Mujou is a Sailor Senshi? The Black Moon Strike Again!
This world. It wasn't so different from the one that Yuushi Misora knew. She felt disoriented and slightly confused that she wasn't with her fellow Senshi. Where is everyone? What happened? How long has it been since I arrived? The last events she could remember flashed through her mind as she carefully sorted through them. There was the transporter, Endymion warning them all to be careful, the travel itself from their universe into the other, and then ... nothing. Misora had lost contact with her comrades and now she was alone in a deserted alley in who knew where. It could have been hours, days, or even weeks after she and the others had left. Calm down, Misora, think logically. First: where am I? Second: where are the others? Third: how do I find them? Fourth: a place to stay. Calm, a plan in mind, Misora rose shakily from where she had been laying and checked her pack to ensure everything was still there. Money, a bit of clothing, my ice skates, my identification ... good. Patting her pockets, she found her henshin stick and wallet were still there too. Checking her wrist, she was relieved to see her communicator and flipped it open, surprised and dismayed when all she encountered was static. No good, the communicator isn't working. Once her communicator was closed, she stepped out onto the busier streets and looked around, trying to spot something familiar. Soon, she saw it. The familiar red tower silhouetted against the sky.
"Tokyo Tower. So, it appears that I am indeed in Japan, and in Tokyo, but which district am I in?"
Tokyo was enormous and she didn't want to seem like a gaijin tourist and ask for directions. So, she set off, looking for something that would be familiar. Her pale blue eyes darted back and forth slowly, taking in every detail of the area but still nothing was recognizable to her. Slightly irritated that she still had no idea where she was after hours of searching, she brushed at her long silver-white ponytail impatiently and decided to stop at a convenience store for a bento and to check a map. After stepping inside, purchasing her bento, and talking with the clerk briefly, Misora paused with her onigiri halfway to her mouth.
"Shiba Koen ... I'm in Shiba Koen?"
"Yes you are. Why does that surprise you?"
She shrugged, not feeling like carrying on the conversation any longer and pulled out her wallet. Misora made her way back outside and headed for the metro. Going with her instinct, she purchased a ticket and rode to the nearest stop that was within walking distance to her home. When she saw the familiar apartment building, she almost sighed with relief, but nothing showed on her face except neutrality. Only her eyes glimmered a little at seeing a familiar sight. Conferring with the landlady, and willing to pay cash up front, Misora secured her old apartment, the one she'd had in her universe, even though it pained her slightly to think of this apartment and not see Kyoko's art supplies laying around.
"Stupid rainbow-colored house slippers," she mumbled, recalling an incident where she'd trod on Kyoko's art supplies and her house slippers had wound up covered in paint.
Misora then sat down and proceeded to sort through her cash and began to plan ways in order to find her fellow Senshi. This isn't right, she thought as she sat with her legs crossed on the floor. Something went terribly wrong and I can't even remember what it was that caused us to be separated. Koneko-chan, Pluto, Saturn ... Princess ... where are you? Never one for just sitting around when there were things to do, Misora rose to her feet and went down to use a public phone. She had to find out about figure skating competitions and get her name in there. It was the way to gain both notoriety and funds for surviving on if she didn't find her fellow Senshi immediately. The Crisis Senshi can wait, this is far more important. Just thinking of her Princess lost and alone in this strange new world sent ice down Misora's spine. Suddenly, the wind picked up and roared fiercely in her ear and she stopped cold in her tracks. The wind is screaming. Although panic tried to well up within her, Misora quashed it and headed more quickly towards her destination. On the way though, she passed a television store where the news was playing.
"Yes, in a bizarre incident this morning, a cosplayer of that famous anime and manga character Sailor Moon was found murdered in the street ..."
Stopping immediately, Misora then turned her full attention to the monitor. What is this? That's when her eyes fell on the figure that had been killed. The fuku, the hair, all of it was familiar. No ... no, it can't be. But when the news reporter revealed the face, Misora knew it couldn't be false. A lead weight dropped into the pit of her stomach and she was driven to her knees as tears stung the corners of her eyes. Every instinct in her was telling her not to cry, not to show weakness, but this ... this was SERENITY! The person who had touched her heart and showed her what it meant to have friends. Showed her what it meant to be human. She can't be gone ... she can't be gone. NO! No, I won't believe it! I can't have failed! I promised to protect her!
"I promised!" she cried and quickly covered her mouth with her hands so she wouldn't have another outburst.
People were starting to stare and Misora knew she had to leave. She had to go away ... somewhere quiet and private. So she did the only thing she could do: she ran back into her newly-acquired apartment and locked the door. The images still blared in her mind, the cold finality of it striking her heart again and again. What if Koneko-chan met the same fate? What of Saturn and Pluto? Could they be ...? No! I can't lose them too! I can't lose Kyoko! Already Misora felt lost and when she closed her eyes, she could see it. It was fading.
"The light. She took the light with her," Misora choked on her cries as she knelt in the middle of her floor. "Serenity ... Princess ... please ... you can't be gone. You just can't be gone! I promised I would protect you!"
But her rational mind was telling her it was so. There was no running away from this. But oh Misora wanted to. She couldn't face it. The girl she had sworn to protect with her life was gone. Not only had she failed, but she failed Serenity! Just this once ... let me grieve ... Misora had never known what it was like to lose someone close to her and she wasn't even sure she knew how to grieve. The pain she felt now, the horrible loss, and the loss of the warm, sweet light that was her Princess shattered the protective walls around her heart and everything came pouring out. It was what she feared, but thankfully she was alone. She could let it all out and not worry about someone seeing her. For the first time since she had been a child, Misora lay on the floor, her head buried in her arms, and she sobbed brokenly for the fate of the one she had loved so dearly. Her first friend. Her Princess.
... Serenity ...
Misora didn't know how long she'd been lying there, her anguish coming in the form of an endless flood of tears. Thoughts of her princess swirled with thoughts of her beloved Kyoko and she worried that they had both met the same fate. No. No, I won't let it be so. I'm stronger than this. And Misora picked herself up off the floor, straightened her spine, and went towards the window. Swiping at her eyes, determination filled her. Oh yes ... she would find Kyoko and her fellow Senshi. And she would find the ones who had caused her such pain and grief.
"I will find the ones who did this ... and I'll kill them."
~ * ~
Feeling a bit turned around, Youjou Kyoko turned in the spot she stood and scratched her head a little. Where did everybody go? She flipped open her communicator, only to find that it was useless for the moment. With a pout she closed it back up and continued to look around for any sign of someone she knew.
"Eh ... Moshi moshi?" She called through the empty ally she had, what she figured, just appeared in. She remembered everything up to when they started into the new world. She made sure that everything had made it with her. Her precious guitar. Check. Duffle bag? Money? Henshin stick? Clothes? Shells? Everything seemed to be where she had left it. Finally giving in to the fact that she wasn't getting anywhere just standing where she was, she whine a little as she hefted her belongings on her shoulders and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Kyoko squinted a little, looking around to see if there was anything familiar about her surroundings. Still no sign of anyone she knew. All strangers trudging along on their way home from the office or going out for the evening. "Why couldn't I have been stranded with someone I knew?" she thought to herself as she pushed into the flow of bodies. Her stomach growled, ordering her to find something to eat before it rebelled further. Thankfully there was a noodle vendor not far from where she had been mysteriously dropped. She still had no idea where she was. She was still getting her bearings and she wasn't about to ask for directions.
Waiting her turn to make an order she leaned against the wall next to the stand, counting her money. She had enough for a bowl and possibly a place to stay if she could find a deal. Work would be something to find in the morning, along with her fellow Senshi. The 'Crisis Senshi' would have to hold their horses. When her turn came, Kyoko gave her order, got her noodles, and then stepped back to her wall to eat them in peace.
"There have been no leads on this morning's cosplay murder. The girl has been unidentified. All that is known was that she was wearing a Sailor Moon cosplay outfit ..."
Kyoko turned her head to the small television that was set up behind the noodle vendor. She inched closer, reaching out to turn it slightly to get a better look while the vendor was cooking. "Serenity?" She took a step closer, trying to examine the fuzzy picture before the vendor pulled the television away. Kyoko gave him a dirty look, picking up her things as she left her half eaten ramen bowl on his counter. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around, trying to find something that might have the same report on it. She came to a screeching halt as she saw a convenience store, the clerk watching the report she had just seen. Hoping that her fears were misplaced she stepped in and walked to the counter.
"Police are still investigating to see if this is the beginning of a serial killing or if this was simply a one time murder ..." The picture was clearer, the fuku unmistakable. "Princess ..." Kyoko whispered in shock, the clerk turning around as she backed away, unable to process the horrible realization that was trying to make its way through her thoughts. Her knees buckled, the clerk giving a cry of surprise as the girl dropped to her knees, shaking her head. "No, it can't be." Not the Princess. Not one of her little sisters ... Her head spun as she started to sob deeply, her fists clenching in anger and sorrow.
The poor clerk wasn't sure what to do as he moved around the counter and squatted down beside the sobbing young woman. He hesitated, not sure if he should try to comfort her or not. Kyoko was unresponsive to the other person in her presence, her heart feeling torn. What if the others had ended up like that? What if she was attacked? Would she have the strength to defend herself in this world? "Excuse me?" A voice trying to be sympathetic said, nudging Kyoko slightly. She was drawing a crowd and frightening other customers away.
"What?!" Kyoko barked back at him between a sniffle and a sob. She looked around with blurry eyes, gathering the strength to push herself up from the floor and angrily grab her belongings. She already didn't like this world. "Move!" She yelled at a group of people gathered by the door before pushing through them to the sidewalk. Whoever was responsible would pay. They would pay hard. "I won't forgive them ... Not ever," she thought to herself as she stormed down the sidewalk, taking no care to avoid bumping into anyone.
Eventually she ran out of steam, quietly sniffling as she turned a corner. She needed to find a place to rest, and then find work and a place to live. This wasn't over, no sir, not by a long shot. She wasn't giving up and she sure as hell wasn't going to let the bastard who harmed her little sister go. Someone had to mess with her family ... That someone had just messed with Sailor Neptune.
"I won't lose." Youjou Kyoko whispered as she looked up at the sky, past the buildings. She sucked in a deep breath before she yelled at the sky:
"I won't lose!"
~ * ~
The next morning ...
"Cosplayers across Tokyo have been warned not to walk alone after last night's incident," the drawling, sleepy voice droned loudly into the ears of a tall, skinny young man sprawled across a messy bed. "A young girl dressed up as popular manga and anime character Sailor Moon was found dead this morning in the middle of a busy intersection in the Juuban district of Tokyo, Japan."
Upon hearing the name of his favorite childhood superhero, the boy jumped awake, as if he had been up the whole time. His messy, rosy brown hair stuck up in cow-licks that defied gravity, making him look like he'd stuck his finger in an electric socket, yet his indigo eyes stared intently at the radio, waiting curiously for more of the news story. In spite of his sudden interest, the anchorman had moved on to the trial of some unimportant celebrity.
Of course, in the moment that the radio was no longer important, the boy suddenly realized that he was now twenty minutes late for his computer class. In a rush of panic, the sleepy college student hopped hysterically from his bed, quickly changing into some clothes, grabbing his books, and dashing out the door for class.
The radio was left on in this frenzy, but somewhere in the streets outside his window, something much more worrisome had happened ...
~ * ~
The sun was up, the birds were singing, and University Park bustled with people: students hurrying off to classes, salary men on their way to work, housewives with young children out to enjoy the weather. The paths were somewhat chaotic, as bikes wove their way around pedestrians and people hastened in all directions. Safely off the path, a dark-haired woman knelt with eyes closed, breathing in the heady scent of flowers, an isolated spot of tranquility amid the bustle.
Her head snapped up suddenly, eyes hidden by dark sunglasses flicking across the path before her. They lingered briefly on a young girl chasing a butterfly, a salary man on his bike, and finally settled on a tousle-haired student running for the campus as if his life depended on it. There was something there, something almost worth looking at --
"Hiyori!"
The sound of her name pulled her focus away from the teen; she stood, turned to the speaker. The speaker practically vibrated with impatience, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Hiyori-cha~an," it was not quite a plea, "you promised we'd go shopping together. Are we gonna stand here all day?"
She smiled at this, resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle those white locks -- so easy like this, to forget they were of an age -- and tucked hands into the pockets of her blue wool coat. "So I did. Where did you have in mind, Kera-chan?"
As they headed for the edge of the park furthest from the university, where boutiques catering to the younger trendy crowd vied with cafes for space, Kera chattered on excitedly about something she'd seen in one of the stores yesterday, perfect and gorgeous and would look so good on her, and she just had to have it. Trailing a few steps behind her cousin, Hiyori tilted her head back and let the sun spill across her face. It was still strange, to feel it after having grown up in a world dark and sere -- strange to be here on Earth.
The thought of the circumstances behind it still made her stomach turn and her heart clench. She put that thought aside, though; hard enough to maintain the persona she was wearing while looking for opportunities. That was part of why she'd agreed to go shopping with Kera, since waiting while the other tried things on would give her the opportunity to observe people. Necessity made for an uncomfortable situation, but one thing a ruler had to learn was how to balance the good of the many and the few, and she was discovering she knew more than she'd thought of how to rule.
So she smiled benignly and followed her apparent cousin, and let her attention drift over the people they passed, looking for anything that bore closer observation.
They had waited long enough. It would start today.
Kera was, as ever, a marathon shopper; the type of shopper who should have been nominated for the Olympics, or some kind of award, or at least donated to science to discover exactly what kept the muscles going. Kakera didn't bother with dressing-rooms, not when Hiyori was there; apparently Hiyori's waist-bust-hip figures were tattooed safely on h - her - it was so difficult when she had the Kakera-chan face on to decide, anyway -- hand, only momentarily draping a cashmere scarf over Hiyori's neck with the wickedest of grins as Kakera tossed her long beribboned locks of hair back like a pro.
"These shoes rule," she said meditatively, going over a rack. Then: "These shoes suck." And another: "These shoes rule, but -- these shoes suck!" (They were tossed carelessly over her shoulder, for some poor clerk. The only reason Kakera was never chastised was the fact that she spent obscene amounts of money.) "Hiyori-chaaaaaan, really, you wear the most awful old-woman shoes, I should throw them all out of your closet. Shouldn't I? Also, ankle-straps make you look like you have fat ankles, and you have the most beautiful ankles except for my ankles, which are of TO-TAL CUTE-NESS."
Whatever the case was, they were soon seated down on the bench in the university park again, Kakera laden down with bags on her delicate little arms and looking like a slightly weighted-down butterfly as they both sipped on sodas (Kera-chan liked Ramune, for some dire, unknown reason) and Kakera swung her legs on the bench as if she was ten, not apparently fourteen. She was wearing little frilly socks, stamped with watermelons, and for some reason she put her arm through Hiyori's and looked at her and smiled a secret smile.
"Isn't it fun to look where you're looking?" she said carelessly, and crumpled up what she could of the bottle. "You saw that boy over there and then I did -- isn't he peculiar? I've been wondering what it is about him. It's not the hair. The hair is horrible."
Then: "I think it's time for me to start looking really close, Hiyori-chan. For instance. Close enough to go underneath the skin." Then her voice dropped a few low notes, until it was quite a low whisper: "Aaa, Mara-chan --"
"Yes," Hiyori said, out loud. "Yes. It's time."
~ * ~
About a half-hour later, a disheartened Mujou walked out of his computer class with a particularly pitiful pout on his face. It wasn't his fault he didn't hear his alarm and woke up late! Why was the teacher always so mean when he was late? It wasn't like he tried to be late or anything ... it just sort of happened. Shuffling his feet, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ground, Mujou sulked toward his next class. Computer Engineering. Fun. He may as well rip his eyes out of his sockets with his fingernails while he was at it.
"If only I were a Sailor Senshi," the whimsical boy sighed as he went off into one of his rambling daydreams.
He wouldn't even think about going to school anymore! Transforming and fighting bad guys would be so much more important. His parents would surely understand if he explained it to them. Maybe then he wouldn't have to always do all this stuff he hated with computers.
And maybe then, he wouldn't have to worry about watching where he walked.
A piercing shriek followed by a human yelp echoed through the park, waking babies and causing quite a few heads to turn. Opening his eyes to see what it was he'd bumped into that had nearly blown his eardrums apart, Mujou found a pair of talons scratching at his eyes, as if his previous wish were coming true in the worst twist of irony ever. Backing away from the vicious bird that was threatening to tear his eyes out, Mujou bumped into a wall and sunk to the ground, finding himself in a back alley as the bird let off of him.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU?! DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU IMBE-" the bird began squawking in a disturbingly human voice, stopping mid-sentence and seemingly realizing all too late that he himself was a talking bird.
Mujou's eyes widened to be the size of golf balls, staring blankly at the talking animal in front of him. "Y - you ..." with a blink, a light bulb went off in Mujou's head -- anyone would have been able to see it in his eyes, if they were watching.
"YOU'RE A TALKING OWL! JUST LIKE LUNA!"
Fluttering his wings in concern, the owl looked worriedly at Mujou. "Yes, I speak, but please do not be too shocked! I -- what?" Staring at the boy in a mix of awe and disgust at such obliviousness, the owl continued. "Why yes, I am a talking owl ... though I am certainly not Sailor Moon's guardian. I'm --"
Bouncing up and down in a manner clearly uncharacteristic of his age bracket, Mujou rambled on, lost in his own world. "YOU MEAN SAILOR MOON EXISTS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WHAT'S SHE LIKE?!"
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME?" the owl shrieked at Mujou, who continued wiggling obnoxiously. "I have no qualms with scratching your eyes out like I was about to a moment ago!"
At the prospect of losing his eyeballs, Mujou gasped and clamped his mouth shut. That certainly did NOT sound like fun.
"Now then," the bird began as he fluttered to perch on a nearby trash can. "I am Pathos, and I am here to guide your training as a Sailor Senshi."
"Sailor Se --" Mujou interjected excitedly, before stopping himself as Pathos lifted a threatening talon.
"I need you to be calm and listen to me," Pathos warned, bringing his talon back down. "The fate of this Universe -- no, of existence itself -- lies in your hands. Please don't be shocked. You are a Crisis Senshi -- the Second-in-Command, to be precise. You are the Senshi of Telekinesis, Sailor Psi, a Champion of the Mind." Even if Pathos couldn't believe it.
Gasping again, Mujou could contain himself no longer. Grabbing Pathos by the wings, he blurted out his feelings. "I'm a Sailor Senshi? Really?! This is amazing! I always wanted to be one, and now I am! I never thought it would actually happen, but it's really true!"
Pathos had that look of concern again. "Please, please don't be too shoc -- what?"
Clearly, this was going to take some getting used to, for the both of them.
~ * ~
Misora had arrived in the Universe only the night before. It was now the next morning and she stood watching the sun come up from her apartment. It felt ... so empty. And it was. After she'd picked herself up off the floor and decided to do something about her situation, she'd called around, checking if there were ice skating competitions and organizations like there were back in her world. She knew she would have to do some fast talking and a lot of bribing if it came down to it, but Misora had to have an income. Her savings were good and would last at least a month or two, but she had to get some sort of work.
After her usual morning routine of stretches, bends, twists, and the like, Misora hit the showers and left the house in search of a bank to deposit the remainder of her money. Let's see ... I paid for a month up front in rent. Unless I can find work and find it soon, I won't have a place to stay. There was a list in her hand of things she had to accomplish and she went about town in the early hours of the morning searching for a suitable bank, finding breakfast, and heading for the ice rink to try and find work. What she encountered was a job opening for a skating teacher to five year olds. Beggars can't be choosers, she thought and applied on the spot.
Only a few short hours later, Misora left with the teaching position. Now, for the biggest task of all ... and she headed for the fish market. If I know my Koneko-chan, and I do, she'll most likely head for there. It'll remind her of her family and she'll feel safe. Perhaps ... perhaps she'll even be near the area where her family lives. All Misora could do was hope and as she took the metro towards the other end of town, her hopes were laid on finding the one woman who could help her mourn. Misora pressed her hand to her heart.
Last night ... I've never had such nightmares ...
When her stop was called, Misora left the metro and headed on foot towards the fish market, her silver ponytail bouncing with the speed of her pace. I have to find her. If anything happened to her ... Kyoko ... please be all right. And before she knew it, she was running, heading for the place where she hoped her beloved would be. Fish surrounded her, people shouted and jostled as they went about purchasing the freshest fish available, but she only had eyes for one part of the market. And she skidded to a halt near where Kyoko's family stall would usually be.
"Kyoko ... where are you?"
~ * ~
The night before had felt so lonely. At least a kind family had taken her in and in exchange she was going to help them in the fish market. Her heart was heavy, thinking of Serenity being killed ... Misora lost somewhere in this Universe ... Kyoko alone in a world of strangers.
The morning had come after fitful sleep and she had eaten a small breakfast with her gracious hosts. She would work during the morning rush and then she would go searching for the other Senshi. For now she had to try to smile and try to keep her head up. Misora ... I hope you're okay ... Kyoko sighed as she picked up a flat of fresh fish with the intention of taking it to the stall where the family she was living with sold their produce.
Kyoko walked with a tired pace through the market, trying her best to keep her eyes open so that she wouldn't run into anyone. She looked around to get her bearings, catching a glimpse of silver hair go by near another row of stalls.
"Misora?" She wondered to herself, trying not to get her hopes up as she came to the stall she was working at and set down the fish. "Excuse me." She said with a short bow of her head, jogging in the direction she had seen the flash. There were so many people around, Kyoko jumping a little to see.
It was hard to miss Misora, being tall with such pale hair. Kyoko wasn't sure if she should believe her eyes or not as she pushed through the people.
"Misora!" She called out. "Sora-chan!" She yelled through the people jumping up and down, waving her arms and making a scene. "MISORA!"
~ * ~
"Misora! Sora-chan!"
There was only one person in the entire world who called her that. Heart leaping into her throat, Misora's pale blue eyes darted around, searching for her companion in the crowds of people.
"MISORA!"
THERE! Misora saw a petite girl with sea green hair jumping up and down, calling her name. Relief and joy washed through her at seeing her beloved safe and a true and honest smile broke out onto her features. At that moment, Misora didn't care who saw. She didn't care that she was shoving people aside to get to Kyoko. Nor did she care they were making a scene when she lifted her love into her arms and swung her around a bit, laughing and kissing her desperately.
"Koneko-chan! I found you, I found you! Thank the gods you're safe, Kyoko!"
There weren't words to describe how Misora felt at seeing her beloved again. It felt as if everything inside of her was bursting, straining at the walls of her composure ... but that was all right. This was Kyoko. They were together again and everything would be all right. And as she cupped the beautiful face in her hands and kissed her, Misora knew that no matter what else happened ... she was home.
"I'm home, koneko-chan."
~ * ~
Park benches and sodas were all fine and well for a discussion after shopping, and even for hiding an initial assessment behind such innocuous things. Not everything could be handled so easily, though, and so Hiyori finished the last of her drink, put the cap on the bottle, and set it down on the bench.
"Not the boy," in a lower voice, matched to the other's whisper. "Not for this. I think ..." Sudden motion as she rose, catching the bottle between long fingers as she did so. "I think you had best find somewhere to leave those bags, darling," Hiyori suggested as she dropped the bottle into the nearest recycling can. It clinked noisily against glass and metal, somehow loud over the mingled sounds about them. "I'm going somewhere I can get a better look. There are things here that interest me."
Leaving her cousin to deal with the bags, Hiyori headed for the gazebo placed at the centre of winding flower-bordered paths. This location was proving unexpectedly cooperative with its Western decor; shadows within concealed the heiress' transformation as nearby flowers faded briefly to grey and almost decayed before returning to normalcy, concealed her passage from there into the higher branches of a nearby tree, a vantage point that provided a view of most of the park below.
Whispered words. A step back on the branch. Leaves shivered, died, fell to the grass below. Colour faded and, in Mara's eyes, intensified.
On the path below, a businessman on his lunch break paused, staring up at a nearby building. A few moments later, he shook his head and moved on.
A mother ignored the child tugging on her sleeve for a moment, lost in daydreams, before ceding to his demands for ice cream.
At the edge of the flower gardens, a teenage girl pushed long blonde pigtails back from her face as she bent her face to a gardenia.
"Yes," Mara said again, this time hardly more than a breath. "It's time."
Colour returned high above, and the girl below shivered and wrapped her arms around herself despite the sun in the air.
For a moment, who the two had become looked otherworldly in their shadows, fey and a little bit beautiful in the half-light; Mara's dark hair around her serious, severe collar, the pale thread against Pearl's brown skin and luminous eyes. Anybody looking at them might have been compelled to look, and look more: something about them was strangely hypnotising, a little bit chilling, as if they were something like ghosts.
Then Pearl ruined it all by jumping out of an ornamental maple tree, shrilling "Banzai!" and executing a disarmingly perfect cartwheel towards the blonde girl. He rolled to a stop as the gardenia snapped in the blonde's shocked fingers and dropped to the pathway, watching the short girl-creature snap back up and roll its hands into languid fists. Obviously, it was some kind of martial arts position. "Guess what, Sailor Moon! You're uglier in person! I mean seriously, what is up with that."
~ * ~
Startled by a sharp, child-like scream that pierced the air, Mujou abruptly dropped Pathos, who managed to flap his wings just before hitting the ground and avoid a painful fall. Both looked in the direction of the scream, concern etched on their faces.
"What was that?" Mujou said shakily. Screams like that didn't usually happen on campus -- something had to be up.
Staring at first in the direction of the scream, and then turning to Mujou, Pathos took on an even more stern air. "It must be the enemy. I have a strange feeling that they might be near." Shaking his head, the owl mused, "I certainly hope they don't know we're here."
In a rather out of character moment, Mujou stood and turned toward the noise. Nodding to himself, he placed a hand in front of the owl's beak. "Someone is in danger. I must go to help them. Give me my henshin stick."
Pathos blinked, pure shock on his face. Maybe this boy really did have what it took to be a sailor senshi ...? Without a word, the owl focused his energy into Mujou's hand, willing the henshin stick to appear.
Mujou didn't need to be told how to transform. Lifting his henshin stick into the air, the boy shouted out, "PSI CRI --"
"NOT SO LOUD!" Pathos shouted, fluttering his wings madly. "This isn't Takeuchi Naoko's manga! If you shout your henshin phrase, people will hear you!"
Gulping in embarrassment, the ordinary boy whispered his henshin phrase, and in a fanfare of purple light, became the senshi of telekinesis, Sailor Psi. "Let's go, Pathos!" the senshi ordered his owl before running in the direction of the catastrophe.
The owner of the scream was quickly revealed to be a very familiar-looking golden-haired girl with her hair in long tails; a shorter girl had grasped her by the wrist, looking exasperated. This blossomed fully into annoyed as she looked towards Sailor Psi, and tossed her hair.
"Oh gaaawd," she said. "I guess I just opened up the woodwork. Who are you?"
This introduction was not very distinct. The villainous adolescent cleared its throat melodramatically. "You better not get in my way! I'm the voice of youth, Pearl of the Black Moon, and I'm more than you can handle!" (Pearl thumbed her nose at Sailor Psi, turned around with her free hand and then proceeded to spank her nicely tailored butt at him.)
"Stop right there, you child maniac!" a voice called across the gardenias. Atop the gazebo, a tall, lanky figure clad in sailor fuku stood, the sun behind him like some beacon of justice. For an instant, he seemed a god that had come from the heavens to save the innocent girl. "How dare you toy with that poor girl's perception? Her mind is not your plaything to terrorize!" Lifting a hand to the sky, the figure pointed to the villain with his other hand. "I am Sailor Psi! In the name of the powers of the mind ..."
This is where the theatrics went awry. Leaping from the gazebo roof was probably Sailor Psi's first mistake; his landing was anything but graceful. He did land on his feet, and for a brief moment seemed fine, but as soon as he began "I shall ..." he lost balance, tumbling face-first into the rose bushes and getting a face full of thorns.
"Ouch!" he cried, tears in his eyes as he picked the sharp thorns from his cheeks. An owl flapped onto his shoulder, glaring.
"Muj -- er, Sailor Psi!" Pathos chided the "hero." "Focus! You need to save that girl!"
Blinking for a moment, Sailor Psi nodded and giggled a bit before facing his opponent once more. "Ahem ... as I was saying," he resumed, brushing the remaining thorns away. "In the name of the mind, I SHALL PUNISH YOU!"
Pearl stared at Sailor Psi. She stared so long that it was nearly loud staring; large, round, dark-lashed green eyes, like big shiny soap bubbles, staring in his direction even as the blonde tried to get away. It seemed as though the Crisis Senshi had made its first, dignified impression!
Except that then, of course, Pearl laughed so hard that she turned around and buried her face in the blonde's cleavage, free hand slapping on her shoulder as Pearl hooted herself into high-pitched giggles of glee. After a while and a few dying-down sniggers, she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, giving a few last breathy chuckles before looking back at Mujou.
"Okay," she said, earrings jangling. "Okay, you can tell me what you're really here for. Later. I'm, like, BUSY, okay? I mean, geez. Nice hat. HellOOOO, sailor."
Embarrassed, pink cheeks quickly turned to angry, cherry red cheeks as Sailor Psi was insulted by this wretched little girl. The mean little psychopath went on with her giggling fit as she continued to harm the innocent, terrified young girl that just wanted to be left alone.
"H-hey," Sailor Psi shouted, crossing his arms. How could someone be so mean? "That's not very nice, you know. I'm trying my best!"
A sharp talon to the calf from Pathos made Sailor Psi shut up and focus once again. Looking nervously down to the owl, who peered back up with a glare that could kill, the senshi of telekinesis closed his eyes, opened them, and prepared himself for a fight.
"You'll regret the day you attacked that girl," Sailor Psi swore through gritted teeth, making a rather fruitless attempt at sounding tough. Focusing his mind, Sailor Psi took a brief moment to brace himself, and rushed at his opponent.
A nearby branch twitched. To the untrained eye, it seemed as if it was merely a breeze passing by, but the wind was calm that day, and the branch was now teetering back and forth. Something else was controlling it ...
~ * ~
"Sora-chan." Kyoko sniffled a little, returning Misora's kisses. "I wasn't sure when I would see you again," she said softly, putting her arms around the other tightly.
"The ... Princess ..." She shook her head, pressing her face against Misora's chest. They were together again. At least they could be together for now... they could be strong for each other. "Misora ..." She bit back her tears, feeling people staring at the two making a scene in the fish market.
Glaring at anyone who dared to even look at the two of them funny, Misora held Kyoko in her arms as tight as she could. At the mention of their Princess, she felt that pang in her heart that could never be soothed ... not even by her koneko-chan.
"I know ... I saw ..." was all she could whisper, her voice strained as she fought to keep hold of her tightly-leashed control.
That's when something teased her senses. The wind was still. Too still. But a small breeze brushed past her ears and she sensed it. Trouble. And the energy of a Senshi. Could it be the Crisis Senshi truly have awakened?
"Kyoko ... do you sense it?" her voice was calm as she gazed in the direction that the energy of a transformation was being unleashed. "A Crisis Senshi. Something's wrong. Quickly, we must go to them."
Kyoko pulled herself together the best that she could, lifting her head as she wiped her tears. She did feel it ... strong, ominous.
"Hai ..." She said as she straightened herself out a little and sniffled. "We should go." She put a hand in one of her pockets, feeling the familiar warmth of her henshin wand. "I'm likely to get fired for vanishing from my job, but this is more important."
Swallowing back her tears she gave Misora a nod before starting in the direction of the presence.
"Don't worry," Misora said with a smile as she chased after Kyoko. "I have our old apartment and a job lined up myself. I was planning on whisking you away there once I found you. Of course, there's no furniture, but I'm sure we can make do ..."
And she flashed a small smile in the direction of her companion as they made their way towards the park. Leaping into a tree, Misora tugged Kyoko up with her until they were hidden in the dense branches. She spotted the Crisis Senshi (that was the only assumption she could come up with) fighting with a bizarre-looking enemy and her eyes widened.
"Black Moon. I recognize the black inverted crescent moon on that person's forehead."
Glancing over at the Crisis Senshi, she glanced at Kyoko with a slow smile and settled against the tree.
"Let's watch for a while and see how well the new Senshi does. Perhaps it's time we saw the mettle of the Crisis Senshi ourselves and see if they're worthy of the title."
Kyoko leaned close to Misora, nodding a little as she turned her attention. "I wonder if they can hold their own or if we'll have to hold their hand." She said softly, linking her arm around one of Misora's. The other girl wasn't getting away again, that was for sure.
~ * ~
For the hidden watchers in the trees, the battle was not going particularly well. The strangely dressed girl of the Black Moon was laughing gaily at the male sailor senshi; however, then the laughter abruptly stopped and Pearl looked bored.
"I'm regretting it now," she said. "I should have just pulled her into the underbrush and sort of run off, you know? All this arm-waving and pointing is kind of fun, but it's also kind of boring."
The girl was tugging at Pearl's arm, confused and bewildered and frightened; not quite sure whether she had run into the middle of some kind of variety show and was the butt on camera, not quite wanting to scream in case this was all a funny joke and her terror would be broadcast on television later. Nonetheless, Pearl obviously didn't enjoy her pathetic attempts to escape, and swept her legs out from under her so she fell down hard on the concrete.
"I really am sorry," Pearl said, not too sincerely. "It's just, that's really distracting, you know?" She hefted one of the stones from the garden in both her hands, and lifted it over the blonde girl's head. "Look, we'll talk later. Bye-bye!"
This was conked over the blonde's forehead. She promptly passed out. Pearl dropped the rock to the side and turned back to Sailor Psi.
"Okay, sailor boy, where were we?"
If anything upset Sailor Psi, it was freaky little girls bashing other little girls that looked suspiciously like Sailor Moon over the head with rocks. If nothing else had done it, this did. With a glare in his eye showing just how ready he was to let loose on this wretched maniac, Sailor Psi ...
... tripped and fell to the ground mid-run.
Grunting in frustration, Psi lifted himself to a knee and faced the white-clad brat in front of him. "Come at me, then!" he taunted the little girl, hoping his bait would work.
From behind Pearl, a branch that had merely stirred before now levitated in the air, seemingly on its own. Anyone keeping a close eye on the male sailor senshi would have noticed, though, that his gaze had not left the branch since he'd picked himself up from the fall. Psi focused his mind on the branch, throwing it straight at Pearl's obnoxiously cute little head.
A lot of things suddenly happened very quickly. Pearl had rolled up her sleeves, obviously in preparation of some attack on the tripped-up senshi; she joined her fingers together, tips of her ring fingers and her thumbs making a diamond, and started moving towards Sailor Psi with the inexorability of somebody about to make things go foom. However, just as she reached him, the branch whacked her squarely in the face; her hands fumbled, a momentary white outline making a sparkly and useless poof in the air, falling hard over on Psi's prone body.
Pearl chose to react to this with dignity. Mainly by flinging her arms and legs out like a starfish and squealing in anger, shod feet stomping ineffectively on the path as she beat Psi's arm with her little cupcake fists.
"What the HELL? Are you STUPID OR SOMETHING? OW!"
A passer-by may have had trouble telling which of the two "fighters" was the more juvenile. Rolling away from Pearl and sitting back up, the senshi of the mind glared at Pearl in a particularly mindless manner. Some god somewhere must have loved this irony ...
"Didn't see it coming, huh?" Psi shouted back with a smug grin. "Who's the dumby now?"
Clearly frustrated (as all three seemed to be), Psi's guardian owl flew onto his shoulder, whispering something into his ear rather loudly: "Say 'Psycho Cannon' and get this over with, already!" Nodding at Pathos, Psi stood and straightened himself in preparation to attack.
"Psycho," he called out, bringing his hand to his forehead without even thinking about it. Spinning around once, he concentrated all of his mind's energy into one orb of focused purple power. Aiming at the delinquent in front of him, Psi finished the attack; "Cannon!"
Alas, in a particularly 'Mujou' moment, his poorly-aimed blast flew by Pearl, instead slicing through a nearby tree ... a tree that also happened to be dangerously close to the girl that had been the target of the enemy's attack. Psi's eyes widened in terror as the tree slowly fell over the girl, and closed his eyes, frightened to see the poor thing's body be crushed by the weight of the tree ...
~ * ~
Throughout this entire farce of a battle, Misora had watched ... and that vein in her forehead continued throbbing until she got a headache.
"That kid has no training whatsoever. If that is one of the Crisis Senshi, then we are all doomed," she'd muttered, hugging Kyoko's arm, not wanting to lose contact with her lover. "Why doesn't he --"
Her question was abruptly cut off when Psi's attack was fired. And it missed. It not only missed, but it had cut into the tree that was above the unconscious victim. Misora immediately ceased thinking. She had to save that girl. Whipping out her henshin wand, she called her phrase,
"Uranus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"
With a burst of wind and speed, Misora leapt down from the tree and swept the unconscious girl into her arms before dodging back underneath the tree where Kyoko still was, waiting for her partner to join her. Cradling the girl bridal-style in her arms, Sailor Uranus smirked.
"Heralded by the new crisis, Sailor Uranus, appears with might!"
"Neptune Crystal Power! Make-Up!"
Kyoko transformed in the shadows as Uranus hopped into action to save the girl. "My hero." The curly haired girl laughed softly as she waited for Uranus to return.
Entrance time, cue romantic sakura petals, Neptune thought to herself as she stepped up to Uranus' side, still hidden mostly by the shade of the tree.
"Summoned by the new crisis, Sailor Neptune, fighting with grace!" She introduced herself, the outline of her pose just barely visible. "You should be more careful!"
This was going to be one long ... long ... long ride.
~ * ~
Wind stirred the branches of the trees above the combatants, trailing in the wake of the new arrivals. High in the branches of the maple Pearl had arrived from, a slender figure leaned back against the trunk and folded her arms, eyes narrowing as she took in the developing situation.
She hadn't expected this. While she had grown up knowing the names and descriptions of the White Moon's senshi, the boy down there had introduced himself by an unfamiliar name. If there were other senshi here on Earth, then her plans required some reassessing.
At least only two of them had shown up. The situation was almost certainly beyond salvaging, though neither Uranus nor Neptune had made a move beyond going after the girl. If nothing else, perhaps something could be done about this -- Sailor Psi?
Perhaps, just perhaps, the White Moon's senshi would stay out of this.
~ * ~
"What," Pearl cried out, obviously dismayed. "You have friends? Did you pay them or something?"
Inside, the Black Moon Clan warrior was as surprised as Mara; Uranus and Neptune, they were familiar names, but not in conjunction with Psi. Obviously, this situation had been run into without a lot of research, and the tree had nearly squashed their quarry, and it was all going to hell.
Pearl pulled herself off of Psi and fastidiously brushed her jacket down, while giving him a good and totally ineffective kick in the side. "Hello, girls," she trilled to Uranus and Neptune, fluttering her eyelashes. "You wouldn't harm a little bit like me, right? Right? Yes? No? Well, guess what: I'm more than the sum of my parts!"
The girl flickered, and suddenly was four; four exact Pearls ringing around Sailor Psi's body and delicately stepping away, all brushing down themselves and arranging their hair with the exact same mirror-movements. Satisfied, the first one then patted its 'do and added: "I love the blue and silver, by the way. Very White Christmas."
"Coral and green, though -- " that was the second -- "I mean, seriously."
"The hair's a little lipstick lesbian, Nepchaa~aan," said the third. "You should just buzz it, go Baby Dyke all the way."
"Also, do you ever repeat your own name?" said the fourth. "Uranus, Uranus, Uranus, Uranus, Uranus, this is never going to lose its beauty Uranus Uranus Uranus --"
"-- do you get it, it sounds like your anus in English --"
"-- ur-ah-nas-soo --"
Now, Uranus was a very patient woman and rarely did she hate anyone. Yes, she disliked, she was annoyed by, but hate was reserved for only a few special occasions. At the moment? Uranus HATE HATE HATED the little runt from the Black Moon. And she handed the girl carefully off to Neptune before pulling out the Space Sword. It wasn't impressive in its resting place, merely a foot in length at most. But ...
"Is that the best you got? You are a sad, strange little person ... I hope you know that ..." and she raised the sword while advancing slowly. "And I hope you also know that I'm going to carve that pretty little face of yours to bits."
With that, the Space Sword began to glow with silver light. It extended now to over four feet in length and did indeed look very threatening. What was worse ... Uranus moved with perfect confidence. It was clear she knew how to use her weapon.
"Space Sword Quasar!"
She turned the sword so that the flat of the blade was against her palm and thrust the blade forward. Three bursts of energy in the shape of stars erupted from the sword and zoomed towards the copies. Upon making impact, two immediately destroyed the replicas, the amount of power behind the attack was that strong. Well, considering that it was her first attack in the battle, the stars were at their power peak. One of the stars zoomed off course, but thankfully it didn't hit anything and disappeared when it didn't destroy its intended target.
With a smirk, Uranus turned and went to retrieve the girl, bowing to Neptune as if to say, "Your turn, my dear."
"Humph ..." Neptune set the shaken girl back into Uranus' arms and took a few firm steps forward with an unhappy scowl on her face. She cracked her knuckles a little and then pointed at the girl.
"How dare you insult me, you little monster. I didn't choose these colors, something higher did, but I like them!" She pulled her hand back, sticking them on her hips as she glared. "Who I love is none of your business," she snorted.
"Harsh Tide!" She opened her arms, then brought them together as she sent a rushing burst of water at one of the Pearls that was left. Maybe it was the real one, maybe not ... either way, Neptune wasn't going to wait to figure it out.
All the while, Mujou stared in bewilderment as the battle went on. The 19-year-old looked like a kid in a candy store, wide-eyed, bushy-tailed and about to wet himself in excitement. Imagine -- actual, real senshi, right here, fighting right in front of him -- and he himself was one of them! This was too good to be true. Surely he was dreaming, surely this wondrous event could not be taking place right before his eyes.
As Sailor Psi caught flies with his mouth so open, Pathos merely shaded his face shamefully with a wing. How did he end up with this moron to guide?
Unfortunately for Pearl -- cover totally blown -- the water was aimed at and decimated the last copy, who let out a shrill girl-shriek of surprise before disappearing. When the Black Moon agent saw the angle of the water, she was already pumping her skinny little legs and making -- startlingly -- straight for Neptune.
"NepCHAAA~AAAN," she wailed, and barreled into the other girl full force; they were the same height, but Neptune was far more wiry than Pearl, and it took every ounce of push from her to pull both of them with an oof to the ground. Pearl knew one thing: one blow from that Space Sword, and it was all over. "Nepchaaa~aaaan, why are you so MEAN?"
She burst into loud and whining tears for about three seconds, arms wrapped around Neptune like a leech: and then paused. Pearl proceeded to then duck her head and give the Sea Senshi an extremely noisy and involved kiss on the mouth, both of them entangled to the point that hitting Pearl would mean hitting Sailor Neptune for Uranus' sword. The kiss was brief but violent before Pearl untangled herself, shrilled a slightly unintelligible "Homo!" and ran as fast as she could for the underbrush.
If the circumstances had been different, Mara might well have laughed -- or at least been seriously torn between laughter and scandalized amusement, coupled with a bit of surprise. So easy to forget Pearl was just scant months her junior ...
Either way, that had just been adding fuel onto the flames of a situation already spiraling out of control. One heeled boot planted against the tree trunk before she moved forward, swiftly reaching the edge of the limb she was on. The sunlight streamed from behind her, turning her into nothing more than a silhouette for those down below.
"Pearl." The name, though soft, carried, the low tone holding the slightest warning for those who knew (as her pale-haired associate should) enough to read it. "We're leaving."
The angle of her head shifted slightly; with the sun's position, it was impossible to tell where she was looking, but her gaze swept across all three of the senshi below. "The Black Moon has no quarrel with the White. If you have any sense, you will stay out of our way. As for you," her attention seemed to settle on the boy, "I hope, for your sake, we do not encounter each other again."
Pearl jumped up, ducked swiftly and safely behind her boss, and stuck her head out to stick her tongue out at Uranus and Psi; she gave a truly lecherous wink that belied her appearance as a dainty fourteen-year-old to Neptune, kissing her mouth to her and sounding like a noisy octopus.
"I'll never forget you!" she announced, and then jumped up into another branch and away out of sight.
Now, if 'hate' was something Uranus never did ... pure and utter loathing was as far beyond her character as it could get. It was hard to keep her rage and her utter loathing of this person molesting her lover from showing on her face. Still, it showed in her eyes, her tightly clenched jaw, and of course the multitude of veins that were throbbing in her head. Even though she couldn't mortally wound Pearl, she did something else ... Uranus swung the Space Sword, timing it carefully ...
And lopped off a bit of Pearl's hair.
It wasn't a big chunk. But it was enough. And thankfully Pearl didn't notice as she and her leader disappeared. Smirking, Uranus made her sword disappear and went to help her lover off the ground.
"Are you all right Neptune?" and forgetting that Psi was even there, she brushed the girl's cheeks. "I'll have to kiss you extra hard to make certain you never taste that ... freak ... again. Thankfully, I got a parting gift."
And she held out the lock of Pearl's hair. And gave a grin that promised bloody murder.
Neptune ran her hand over her mouth to wipe the taste of the other away. She hadn't expected to be tackled like that, let alone kissed on the mouth.
"That was ... odd," she said, making a face before taking the lock of hair from Uranus' hand. "Maybe I should make a necklace out of it and wear it around ... I might have an admirer." She teased as she gave Uranus a soft kiss on the lips before turning to look at the other Senshi.
"You're still here?" she asked, turning as she put her hands on her hips.
Awe had stricken Psi far too hard for him to respond immediately. With a few blinks and a nervous laugh, he stood up, nodded emphatically (shaking Pathos rather abruptly as he did so) and ran over to the other two senshi.
"Now see here," the flustered owl began, glaring at the Negaverse Senshi. "This is a Crisis Senshi you're talking to, and I'd like to think he's still here! After all, existence itself depends upon --"
With that, Pathos' beak was clamped shut by an entirely too energetic Sailor Psi, who stared with an enormous grin at the two Outer Senshi. "Kakkoii!" he squealed with a squirm of delight. "This is such an honor! Meeting real live senshi -- it's like a dream come true! You were so amazing!"
Even if he was more than a bit overwhelming, Sailor Psi certainly meant well ... Still, it was going to be a long time before any of the others present were adjusted to him ...
Pathos rolled his eyes. Maybe he should just head back to the pocket realm and pretend this never happened ...
~ * ~
Back At The Ranch ...
Nibaiakarui Kakera was spread out on Hiyori's bed sobbing fit to burst; and the apparent teenager was back in-between that strange place where she was a he, despite everything, hugging one of the luxuriously fluffy pillows adorning Mara's blankets and weeping his grief.
"My H-H-HAA-AIR!" he said, and he was all eighteen now, a grief-stricken adult drama queen. "My fucking, excuse my French -- my fucking hair! God, Mara-chan, I'll need EXTENSIONS or a REALLY LARGE HAT or oh my GOD, she got my BANGS -- that noisy old dyke got my HAIR!"
Pearl let out one last broken moan and then rolled his arms out, letting the pillow drop, before stopping his crying abruptly and smoothing out his little skirt. "Well, that was a pip," he said meditatively. "We probably should have killed him while we had the chance, before Rocky and Pocky showed up. My hair!"
Tucked up against the headboard, legs stretched out across the bedspread and pillow atop them, Mara wore an expression very much different from Hiyori's usual soft smile. Her blue eyes were opaque, the set of her mouth a little grim, and when she reached out to stroke Pearl's hair, it was an almost absent gesture. "I'm sure you'll manage something with this, darling," she murmured, but there was a faint flatness to the soothing words.
Her hand dropped back to her lap, fingers tightening on the pillow. "We can't count on them heeding the warning. The White Moon is bad enough, but where there's one new senshi, there are bound to be others ..." An exasperated exhalation, and then, "'No plan survives the first encounter with the enemy.' He always liked that saying."
Some of the tension faded as she smiled, just a little, tilting her head to look at Pearl. "Perhaps you'll set a new trend."
Consoled -- at least, until he looked at himself in a mirror -- Pearl tucked himself up under Mara's arm, one hand reaching up to smooth the dark wings of his leader's hair behind her ears. This was apparently a comforting act, removing a pin from his own hair and neatly sliding it into Mara's own.
"Don't get distracted," he said, incongruous -- all frills and Loyal Retainer, both at once, the man she'd grown up with. "Don't think of it as a failure, my darling girl. Think of it as -- research! We learnt a lot, didn't we? We have a lot to think about."
He finished putting in the clip (which had a charming little pattern of grasshoppers, not too dignified), and then Pearl patted Mara's cheek tenderly. "Now, what I think I have to ask you is to let me go out and search. Not for the White Moon. We know about the White Moon. But we have to find out as much as we can about -- the other. Ignorance is the killer, Princess."
With that, though, his face fell, and he snuggled into Mara's shoulder with his chin innocuously at her chest as he sighed: "And so is my ha~aaairsty~le."
Somewhere, a certain Sailor Uranus was going to be DEAD MEAT!