks like this one might be a bit smarter than the last few,"
the voice remarked, before a shadow detached itself from the ledge above
where the youma had stood and took off at a run across the rooftop after
the creature, twin ponytails trailing behind her as she ran.
Chibipoe Productions
Presents
An Alternate View
A Sailor Moon Fiction
The youma's breath burned in its lungs as it ran, sparing a
second every few minutes to look back over its shoulder fearfully.
Seeing nothing, it slowed down, gasping for air.
"Shouldn't have stopped, youma," the voice of the Destroyer
called out, air whistling as the hunter catapulted off of the roof, feet
smashing into the middle of the youma's back, sending it sprawling. The
figure backflipped out of the attack, using her momentum to land
gracefully.
"I will not be taken by you, Destroyer!" the youma screamed,
regaining its feet with startling swiftness and lunging at the shadowed
figure of its attacker.
"The last fifty said the same thing," retorted her attacker,
smoothly moving out of the way of the charge and seizing the creature's
arm in the same instant, throwing it into a light post with all the
momentum of the avoided charge. The lightpost bent around the youma's
body with a loud clang. "You're no different from them."
"Raaaarrrr!" it screamed, charging at her again, enraged.
"This ends," the voice whispered, blocking the attack with a
sharp kick to the chest, before spinning once with another kick that
flung the youma up into the air. For a moment, it seemed to hang there,
motionless.
"Moon Tiara...Action," the words wafted across the gap as the
youma hung there, its eyes widening as it realised it was going to die.
The spinning golden disc tore through the air with a hiss, and
the youma convulsed once, then exploded into sparkles, leaving behind a
glowing sphere of energy.
"I'll just return this to those people, I suppose," the figure
said, catching the disc in one hand as it returned to its original
shape, a golden tiara with a jewel in the center.
Lightning raked across the ground before she could reach the
sphere, stopping her just short of it. "Not so quickly."
"And the king shows himself again..." she murmured, the tiara
settling on her forehead. "I was wondering when you'd grace me with your
presence...Jadeite."
"I'll be taking that energy, Sailor Moon," the hard, cold
voice spoke again.A blonde male appeared, clad in a military-style
uniform.
"Considering the outcome of our last little fight, I don't
recommend you try that." the female said, the lightning's flashes
illuminating her at last. Golden hair crowned her features, twin buns
with ponytails reaching down to her knees on either side of her head. A
red, white, and blue fuku adorned her body, a red collar with a moon on
it circled her neck.
"That was a fluke," he snarled. "You will not fare so well next
time." He put out a hand, and the energy sphere floated toward him.
"Your side still bothering you?" Sailor Moon asked sweetly, an
almost smile on her face that did not reach her eyes.
"Begone, Destroyer," Jadeite snapped, the sphere hovering above
his hand. "You'll find no more prey tonight."
"You're partly right," she agreed. "Only you left to finish
off." With that, she sprang at him, all trace of humor gone.
"Predictable," Jadeite murmured, his other hand coming up. Light
flickered before him, a rounded barrier springing up a half-second before
she reached him. She struck it and rebounded, landing in a crouch and
launching herself forward again. He inwardly allowed a smile,
remembering how she had landed in an ungainly tangle of limbs once, long
ago, when they had fought like this. But now, she didn't waste time
crying for help. She merely changed tactics, launching herself up before
she reached his barrier.
"Another time, Sailor Moon," Jadeite said, saluting as he faded
away, the energy sphere in hand. She came down in a rush, fist at the
ready, but passed only through air to strike the concrete where he had
stood. A crater blossomed out around her fist upon impact, the sound
reverberating through the night.
"Damn..." she swore, standing slowly and looking around. "Damn,
damn, damn."
"Sailor Moon?" a soft voice asked, the light, almost
imperceptible sound of tiny feet on concrete reaching her ears.
"Yes, Luna?" she answered, tilting her head to the side.
"Did he get away?"
"Yes, damnit," she addressed the black cat that stared up at
her, the crescent moon on its forehead gleaming. "He always runs away."
"Patience," Luna murmured. "Eventually you will corner him."
"And then what?" Sailor Moon asked, bitterness in her tone.
"They'll send someone else,most likely. And we'll play the whole
thing out again."
"The police are coming," Luna answered, too familiar with her
protege to feed her frustrations with arguments. "We should go."
"You're right," Sailor Moon nodded. "Nothing left to do here but
be harassed by the police." With that, she leapt onto the nearest
lightpole, then onward onto a rooftop, the cat following easily. Side by
side, the two ran off into the night, where no moon was visible
overhead.
*
Elsewhere, in a place where no moon had ever graced the sky
above, Jadeite knelt, the energy he had retrieved held out before him in
offering.
"You have done well, Jadeite," the sultry voice proclaimed from
her throne. "This energy will be essential to our plans of conquest."
"You honor me, my Queen," Jadeite replied, his head bowed.
"But," she continued, as if he had not spoken. "I sense that you
enjoy fighting our adversary. Perhaps a bit too much."
"I admit that my heart soars when I fight her," he said quietly.
"She is a worthy opponent, my Queen. But, I would not permit that to
endanger the tasks you have set down for me."
"See that it does not," Queen Beryl nodded, her eyes watching
him intently. "You have redeemed yourself from your earlier blunder, of
letting yourself get too involved in fighting her. My generals are too
precious to be killed. Take care that your lust for combat does not
overwhelm your loyalty to me."
"I am your loyal servant, my Queen," Jadeite told her. "I shall
not fail you."
*
Sailor Moon landed on the roof without a sound, turning once to
see Luna land neatly beside her, then walked toward the unlatched
skylight before them.
"Another night and I still haven't found it, Luna," she said
quietly, raising the opening in the window to let Luna drop down into
the loft. "I wonder sometimes if this is really worth it."
"We can't let the Dark Kingdom acquire this world, Sailor Moon,"
Luna's voice drifted up as she landed smoothly on the back of a couch.
"That would be disastrous."
"You know that's never been my reason for doing this," Sailor
Moon replied, turning to look up at the sky for a moment before falling
backwards through the opening and landing smoothly on her feet. The
skylight snapped shut behind her, the latch falling into place with a
click.
"Reasons aside, it is still your mission," Luna said, the words
carrying the feel of a ongoing argument as she curled up on the back of
the couch.
"Whatever, Luna," she laid a hand across the golden locket
nestled in the red bow on her uniform and closed her eyes. It grew warm
beneath her hand, and ribbons unwound from around her body, flowing back
into the locket until she stood in her normal clothes once more.
As always, she reached up, touching the back of her head,
relieved to find the odango and ponytails gone, leaving her with the
short bob-cut she'd worn for years. That done, Tsukino Usagi placed the
locket on the coffee table and crossed the room, her feet sinking
slightly into the plush carpet.
"Did anything seem odd about that attack to you, Usagi?" Luna
asked, watching the girl enter the kitchen and begin looking for some
food.
"No," the muffled reply came back. "Standard hit and run energy
drain. Nothing they haven't been doing for several years now."
"Jadeite doesn't show himself just for a hit and run, Usagi,"
Luna countered, yawning. "Especially not since he challenged you and
lost."
"Yeah, he has been playing it safe since then," Usagi agreed,
placing a container of Chinese leftovers in the microwave and setting it
to warm up. "Probably doesn't want to be gutted again."
"Being overconfident will cost you one day, Usagi," Luna warned,
resting her head on her paws as she watched the young woman come back
into the living room and settle on the couch with her dinner.
"Perhaps," Usagi agreed. "But I'll deal with that day when it
comes." She switched on the tv to the news, turning it up loud enough to
signal that she wasn't interested in continuing the conversation.
"In breaking news tonight," the announcer said as the screen
came up. "Sailor V was again spotted this evening, preventing a bank
robbery as well as several convenience store robberies."
"Wonderful," Usagi muttered. "Her again."
"You idolized her once, didn't you?" Luna asked quietly.
"Don't remind me," came the reply as she turned her attention
back to the tv.
"Sailor V!" a reporter called out, rushing forward at the head
of a crowd toward the figure as she dusted off her hands. "Can we get a
comment?"
"I have a few minutes," the blonde said, eyes sparkling behind
the mask she wore.
"What do you think of the reports about this vigilante Sailor
Moon?" one screamed, shoving a microphone into her face. "And the
similarities between your costume and hers? Are you her in disguise?"
"Sailor Moon is a myth," Sailor V said patiently, with the air
of someone who has answered this question many times. "No one has ever
seen this so-called vigilante or ever gotten her picture."
"You didn't answer if you were her, though!" Another shouted.
"Sorry, that's all the time I have for questions," Sailor V
announced, flashing the victory sign at the cameras. "Take care." With
that, she launched into the air, vanishing from sight as the cameramen
tried to track her movements.
"Show-off," Usagi muttered, pressing the remote's channel up
button and snarling as she found another news report about Sailor V.
"We at channel twelve want to extend our thanks to Sailor V, our
city's protector, for the valiant efforts she puts forth to keep us all
safe from harm." the anchorman was saying.
"We here at the Tsukino household want you to stuff it," Usagi
retorted, mimicking the man before changing the channel yet again to a
music station.
"Ooooh, Aino Minako," Usagi smiled, setting the remote down and
starting on her food as Aino Minako's latest single, Moonlight Densetsu,
echoed from her television's speakers.
"I don't understand how you can listen to this preprocessed
garbage," Luna complained, shaking her head slowly as she regarded her
charge. "Why don't you try some classical music? Tchaikovsky. Mozart.
Beethoven."
"They're all boring, Luna," Usagi rolled her eyes, as if the
answer was obvious. "Aino Minako is not."
"Sayeth she who has never listened to them," Luna muttered,
turning her head away from the televsion. "When all you listen to is
that tripe, it's little wonder you fail to recognise good music when you
hear it."
"Pfftt," Usagi turned her head toward the feline, sticking out
her tongue. "You're just jealous that I won't let you play those cds
when I'm around."
"Seeing as how I am a feline," the cat said, turning her nose up
slightly. "It would hardly do for me to be bothered with something as
mundane as putting the cd in the stereo. That's what you humans are
for."
"Oh, right," rolling her eyes, Usagi set her food down and
scooped the cat off of the back of the couch, setting Luna down in her
lap. "So we're not here to pet you until you're lazing about like a
lump, then?"
"Well...that too," Luna purred, curling up against Usagi's
stomach. "In all seriousness, I am a bit concerned about this Sailor V's
activities. She's been drawing more and more attention to herself
recently. In fact, she started doing this right about the time you
started drawing more attention to your activities."
"You think she's drawing attention away from Sailor Moon?" Usagi
asked, frowning.
"It is possible," the cat admitted. "She may be one of the
Senshi."
"And so we come back to that," Usagi sighed.
"You can't keep doing this by yourself, Usagi," Luna told her
evenly. "Eventually they're going to send something you can't handle."
"I'm not going to let you wake someone else up and have what
happened to my family happen to them," Usagi retorted. "The answer is
still no. Now, back on topic. Sailor V. Senshi."
Luna sighed. "I suspect she may be a senshi, as I said. Not,
however, one I am familiar with. She probably woke on her own. What I
don't understand is why she's drawing so much attention to herself, or
who, exactly, she is. My memories are clouded, but I don't remember a
Sailor V from the past."
"I suppose we'll find out who she is, eventually," Usagi said,
settling the cat on a cushion nearby before rising to dispose of her
food. "In the meantime, I have an early day tomorrow, so I need to get
some sleep." She dumped the container in the trash and placed her fork
in the dishwasher, then went into her bedroom. Luna sat there a moment,
an almost frown on her normally inscrutable feline face, then followed.
She narrowly missed the pair of shorts that were flung
carelessly to the floor without a backward glance as her protege
undressed. "Usagi, you have no shame."
"You're probably right, Luna," Usagi said, not really paying
attention as she pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it to the
floor as well.
"Are you planning to go out again tomorrow night?" Luna asked,
jumping up onto the bed and watching the slender young woman pull on a
oversized shirt to sleep in.
"Probably," Usagi yawned, flipping off the lights and crawling
under the covers. "Sleep now. Talk tomorrow."
"Good night, Usagi-chan," Luna whispered quietly, curling up as
well.
"G'night, Luna." the young woman replied, drifting off into
slumber.
*
It was after three a.m., and the young woman lay blissfully
unaware as she slept, curled next to the black feline she kept. He
didn't know what drew him, every month at the new moon, to this place. But here he
came, looking down on her through the skylight above. His
eyes traced the lines of her face as he touched the glass lightly, then
drew away. A rustle of cloth later, and he was gone, leaving nothing but
silence.
*
Tsukino Usagi had never been one to rise early. This fact had
not changed, despite a multitude of other things giving way to the
pressures of living alone. But, on the odd occassions when she did, in
fact, give in to her baser desires and sleep late, something inevitably
woke her.
Today was no exception. And the thing that chose to disrupt her
sleeping was the harsh trilling of the phone by the bedstand. A muffled
grunt, and a hand fumbled out from beneath the covers, lifting the
cordless unit and pulling it back underneath the sheets.
"...It's only nine a.m. What could possibly be so bad?" she
grumbled.
"Tsukino-san?" a bright voice said. "We need you down at the
Osa-P center. There was a robbery last night. We need as many photos as
possible before the police cordon off the area. You're closest. So
hurry."
"...Yes, sir," Usagi hung up without another word, pushing
herself free of the covers and heading for the shower.
She emerged roughly ten minutes later, scrubbing her hair while
rooting around for suitable clothes. Her clothes of choice were simple.
A white t-shirt with a rabbit on the front and cream-colored slacks.
Grabbing her camera and equipment, she started toward the door, then
stopped. A moment's frown and she turned back to the couch, grabbing the
golden locket on the table and pocketing it before heading out the door
without a backward glance.
The Osa-P shopping center was a fairly impressive place, all
things considered. Usagi didn't spend much time there, as it was the
place where she had rescued Naru multiple times. The fact that so many
people were always coming and going through it made it a feeding ground
for the youma.
Or it had.
After her first few stumbles, she had taken a rather brutal
approach to dealing with the youma. Not long after she made a few object
lessons out of the creatures, they had stopped with the incredibly
juvenile schemes to gather energy and resorted to the hit and run
attacks. Despite this, the Osa-P was still a prime target, and she often
faced down youma here when her hunting of them left them with nowhere
else to go.
Usagi shook her head and tilted the camera up, taking a shot of
the building from the exterior before heading toward the doors. If she
was right, she knew where the break-in had occurred. She slipped through
the door, flashing her press badge at the security officer and brushing
past before he could protest her presence. Her path brought her by the
courtyard where she stopped, staring at the scaffolding and canvas tarps
covering a good portion of the area.
"They still haven't repaired it all," she murmured, eyes falling
on a section of a sculpture that was missing half its torso, the cut
smooth and polished, as if done with a heated object.
"Cuts through anything," Usagi said whimsically, turning and
heading for the escalator. As she expected, the jewelry store had been
cordoned off, a younger woman with auburn hair arguing loudly with the
mall security.
"I don't care if the entire store was looted," she was saying.
"I run this store and I am going in there. Now get out of my way." She
made as if to push past the guard, then saw Usagi.
"Usagi....?" her eyes widened, then she pulled away from the
guard, who, caught in trying to impede her, lost his balance and fell
backwards to the floor. "Usagi!"
"Hullo, Naru," Usagi said, suppressing a smile as the girl swept
her up in a fierce hug.
"I haven't seen you in months, Usagi!" Naru said, stepping back.
"What have you been up to?"
"Work, mostly," Usagi shrugged. "And school. Just taking care of
things."
"Oh," Naru's eyes fell to the camera. "You're here to take
pictures?"
"If at all possible," she admitted, rubbing the back of her
head. "My boss said I was closest, so I got the assignment."
"Well, I think I can arrange for my best friend to get the
scoop," Naru told her, grinning. "Follow me." She strode past the guard,
who was still trying to get up, with Usagi close behind.
"Sometime during the night," Naru said, as Usagi began taking
pictures. "We had a break-in. I was crashing in the back room after
working late and came out to find him again."
"Him?" Usagi looked at Naru, pausing in mid-motion. "The
gentleman bandit, as the Journal dubbed him?"
Naru nodded. "The same. All dressed up in a tuxedo and cape,
with a top hat. Honestly, he looked rather silly."
"What happened then?"
She shrugged. "He saw me and ran, dropping what he had. But,
he'd already made quite a mess." She swept an arm around the room,
indicating the broken cases. "Honestly, I don't know what he's looking
for."
Usagi made a noncommital sound, taking a few more pictures and
then frowning. "Did you find the rose?"
"Rose?" Naru blinked. "Oh, yah, he always leaves a rose behind,
right? Afraid not."
"Ah well," Usagi slipped between a pair of overturned cases,
taking more pictures as Naru began arguing with the security guard
again. Glancing back to be sure she wasn't noticed, she knelt, reaching
beneath the nearest display, smiling as she found what she was looking
for. A single red rose, the thorns glinting menacingly, rested in her
hand.
"There you are..." she smiled slightly, holding the rose up to
her nose and breathing in the scent before quickly slipping it into her
camera bag.
"Naru, I've got to run. Thanks for letting me take some
pictures." Before Naru could protest, Usagi left, putting her camera
away as she walked, her eyes regarding the rose for a moment before she
closed the bag. "I'm going to find out what you're up to." And
she knew just who could help her out.
*
Hikawa Shrine sat on the top of a large hill, a fact that had
once irked Usagi to no end due to having to climb to the top. Now, it
barely registered on her as she cheerfully skipped to the top, coming to
a stop at the overhang and looking around. As always, when she reached
the top, the noise of the traffic on the streets below seemed to fall
away, as if some unnatural silence reigned here.
That was another thing that had bothered her once. It was so
quiet here. Except for the crows whenever she approached. It was almost
impossible for her to sneak up on the person she had come to visit.
"Usagi."
"Aaah!" Usagi jumped, spinning to face the source of the voice.
"How do you keep doing that?"
Hino Rei merely smiled. "Secret of being a shrine maiden. Can't
tell you."
"Or you'll have to kill me?" Usagi smiled, walking over to the
red and white clad girl.
Rei nodded. "There would be screaming, I think."
"Got a present for you," the blonde girl said, reaching into her
pack and extracting the rose, which had, somehow, avoided being crushed
by the camera. With a smile, she held it out.
Sighing, Rei went back to sweeping. "You could just ask, you
know."
"Should have figured I couldn't fool you," Usagi muttered,
lowing her arm. "I'm sorry."
"Baka Usagi," Rei murmured, exasperated. "Fix me some tea and
I'll look into it."
"Yay!" Usagi squealed, hugging the dark haired girl. "You're the
greatest, Rei-chan!"
"Clutz, stop molesting me or I won't be able to do this," Rei
retorted, laughing.
"You're just afraid you can't resist my charms," Usagi told her,
grinning impishly before darting away toward the main building.
"You..." Rei trailed off, shaking her head as she watched Usagi
go, then turned toward the shed to put the broom away.
The fire crackled before them, filling the small room with
warmth. Usagi sat just behind Rei, a tray with tea and cookies resting
to her left.
"You really should think about tying your hair back when you do
this, Rei," Usagi said pointedly, producing a ribbon and pulling Rei's
hair back, tying it off neatly in a ponytail so it wasn't in danger of
catching fire.
"Given that I've been doing this for several years now," Rei
said, smiling at the gesture. "I don't think I have anything to worry
about, Usagi. But... thank you."
Usagi beamed, settling back as Rei began to work.
Five minutes passed with nothing but the steady sound of Rei's
breathing, and the frequent flaring up of the fire, a fact that made
Usagi glad she'd tied off Rei's hair beforehand. Then, Rei's shoulders
slumped and she opened her eyes, the fire dying down somewhat as she
released a breath.
"Still nothing." Rei murmured, eyes dark.
"Damn," Usagi bit her lip, nodded, then scooted forward, her
arms slipping around the raven-haired woman from behind.
"Now," Rei said, leaning into the embrace. "Where's that tea?"
"Here, let me," Usagi smiled, releasing Rei and pouring two cups
halfway full with tea.
"You were out last night, weren't you?" the shrine maiden asked,
staring down into the cup with a thoughtful expression.
"Just a routine sweep," Usagi admitted, looking down at her cup
as well.
"And you saw him," she added, arching an eyebrow as Usagi looked
up in shock.
"How did you..." Usagi began.
Rei tilted her head toward the fire. "I saw."
The blonde was silent for a moment. "Yes. Jadeite appeared last
night."
"I don't need to ask if you got away, I guess," Rei murmured,
after a moment. "Since you're here and all."
"Pbbtt!" Usagi sniffed. "I'll have you know he ran away."
"Still smarting after the beating you gave him?" she asked,
rising gracefully and heading toward the door. She paused a moment as
Usagi got up as well and followed.
"I'm not sure," was the reply. "It seemed like he wanted to
fight me, but had been told not to."
"Superiors?"
"Probably," usagi shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."
Rei smiled. "Aren't we arrogant?"
"Confident," retorted Usagi. "There's a difference."
"You're not the same ditz I remember first meeting on these
steps," Rei remarked.
"No?" Usagi glanced over at Rei, who smirked.
"Not at all," she said. "You're a different ditz. But a ditz all
the same."
"You are so mean!" protested the other, pitching her voice into
an almost squeal. "Something like that, no?"
"Just like that, clutz," Rei said, smiling now. "Where are you
headed now?"
Usagi shrugged. "I need to drop these pictures off at the
Journal, and then my day's free. Why?"
"I was hoping we could have lunch."
"I think I can fit you into my busy schedule," Usagi murmured,
flipping through an imaginary book.
"Also," Rei said slowly, reaching into her hakama. "I have two
tickets for Aino Minako's concert at the end of the week. Interested?"
Usagi stood there for a moment, then her voice erupted in a
massive squeal. "Rei-chan!"
Again, Rei found herself being hugged by the shorter girl, an
embrace that was just on the proper side of being too friendly. "Baka
Usagi. If you bust my eardrums, I won't be able to hear."
"Alright!" Usagi crowed, her face alight the happiness. "I'll
drop these off, and then we can go have lunch and plan out what we'll do
for the concert. It'll be great!" She grinned, then kissed Rei soundly,
leaving the raven-haired girl standing there dazed as Usagi raced off
down the stairs.
"I'll meet you at Kino's!" Usagi called, waving.
Rei smiled, walking toward her house to change clothes. It was
going to be a good week.
*
Rain pelted against the skylight as Usagi laid in bed, one arm
curled loosely around Rei, who was sleeping peacefully. Usagi, however,
was not. Her eyes were wide open, staring at the barely visible sky
through the rain-covered window above. She could feel the moon. Without
even trying, she could pick out its exact position as it moved across
the night sky.
It called to her.
On nights like this, it was easier. The clouds obscured it from
view and thus, its pull weakened. But it was always there, tugging at
her. Somewhere there was something that demanded her attention. A need
for Sailor Moon.
Once, she would have answered it without a second thought.
Hoping that the youma she would inevitably find would be the one she had
sought every night for four years. But it never was. Now, she went out
both for that, and for other reasons.
A reason that currently slept in the bed with her, pressed close
for warmth.
And that was the reason she was going out tonight.
Without disturbing her companion, she carefully slid from bed,
tucking the covers around the sleeping raven-haired beauty and placing a
kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, Rei."
Luna stood on the bathroom counter as she quietly closed the
door, watching her, eyes serious. "You're going out?"
"Yes," Usagi whispered, nodding. "Watch her, please?"
"Be careful, Usagi," Luna whispered as the blonde's expression
turned to steel and five words slipped from her lips.
"Moon Prism Power...Make up!" Light flared in the bathroom,
momentarily blinding the feline as magic swirled within the room. When
the brilliance faded, Tsukino Usagi stood transformed.
Red and white boots surrounded her legs to just below the knees,
a blue skirt attached to a white body-suit and red ribbon that covered
her torso. Nestled in the center of the ribbon was a golden locket,
glinting in the flourescent light. A red ribbon circled her neck, a
crescent moon glinting on it. Tiny crescent moon earrings dangled from
her ears, and a golden tiara rested on her forehead. As always, the twin
odango and ponytails had returned, hair ornaments of red and gold attached
to them now. Lastly, white gloves covered her arms to just above the
elbow.
"I'll be back in a few hours, Luna," Sailor Moon told her
mentor, stepping over to the window above the shower and pushing it open
so it leaned outward. Her hands gripped the edge and she pulled herself
through, her feet the last thing Luna saw as she departed.
"She's gone?" Rei asked quietly from the doorway, a sheet
wrapped around her body.
Luna nodded silently, saying nothing as Rei walked over to the
shower, reaching up to close the window.
"Can't let the rain in," Rei said, voice held steady, with only
the faintest hint of worry. She turned to the cat as the latch clicked.
"Would you like some ice cream, Luna? I think I need some."
Again, Luna nodded, saying nothing. Rei scooped the feline up
and together they went back into the main apartment to wait.
*
The rain had started coming down harder since she had set out,
and it was now close to flooding in some areas. She hadn't found a youma
yet, but had managed to help a few people out here and there.
"As bad as Sailor V," she muttered, stopping on a roof to look
around. "Stopping muggers and such." Sighing, Sailor Moon closed her
eyes, reaching out with her senses. There had to be something...
There.
Her eyes snapped open and she backed up, then started running
toward the roof's edge. Without breaking stride, she leapt into the air,
coming down across the street with enough force to crack the cement. Not
stopping, she continued on, crossing several streets in this fashion
until she reached a darkened alleyway and launched herself into the air.
She spun in the air, diving straight down at the youma standing there,
terrorising a group of thugs.
The impact sent the youma sprawling before the feet of the
terrified punks.
"Go," Sailor Moon told them, voice firm. "Before you get hurt."
The five boys all nodded, eyes wide, and took off running as
fast as they could.
"Now then," Sailor Moon said brightly, tilting her head to look
down at the youma. "Where were we? Ah, yes." She kicked the youma
viciously in the ribs, hard enough to send it flying into the nearby
building.
"Destroyer..." it hissed, finally getting a good look at her.
"Why yes, I will be yours in a moment," she agreed, neatly
sidestepping its charge as she spoke. "I hope you're looking forward to
it as much as I am."
"I will not be killed by you!" it snarled, throwing a punch at
her.
She caught it effortlessly in her hand. "You know. I would have
some witty remark here any other time, but frankly, you're boring. You
haven't said anything that the rest of your kind haven't already told
me." A quick twist, and the youma over-balanced, its arm wrenched
painfully to the side. Sailor Moon's free hand came around, clenched
into a fist, and struck the creature squarely in the torso. The blow
drove it back several feet toward the mouth of the alley. It slumped
there, holding an arm to its midsection, then snarled.
"DIE!" Both hands came up, lightning crackling between them,
that arced out toward her.
"Pathetic," she muttered, one hand catching her tiara as it fell
free, already beginning to change shape. A rustle of cloth obscured her
vision and strong arms encircled her before she could finish her attack,
someone carrying her to the roof above.
"Let go!" she snarled, struggling against whoever held her as
they landed. She whirled to stare down into the alley, looking for the
youma. The alley lay dark and empty, though. It had fled in her moment
of distraction.
"Are you alright?" a male voice asked behind her, a white gloved
hand settling on her shoulder. "It didn't hurt you..." His words cut off
in a grunt as she drove her elbow into his stomach, then spun, punching
him in the face viciously.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Sailor Moon snarled. "It
got away!"
He stared up at her through his white domino mask, one hand to
his jaw, clearly confused and a bit angry. "You were right in the way of
its attack. I assumed you needed assistance."
She looked at him for a moment, then snorted. "I was about to
kill the damned thing. Was that obvious or are you just clueless?"
He stood, dusting himself off and spoke. "Next time, I'll make
sure not to waste my time."
"Good," Sailor Moon snorted. "Who are you, anyway?"
"Tuxedo Kamen..." he murmured, watching her carefully.
"Oh, well that's a clever nickname," Sailor Moon snorted.
"Just... wait." She looked him over once, frowning. Formal wear. A mask.
"You're the thief running around town, aren't you?"
He tilted his hat, giving her a grin. "Heard of me, have you?"
Sailor Moon nodded. "Yes. I have. And you know what? Not
impressed." The grin faded from his face just as quickly as it had
appeared.
"I'll be on my way," he almost snarled. "Unless you're going to be
like Sailor V and stop my thieving ways?"
"Well, there is one more thing," she said, almost smiling as he
stopped to see what she wanted.
Her second punch slammed into his jaw on the side she hadn't struck,
sending him dropping to the roof again. "That was for the hands."
Tuxedo Kamen sat there for a moment, working his jaw slowly to be
sure it was still in one piece. "So that was Sailor Moon..."
*
Sailor Moon skidded to a stop in the main section of the park,
looking around in frustration. "Damn! It got away."
The night was turning exceedingly less pleasant. The youma had
escaped, due to the interloper and now she was standing here, in the
pouring rain, searching for it futilely.
"I should have punched him a few more times," she muttered,
shaking her head. "As it is, I might make it back in time not to have
Rei yell at me." Frustrated, she set off at a run toward home.
She arrived about ten minutes later, frowning irritably at the
bathroom window as it had somehow been latched, and dropped into the
bathroom silently. A quick touch of her brooch, and she was again
Tsukino Usagi. Humming under her breath, she quietly opened the bathroom
door and walked out into the main area of the apartment.
"You're back?"
Usagi jumped, then turned her head to regard Rei. "You take an
inordinate amount of pleasure in doing that, I swear."
"It amazes me how the scourge of the Dark Kingdom can be so
easily surprised," Rei murmured, seated at the table near the bed, a mug
of hot chocolate held in her hands that she was watching Usagi over.
"Don't tell anyone," Usagi replied, yawning as she opened the
refrigerator and extracted the milk jug and poured a glass. "Why are you
up?"
"Waiting," Rei told her. "And thinking."
"About?"
"What you've been keeping from me."
The glass of milk hit the floor, shattering as Usagi stared at
Rei, paling. "What?"
"Baka Usagi," Rei murmured, exasperated as she rose from the
table and began cleaning the mess up. "I was talking about the photo
assignment you've got next week in Hokkaido. You can't go to Aino
Minako's concert."
"Oh," Usagi turned away, digging in the closet for the mop.
"That."
"That is the only thing you haven't told me, isn't it, Usagi?"
Rei asked from the floor, her voice like steel.
"Where the hell is the mop?" Usagi snapped, glowering at the
closet.
"Usagi."
"I don't want to talk about this, Rei," the blonde replied, not
looking at the raven-haired female.
"Then, when?" Rei murmured, letting the pieces of the cup fall
to the floor from her hands.
"How does never sound?" Usagi growled. "Is never good?"
"There's no need to get angry, Usagi. It is just a question."
"Not one I want to answer," the blonde retorted.
"Fine," Rei snorted, her own temper coming to the fore. "When
you feel like talking, you know where to find me." She stood, moving
over to collect her clothes from the floor and began to get dressed.
Usagi watched her for a moment, then opened her mouth.
"Baka," Rei announced, fastening her bra as she spoke. "As I
said, when you feel like talking, come find me." She pulled her shirt
on, grabbed her jacket, and walked out without another word.
"Rei..." Usagi stood there in the kitchen, staring at the door
as it closed. Then, she sighed, digging out the mop and broom to begin
cleaning up.
* The Past
"You know your mother doesn't think this appropriate," the
slender female in the red gown whispered, eyes half-lidded as she almost
purred.
"My mother," the other said, muffled somewhat. "Is a dreadful
bore and thinks I should marry that Prince from Terra."
"It is a politically sound marriage, Princess," her companion
replied, sitting up on her elbows to regard the blonde as she lay
sprawled on the bed next to her, head resting against the pillow. "And
he is not unattractive."
"Yes, he is handsome," she admitted, irritation in her voice.
"But he has the manners of a pig and insulted me. In fact, I think he's
carrying on with his bodyguards." She sniffed, eyes twinkling with
mischief.
The other giggled, turning to regard the Princess. "You
shouldn't tell tales, Princess."
"Who says I'm telling tales?" she replied, laughing. "It's
little wonder he was so rude, given that I interrupted his tryst with
the brown-haired member of his guard. Nephlite? Nephrite?"
"His name is Nephrite," the Senshi of Mars said with a sigh,
shaking her head at her Princess. "And I find it hard to believe that he
is having trysts with his bodyguards while here to formalise his
betrothal to you. That would be a massive insult to the Queen. She would
hardly abide such an action."
"Mother has been too busy closeted with the senshi from the
outer planets to notice any such thing," the Princess grinned. "And
while Luna and Artemis have been handling the negotiations, they can't
observe every single thing that the Prince has been doing."
"Selene..." the Senshi of Mars began. "What have you seen?"
"Oh, nothing," Selene laughed. "Except for Endymion and Nephrite
being very friendly in the royal gardens."
"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, raising one perfect
eyebrow. "This isn't some prank you and Aphrodite set up, is it?"
"This is far too good for us to bother with that," Selene
laughed. "Though, letting it get back to my mother isn't a bad idea.
Maybe it will disgrace him enough in her eyes that I won't have to go
through with this marriage."
"You're a Princess, Selene," came the patient reply. "You will
be Queen one day. You don't have the luxury of doing things at a whim."
"If I can't be with who I want, then I don't want to be Queen,"
she told her Senshi firmly. "Mother knows I don't like this too-pretty
Prince and his overbearing entourage. Yet she still insists on trying to
force this through, because it will be 'politically convenient.' I think
not. The only person I might ever want to marry, is you, Ariana."
"I'm flattered that you feel that way, Princess," Ariana, Sensh of
Mars murmured. "But you know that can't ever happen."
"We'll see about that." Selene said darkly, turning to place a
single, chaste kiss on her companion's lips. "I'm going to go talk to
mother. Take care of yourself." With that, she slid off of the bed,
brushing her dress out and departed with a smile.
* The Present
The door had been smashed in, the door frame itself also badly
damaged.
"Shingo, stay here," Usagi said, giving him a look that brooked
no argument. Carefully, she stepped through the rubble of the door,
entering the living room of her house.
And stopped, gasping.
There was blood everywhere. The walls. The floor. The furniture.
All of it. Covered in blood.
"U-usagi-chan..." a voice rasped out. Usagi blinked, her eyes
falling on her parents. Her mother had spoken, one hand raised weakly.
"Momma..." Usagi whispered, something inside her welling up in
response as tears tracked from her eyes. "Poppa..."
She took a step toward them. Then something heavy struck her
from behind, pitching her down where her parents lay. She twisted over,
eyes searching for what had attacked her. And she saw. And screamed.
"Pretty girl.." it hissed, hunched over, a pulsating mass of red
and black that defied the imagination. "Pretty shiny girl..."
"Usagi!" Shingo yelled from the doorway, having rushed in.
"Shingo! GO! Get away!" she screamed at him. "
"Kill pretty girl..." it hissed, started to lunge at her. A rush
of feet, and someone slammed into her, pushing her away. She slumped,
dazed, and then recovered awareness. The thing held Shingo, hissing at
him as he struggled.
"Shingo!" Usagi screamed, starting to crawl toward them, but
slipping in the blood. So much blood.
"Annoyingstupidboy," the creature hissed at Shingo, shaking him
violently. "Make stupidboy suffer." A black star coalesced on the
surface of the creature's chest. Light crackled from it, striking Shingo
in the chest. He began to scream, as if he were being torn apart.
"SHINGO!" Usagi's scream was piercing as she again tried to get
up. There had to be...
"Someone..." she whispered. "Anyone...help..."
"Usagi." a voice said, drawing her attention. A black cat stood
before her, almost crying. And it spoke.
"Awaken."
Light consumed everything.
Flash.
"No one's really sure what happened," the detective said to his
superior who had just arrived. "Screaming was reported at around five in
the afternoon, and the first patrolmen on the scene found her, crying
and holding her younger brother in her arms. The parents were dead, and
whatever happened, it was a doozy. The place was completely trashed." He
pointed at the huge hole in the building on the side facing the street.
"Witnesses reported a red and black, and I quote, monster,
tearing its way out of the house, leaving a trail of, and I quote again,
red slime and blood in its wake." he continued, rolling his eyes. "The
girl apparently also chopped off her hair. Two lengths of it were in a
pile near her. As near as we can tell, during whatever happened, she
fell and got her parents' blood all over her hair. Probably freaked."
"Think she did it?" the chief asked, frowning as he looked at
the girl sitting in the ambulance nearby, watching them both.
"Killed them?" the detective shook his head. "Not a chance.
Whatever did that in there was insane. And definitely not the work of a
teenage girl."
"What about the brother?"
"Well... we're not really sure," the detective admitted.
"Physically, he's only got a few bruises and maybe a cracked rib. But...
he's even less there than the girl. She at least is somewhat aware.
Hysterical, but aware. The boy... it's like he's not even there."
Flash.
"Tsukino Usagi," the judiciary said, giving the blankly staring
girl as comforting a smile as he could manage. "Until you reach the age
of majority, I am remanding you to the custody of your aunt."
"Come, Usagi-chan," her aunt said quietly, leading the girl away
without a word.
A few hours later, she sat in a quiet bedroom, the walls blank
and unadorned. She did as she had been doing for the past three days.
Staring at nothing.
"Usagi." the voice said again. Her head turned slightly,
regarding the black cat with almost a hint of awareness.
"I'm so sorry, Usagi..." the cat continued, almost crying as it
lunged forward, burying itself against her midsection."
"Luna..." the girl said, her voice rough with disuse.
Flash.
Naru was screaming. The thing that had pretended to be her
mother loomed over her, one hand reaching out menacingly.
There was a hiss. And the golden tiara streaked past her friend's
cheek, tearing into the creature above her. It screamed, the sound hideous
as it dissolved into nothing.
Then he was there. Eyes cold as he regarded her for a moment.
Then he saluted once and vanished.
Tsukino Usagi woke with a gasp, almost screaming out.
Luna was there, batting her head against Usagi's arm to get her
attention and calm her as she had done countless times before.
"The nightmare again?" Luna asked as the girl's eyes refocused
in the present and she scooped the cat up in her arms.
Usagi said nothing, merely nodding, eyes bright with unshed
tears.
"You haven't had one in a while," Luna murmured, resting against
Usagi.
"No," Usagi agreed. "Whenever Rei's here, they don't come."
"I'm sorry about all this, Usagi," the cat said. "Rei was very
inquisitive this evening. I thought I had diverted her as usual. It seems
that she's not buying the excuses anymore."
"It's alright, Luna," Usagi whispered. "I knew this would
happen. As much as I wanted it to be different."
"Are you going to tell her, then?"
"Soon," she said. "But not yet. I...can't."
"Go back to sleep, Usagi-chan," Luna told her charge. "I'll make
sure you have no more bad dreams." With that, she met Usagi's eyes, her
golden crescent flashing once, and the young woman fell back onto the
bed into dreamless sleep.
"Usagi-chan.." Luna whispered, eyes sad as she watched the
slumbering girl. "Why did it all have to be like this?"
She was watching from across the street as the raven-haired
young woman began the ascent up the stairs to Hikawa Shrine. She was the
only one who knew that the one she watched was crying, heart torn over
events earlier in the night. She knew all of this. It didn't change that
she was unable to do anything but watch. She had watched as a
civilization unrivaled in its glory had fallen to the whims of a mad
queen and her demented obsessions. She had been unable to do anything
then. But now... she would act and hope that the tragedies of the past
would not repeat themselves.
"Forgive me, Mars," she whispered to the wind, watching her
prey's back as she vanished over the crest of the hill. She raised one
hand, palm up, and blew air across it, as if blowing something away in
the direction of the shrine. With a single pained look in the direction
of the shrine, she turned to go, green hair that was almost black
swirling out behind her. Two steps, and she vanished, leaving the rain-
wet sidewalk dark and empty.
End Chapter One.
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