Disclaimer: I own everything but the concept; that belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.
"I saw my dreams come true,
The day I met and talked to you.
I thought, 'I got it made',
Dreams like this could never fade!
You call me a jealous boy,
But I'm not blind to see,
When I see you lookin' round
At other boys instead of me-" teen idol Robert Amato's voice was cut off as Dan slammed the "off" button of his alarm clock.
"Daniel Amahikari! Get down here now! You'll miss the bus!" called his mother.
"Yes, Mama. I'm getting dressed now!" he called. He stood up, throwing off his boxers and getting into the shower. Afterwards, he pulled on his school uniform, a white button-up shirt, khaki slacks, and black shoes, before stopping to check his reflection in the mirror. He had slightly dark skin, fair blond hair, and brown eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and winked at himself in the mirror before running downstairs. His father sat at the table, an untouched omelette in front of him. His little sister, Faviola, hadn't touched hers either. His mother held out his lunch.
"Now don't forget your lunch!"
"Thanks Mama, I'll just have some toast." He said. He snagged the toast and slipped on his tennis shoes and ran toward the bus stop. Once there, however, he noticed a gray cat, its paw frozen to a dumpster. "Aww, poor baby!" he said, stopping to help it. He noticed that it wasn't too severe: it could be pulled off, though the cat looked too weak to put enough force behind it. He knelt down, gently trying to pull it free. The cat hissed, and swatted at him. "Shh, I just want to help." He said gently, and managed to pry the cat's paw free. He petted the cat, who had nudged his hand in thanks, and he then noticed the bald spots on its forehead; a circle surrounded by a ring. "Weird." He said, and he heard a bus rumble by behind him. "Aww, damn! Wait! Please, stop the bus!" he yelled, chasing it down so he could board. As the bus rolled away, the cat licked its sore paw and watched the bus roll away. 'Thank goodness for him helping me. But when he touched me, I got the strangest feeling…' the cat thought as it turned and walked away.
"Dan, wake up. Dan, Dan…. DAN!" yelled the teacher, and Dan jumped.
"Uh, yes Mr. Goisovich?" he asked, looking up at the tall Algebra 2 teacher.
"Look, Dan, you're an intelligent young man, but you need to stop sleeping in class!" he said.
"Yes sir." Said Dan. Then, the bell for lunch rang, and Dan picked up his books and went to the cafeteria. Once there, he found his best friend, Carrie, and his other friends, Ben, Becky, Jackie, and Melissa. Carrie had long, bright blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and piercing icy blue eyes. Jackie, her twin sister, looked exactly the same, exept Jackie had slightly curly hair she wore in a bun, and she also had black-rimmed glasses. Ben had brown hair and hazel eyes. Becky had black hair she kept in a ponytail with her trademark pink scrunchie. Melissa, who rounded out the group, had long, straight black hair and brown eyes, and she also wore glasses.
"Hey guys." He said, sitting down and opening his lunch.
"Hey. Look, I was wondering, what anime did you bring for today?" asked Ben.
"RahXephon, like you all wanted. But we're only gonna watch one episode today, The rest of the time, I was hoping to do another game of manga-pictionary, and maybe a Anime-Lib if Jackie made one." He said, taking a bite out of his sandwich. "Now, Jackie…"
"Already got it, Big D." said Jackie, readjusting her glasses.
"Good. And what have I told you about calling me Big D?"
"It makes you sound like a pimp." Said Carrie, flipping her ponytail over her left shoulder.
"Exactly. I mean, really!" said Dan.
"And remember, I'm the pimp here, bitches!" said Carrie, leaning back before tumbling off of the bench. "I'm OK." She said as she hauled herself backup. Ben reached for a carrot stick, dipping it into the small thing of ranch dressing on his plate.
"I don't know HOW you can stand eating that." Said Carrie, upturning her nose. "I mean,it looks like jizz with little bits of some kind of plant in it!" she then burst ot laughing. "Ha! Jizz with pot!"
"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean I can't." said Ben, waving the carrot stick at her. A bit of ranch then flew off the end of said carrot stick and landed on Dan's cheek.
"Wow, Ben's carrot stick just got excited on Dan's face!" said Becky.
"You know Dan doesn't mind!" said Carrie. Dan rolled his eyes as he wiped his cheek off with a napkin.
"Jackie?" he asked, and Jackie nodded, then thunked her twin sister on the back of the head.
"Hey!" said Carrie, rubbng the back of her head. "Oh, by the way, Dan, Mom's having a sale at her store today, and I was wondering if you'd like to check some stuff out."
"Well… eh, what the hell. I'll check it out. I'll have to call my Mom, but she'll more than likely say yes."
That day, after school, they met at Carrie and Jackie's mom's shop, "The Witch's Den". When they walked in, Dan was surrounded by the scents of various incences mixing to create a smell one couldn't quite place; it was akin to being in a field of various flowers while someone roasted a boot. Candles, books, pentacles, tarot cards, rune stones, crystal balls, amulets, talismans; the place was a New Ager's paradise. It was full to the brim with people, who seemed attracted to the amulets.
"I've never seen this place so busy!" said Dan.
"Neither have we!" said Jackie.
"Yeah, and we live upstairs!" said Carrie. Through the various people, one could see a tall, skinny woman with black hair and blue eyes. She noticed them quickly.
"Dan, Carrie, Jackie! Hi!" she said, placing another girl at the counter.
"What did she put in her coffee?" asked Carrie, whom had never seen her mother so upbeat.
"Hello, and welcome to the Witch's Den, Dan!" said Carrie's mother.
"Hello, Mrs. Fulton." He said.
"Listen, come over here! I found something special for you!" she said, walking behind a counter and pulling out a box. "Girls, go upstairs and change, will you? I need you to get started on dinner."
"Yes Mother." Said Jackie, and she and Carrie headed up the staircase after fighting their way through the crowd of people. Mrs. Fulton turned back to Dan, and showed him a glittering ruby ring.
"I know you've been unlucky in love lately, so I got this for you. This ring is made of 30 karat white gold, and the ruby itself is 15 karats. Altogether, this little baby's worth over 700 dollars. Rubies help you in love and bring power. It's yours for 20 dollars." She said, smiling.
"You mean… 45 KARATS 20 DOLLARS?" he shouted. Unfortunately, people had heard him.
"It's mine!" said a woman, knocking Dan out of the way. He tumbled to the floor, nearly trampled as the crowd came over and started the fight for the ring. He pulled himself from underneath, wiping dust off of his uniform and leaving.
Far away, in another dimension, a man dressed in black robes sat on a black marble throne, his spiky crown glittering in the candlelight. His hands swirled around a yellow crystal ball, which was set on top of a silver staff which was wound with organic-looking veins of red. He opned his eyes, which were an eerie crimson.
"Jade, come hither." He said, and a green mark appeared on the black flagstone floor in front of his throne. A tall, raven-haired woman with violet-colored eyes stepped foreward. Her tan skin reflected the firelight. "I bid thee, how goest thy collection of energy?" he asked, speaking in a Shakespearian dialect.
"It goes well, King Callisto. My daemon, Mea, is collecting more energy through her amulets. She tells that they bring success, power, money, fame; everything desired by humans. Soon, their desires shall bring them to their knees before you!" said Jade.
"But remember, our true goal: to revive the Dark King, so the Shadow Empire can rule the universe!" he said, and his whole court began to rumble with malicious laughter.
When Dan got home, he collapsed on his bed after finishing his homework, a balmy spring breeze floating in, ruffling the yellow curtains. He smiled, being out of his uniform and in a comfortable pair of cotton pants and a T-shirt.
"Time to kick back and relax." He said. Just then,he heard a meow. "What the-" he began, but saw the same cat from that morning. It had apparently used the fire escape to climb up to his room. "Hey, pussycat. How are you?" he asked, scatching its chin.
"Just fine, thanks." It said, and Dan fell off the bed, and used his hands to back up to the other side of the room.
"Th-the cat talks! Okay, I gotta be dreaming!" he said.
"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you; in fact, Dan, I need your help." Said the cat.
"It knows my name! Oh dear Mother, it- wait, did you just say you need my help?" he asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Yes. My name is Solan, servant to His Royal Highness King Helios. Or rather, used to be." Said Solan. "Long ago, there was a great kingdom spanning most of the Solar System, though the planets were then known by different names. This Kingdom was ruled by King Helios, who ruled from his castle that orbited the Sun in the same line as Earth. King Helios had a son, Prince Apollo. Prince Apollo wasin love with Prince Hyacinth of Earth. One day, at Prince Apollo's birthday celebration, the Shadow Empire staged an invasion of the palace, using the army of Earth, and together, they killed the two princes, Apollo's guards, and everyone in the palace except for myself, my love Rana, and King Helios himself. The King used the holy stone of the kingdom, the Platinum Crystal, to send the victims of this Romeo and Juliet-like tragedy to be reborn in the late twentieth century." Said Solan. Dan tilted his head.
"How do you know Romeo and Juliet?" he asked.
"Well, I knew them as Romeus and Julieta in Greece, around 400 BC. I also saw the original Shakespearian production at the Blackfriars Theater in 1695."
"400 BC… when did this happen?" he asked.
"The Kingdom was destroyed approximately…. 65,070,500 years ago." Said Solan. "I've been wandering Earth since then, wandering and waiting for the right person. And I've found you here in America! The Prince's guardians were known as the Sailor Soldiers, and I believe you are the reincarnation of their captain." He said.
"Sailor Soldiers? Then why aren't you looking for Sailor M?" asked Dan, referring to the mysterious masked hero of DC.
"Because Sailor M is impossible for me to find; I've turned this city inside out looking for him! You were my second choice." Said Solan.
"Gee, nice to know I'm second best." Said Dan.
"Oh please, Dan, not now! I need you!" said Solan, jumping into the air and flipping. A trail of glitering dust swirled into a necklace with a circular pendant, which hit the bed. Dan picked up the necklace, and it emitted a flash of light as the pendan expanded. It was gold, a star shape etched into the surface. A yellow gem rested in the center of the star. And it glittered in the sunlight.
"Now, put the pendant on, raise your hand in the air, and repeat after me: 'Sun Prism Power, Make Up'!" said Solan. Dan nodded and placed the necklace around his neck.
"Sun Prism Power, Make Up!" shouted Dan, throwing his hand in the air. Multicolored light shilouetted his body, and the pendant secured iself to his chest. Yellow ribbons emerged from the pendant and wrapped around his chest, forming a white, sleeveless shirt with an attached blue sailor collar and a red kerchief that was tied navy-style and pinned with the pendant, a thin, stiff lower layer surrounding the torso and forming a sort of breastplate. More ribbons surrounded his arms and created elbow-length white gloves that had three bands of red piping at the elbows, creating elbowpads. More ribbons surrounded his feet up to his legs, red knee-length boots forming in a flash of tiny yellow stars. They travled up his legs and formed blue shorts. A yellow dot appeared on his forehead, expanding into a gold coronet, and a star-shaped earring appeared in his right ear. He finished his transformation by shriking a pose, his left hand on his hip, his right hand giving the peace sign. He examined himself in the mirror, turning.
"Wow, I like it!" he said.
"Congartualtions; you are now the handsome sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Sun!" said Solan. Dan's earring suddenly began twinkling. He heard a pair of familiar screams.
"That's Carrie and Jackie!" he said, turning to the cat.
"Right! We need to get to The Witch's Den, and fast!" said Solan, and he and Dan lept out the window, and began climbing down the fire escape.
"Mom, why are you doing this?!" asked Jackie. The twins's mother had them both by the throats, holding them in the air. The people around them who were wearing amulets had passed out, and a crystal ball rolled across the floor.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out; I'm not your mother, dears!" it said. Its skin shriveled and discolored to pale green, and her eyes changed to a dull red. Her hair changed as well, forming a frizzy updo. Her claws threatened to pierce the twin's throats; Carrie silently prayed.
"My name is Mea, and your souls now belong to King Callisto!" she shouted.
"Stop it right now!" said Sailor Sun, busting down the door. The monster twisted its neck around, looking at the intruder.
"And who are you?" she asked. Sailor Sun looked unprepared for this.
"Uhh… I'm… for love and justice, I'm the handsome sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Sun! And, in the name of the Sun, I will punish you!" he said.
"I sense a strong aura around you… I'll take your soul instead!" she said, lunging at him. Dan dodged and began running, but tripped over a person.
"Oww." He said, and stood back up. He held out his arm, and the words came from his mouth effortlessly.
"Solar Flare!" he shouted, and a swirl of fire hit the monster. She recovered almost instantly, and knocked Dan against the wall. She advanced, her claws poised over his throat. He held his hands up to shield himself, but a single red carnation sliced across Mea's hand, a razorblade tied to the end. She looked to the balcony, and standing there was a brown-haired boy. He was wearing a dark green, skin-tight suit, with a silver-colored metal plate styled like armor on the front of the suit. He also wore matching shoulder armor, vambraces, and shin guards. A green visor went over his eyes, fastened by two silver earpieces over his ears, an antenna coming out of the right earpiece. He also wore a sword, the scabbard connected to his belt.
"Great, more interruptions!" said Mea.
"I am the protector of this Earth, the noble Terra Knight!" he said. He drew his sword and began to fight Mea.
'Wow, he's cute!' though Sailor Sun, watching Terra Knight as he fought Mea, sword and claws clanging together. 'Hmm…nice ass too.' He tought.
"Sailor Sun, quickly, while she's distracted! Take your coronet, throw it, and shout 'Sun Coronet Discus!'" said Solan from his hiding place. Sailor Sun nodded. He placed his fingers on the top and bottom of the jewel, which flashed. He removed the coronet, which became a discus of energy.
"Sun Coronet Discus!" he shouted.Terra Knight lept out of the way, and the discus tore Mea in half. She faded into a pile of dust, which dissapeared. Sailor Sun turned to congradulate Terra Knight, but he was gone. The amulets dissapeared, and Sailor Sun exited the shop.
The next day, Dan found Carrie and Jackie talking to Ben.
"It was so weird! We both had this dream where our mother turned into this monster named Mea and nearly killed us!" said Carrie.
"Carrie, have you been in your mother's poppy garden again?" asked Ben.
"No! …okay, well yeah."
"Explain how we BOTH had it then, smart one." Said Jackie. Dan sat down and started to eat. 'Well, things might get a bit sticky now, but at least I have Solan and Terra Knight.' He thought.
Dan: Hey Solan, have you heard about the new radio show Moonlight Zero?
Solan: Moonlight Zero?
Dan: Yep! If they read your love letter on the air, they send you a mystery gift!
Solan: Mystery gift? Sounds fishy…
Dan: Really? Well, anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter of Sailor Sun: "Stealing Love Energy? Stop the Lady General!" The starlight carries the allure of love.