A little girl walked casually through the museum. Her mother had said that
she could look around for a while, and she was doing just that. As she
passed by an exhibit about extinct birds, she paused. Scratching her head
in puzzlement, she started talking to herself.
"But they aren't extinct, are they?"
She shrugged and kept on walking. Then she got to the dinosaur exhibit. She
was the only one there at the moment. She walked up to the skeleton of a
Tyrannosaurus and couldn't resist the impulse to touch it, which she did.
As soon as she did, a green glow shined from her chest, and a fierce roar
echoed through the empty exhibits. She leaped backwards, losing her balance
and falling over. All around her, glowing orbs appeared in the dinosaur
skeletons where the eyes once were. She screamed.
The Warrior of Extinction is not yet ready. said a booming voice that
seemed to come from the dinosaurs' bones themselves. The girl trembled with
fear, too scared to scream again. Then the glow faded, and the Hall of
Dinosaurs was back to normal. The girl stood up, and ran to find her
mother. She never told anyone about what had happened, and in time she made
herself forget it.
The school bell rang. A young woman strode confidently out of the school building, carrying her books. Her dark green hair flowed around her head and neck, and her yellow eyes sparkled. She absentmindedly ran her fingers along the ugly scar running lengthwise on her right arm. She shaded her eyes and looked up into the sky. A strange-looking bird was flying in her general direction. It was gray, and its head was yellow, but she couldn't discern any other details. Suddenly someone screamed. Ryuu Furui immediately looked in the direction of the sound. A strange creature had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It looked sort of like a large monkey, and yet not. Without knowing what she was doing or why, Ryuu started to move closer. The monkey-monster picked up a girl who had fainted in fear. As Ryuu watched from behind a tree, it sunk its teeth into her neck. Ryuu tried to shrink back against the tree, make herself as inconspicuous as possible. What is that thing?! I've got to stop it! But how could I possibly take on a. a vampire monkey and hope to win? Ryuu took a deep breath, then stepped out from behind the tree. "Hey, plasma breath, over here!" she said. The monkey-creature dropped its intended victim, shrieked, and loped towards Ryuu on all fours. All her courage left her at that moment, and she bolted. She dashed inside the school, the monkey-creature right behind her. She ducked into a classroom, closed the door, and locked it. The monkey-creature's face appeared suddenly at the door. It tried to open the doorknob, but the door was locked. Shrieking in frustration, it drew back a fist and punched the door. A crack appeared on the glass, but it didn't break. "I think I'm safe for now." Ryuu said to nobody in particular. "What came over me? I must be insane to risk my neck, literally, by disturbing that vampire monkey! How am I going to get out of here?!" The monkey-creature hit the glass again, and a small hole opened in the window. Then the whole window on the classroom door exploded inwards. The monkey-creature reached inside, and unlocked the door. "Oh, man, it's smart, too!" Ryuu moaned. The door swung open and the creature stepped inside. Ryuu got to take a good, long look at it. It didn't look like a monkey, per se, more like a huge chimpanzee. A chimpanzee with glowing green eyes, but a chimpanzee nonetheless. It stalked forward slowly, weaving around desks and chairs. Ryuu picked up a chair to defend herself, though it would be of little use. The creature was within six feet of her, and it moved forward, to grab her. Ryuu jerked around, releasing her grip on the chair. It flew through a window, shattering it. Broken glass rained down on both Ryuu and the creature. Ryuu shook the glass off of herself, just as the monkey-creature grabbed her by her right arm. She seethed with anger, and, unseen by her, her eyes became bright green and shaped like a cat's. She picked up the first thing she saw, a piece of broken glass, and stabbed it into the creature's hand. It howled with pain and let go of her arm. Before she could think of what to do, she ran to the broken window. Ignoring the shattered glass, some of which cut into her hands, she climbed through the window and into the schoolyard. Ryuu couldn't see anyone. They all had fled, terrified of the monster whose sole intent was now to kill her. She ran as fast as she could, but an incautious step sent her crashing to the ground. The monkey- creature climbed out of the window and loped towards Ryuu. She stood up, but the creature was very fast. It was only a few yards away now, and closing. Ryuu turned and ran as fast as she could. This time, an unfortunately placed rock tripped her up. She fell harder this time. Then she noticed something in the grass next to her. She picked it up. It looked like a small silver talon on a pendant. She examined it carefully, wondering whom it belonged to. A guttural shriek jolted her back to reality. The monkey-creature was within an arm's reach of her! It drew back a fist, and swung at her. Ryuu shrieked and threw up her hands to protect herself. As the monkey-creature made contact with Ryuu, the pendant glowed brilliantly. A wave of energy blasted the monkey-creature, lifting it off its feet and sending it flying. Ryuu sat there, looking with amazement at the pendant. "It's yours." Ryuu, startled, looked around. "What? Who's talking?" "The pendant is yours. That little show proves it." The voice came from high in a nearby tree. A small gray bird with a yellow face and orange cheeks flew down out of the tree and landed in front of her. "You're. you're talking!" Ryuu said. "I knew parrots could speak, but I thought they just mimic!" The bird cocked his head. If his face were capable of the expression, he would be smirking. "Most do, but I'm different. And, for the record, I'm a cockatiel. The name's Psittacus, but there'll be more time for pleasantries later." "What is that thing?" "An embodiment of Terraforce's sorrow." Psittacus said, though that only confused Ryuu further. "Listen closely, this is very important; hold that pendant up and repeat after me: Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, Make Up!" Ryuu nodded. This is too weird. Vampire monkeys, talking birds, and now this! I guess this can't get any weirder. She held up the raptor claw pendant, and started to speak. "Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, Make Up!" she shouted. Green energy erupted from the pendant and engulfed her. She closed her eyes, not eager to see what was happening to her body. When she opened her eyes, she was different. Somehow she had changed her clothes. She now wore a white bodysuit similar to one worn by gymnasts. A skirt and shoulder flap, both yellowish-green with darker green striping, were on top of the bodysuit. Purple bows adorned her back and her chest. A round green gem held the bow and the shoulder flap together. On her forehead was a crescent-shaped boomerang with a green jewel in the middle. It was secured to her head by an unknown agency. Elbow-length gloves covered her hands, and she held a bluish staff, striped with silver and surmounted by an amber-yellow crystal.
Then again, maybe it can.
"Cool! But, what am I?" "You are a Sailor Soldier." "But I can't be! They all are named after planets, not animals!" "You are an Animal Soldier, a different breed than the Solar Soldiers. You are Sailor Dinosaur, and it is your destiny to lead others like yourself into battle. But now you must destroy that creature before it destroys you!" Psittacus said, nodding in the direction of the monkey-creature. It stood up, shrieked and loped towards Sailor Dinosaur. She swung her staff, hitting the creature across the face and taking it by surprise. Without knowing for sure what she was doing, Sailor Dinosaur pointed the crystal end of her staff at the creature. Energy began to gather inside the crystal, making it glow. "Extinction BEAM!" she shouted, as a beam of energy radiated from her staff, and hit the creature square in the chest. It was overwhelmed, and was destroyed. "Whoo-hoo!" Sailor Dinosaur cheered. "I beat the vampire monkey!" "Maybe, but you have more important things to do. There are six more Animal Soldiers here in Japan, and you have to locate them. Then you have to find the others, the ones spread across the world. There are thirteen of them." "Man, that sounds like too much work." Sailor Dinosaur said. "You're the Warrior of Extinction, and you have certain duties to. Ryuu?" Sailor Dinosaur was standing stone still, and she was trembling. "Warrior of Extinction. that strange voice in that museum, when the dinosaur bones came to life, it called me that too." Sailor Dinosaur said to herself. "Was this what it meant? That I wasn't ready for this power yet?" "What are you talking about?" Psittacus chirped. "Tell me!" "Oh, it's nothing that concerns you." "Well, let's go home then." Sailor Dinosaur flicked her hand at him. "I have to get home now. You're welcome to come, but we have a cat." Psittacus froze, speechless. Sailor Dinosaur smiled. "Don't worry. He's never caught anything in his whole life." THAT NIGHT: A young woman walked along a darkened street. Her eyes were hidden in shadow, and she walked slowly, unafraid of the possible threats lurking in the darkness. She was short, with orange hair that fanned out not unlike a hamadryad's hood. A black cape, tied around her shoulders, shrouded her body. "Hey, sweetie, what are you doing out here so late?" an arrogant male voice said from behind her. She said nothing in reply and kept walking. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he said, getting a little angry. No reply. Furious now, the man ran forward and grabbed this woman who was acting as if he weren't there. She turned her head slowly. "Let go." The voice was emotionless. "And why should I do that?" the guy sneered. "You'll pay with your life if you don't." "Bite me!" The girl looked down at her cloak, and her mouth stretched into a wicked smile. "Naja..." There was a sibilant hiss and, suddenly, a cobra struck out from under the girl's cloak, sinking its fangs into the man's throat and injecting all of its venom at once. The girl pushed the now dying man away from her. As if nothing had happened, she kept on walking. THE NEXT DAY: Ryuu shot out of bed, quickly dressed herself, and ran downstairs to eat. "Ryuu! I think you should see this." Psitaccus said from on top of the TV. "I don't have time." "This is important!" Ryuu walked over, holding a bagel in one hand and her backpack in the other. She squawked with surprise when she heard the news report on the TV. "Someone got killed by a. snake? In the middle of Tokyo?!" "There are two possibilities. The most likely is that that guy ran into a snake-demon." "Snake-demon?!" Ryuu whimpered. "Let me explain. You could easily call that vampire ape you encountered yesterday an ape-demon. By snake-demon I mean a creature like the one you fought, but based on a serpent rather than a chimpanzee" "Great! More monsters for me to fight!" Ryuu complained, then looked at the Jurassic Park watch she had found in an import store. "I'll be late for school! Bye bye, Meow Mix. Psittacus, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." She said, dashing out the door. "Well, it looks like Naja has found his mistress." Psittacus said. "I didn't want to lie to Ryuu, but it's better for her to find out about her new ally directly." MUCH LATER: The school day was over. Ryuu hung around for a while, talking with some of her friends. Then she started to head home. Midway there she heard an explosion. More curious than scared, she headed in that direction. Don't tell me I have to fight again! Please, just don't let it be one of those monsters! Ryuu thought. Unfortunately, when she turned the corner, it was. A spotted, scaly, sinewy creature, seemingly the product of a misguided union between leopard and crocodile, was standing over a man, preparing to make the kill. Before it could, a whip wrapped around its front legs, and it was yanked forward, losing its balance. The whip lashed out again, but it was glowing this time. It hit the creature, sending it flying. Ryuu held her pendant, and spoke aloud the words of transformation. "Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, MAKE UP!" Energy swirled around Ryuu's body in an iridescent whirlwind, transforming her into Sailor Dinosaur. She charged out into the open. Then she saw the person at the other end of the whip. It was a girl in a Sailor Soldier outfit rather like her own. She wore a two-piece outfit exposing her middle, with a translucent blue skirt around her waist. An undulating metal snake encircled her neck, and she wore knee-high boots in a snakeskin pattern. She glared angrily at Sailor Dinosaur, then leaped lightly to the ground. Without saying a word, she slashed at Sailor Dinosaur with her whip. The lash sliced through the glove on her right arm, cutting into the flesh of her hand. Sailor Dinosaur hissed in pain, and almost reflexively aimed her staff at this strange Sailor Soldier. "Extinction Beam!" she shouted. The strange woman dived away from the blast, and narrowly missed it. She sprung immediately to her feet, and held one of her hands up into the air. She cracked her whip, and glowing orbs appeared in the sky. "Serpentine Rockslide!" she shouted, and rocks began to rain from the sky. They impacted all over the area, but to Sailor Dinosaur's surprise, they didn't hit her. In fact, the other woman had to make an undignified scramble to avoid the rocks she had summoned! Regaining her poise and her dignity, the other Sailor Soldier took a flying leap, landing within a few feet of Sailor Dinosaur. There were a few moments of silence, then the woman spoke. "You pathetic creature! That monster escaped because of you!" the woman fumed. "Hey! You attacked me first!" "I have an important mission to accomplish. I have no time for peons like you." The woman said. She started to walk away. "Peons!? I am an Animal Soldier!" Sailor Dinosaur said. The woman froze. She turned her head. "Animal. Soldier?" Sailor Dinosaur grew a little more confident. "I am Sailor Dinosaur, Warrior of Extinction!" The woman's eyes closed and it looked as if she had a headache. "Well, I guess that changes things. You would have to be a Sailor Soldier to fight that well." Sailor Dinosaur decided to press her advantage. "Well, you know, calling rocks down from the sky does no good if you bring them down on your head." The woman's face turned into an angry frown. "Don't push it." She started to walk away. When she got to the other end of the street, she turned around. "By the way, the name is Sailor Cobra, the Serpent Warrior. I work alone, and I'll destroy you if you interrupt me again." She started running, making a sharp turn and disappearing into an alley. LATER: "Psittacus, why didn't you tell me about Sailor Cobra?!" "Ryuu, calm down. I didn't expect her to awaken this early. Think of it this way; that's one less Animal Soldier for you to find." "Was she the one who killed that guy last night?" Ryuu asked. "I don't know, but I'd guess she was. She has an animal guardian, a cobra named Naja." "Well, is there anyone else you want to warn me about?" "No. The others have not yet awoken. Ryuu." "What?" Psittacus looked around him at Ryuu's apartment. "Is your mother and that poor excuse for a cat the only family you have?" Ryuu closed her eyes and said nothing for several seconds. Just as Psittacus was about to ask another question, certain he had brought up a delicate subject, Ryuu started speaking. "I used to have a normal family, but my parents are divorced now. My brother lives with my father, but they live far away and I don't see them often." "I'm sorry, I didn't know." "It's okay. It doesn't really bother me anymore."
The school bell rang. A young woman strode confidently out of the school building, carrying her books. Her dark green hair flowed around her head and neck, and her yellow eyes sparkled. She absentmindedly ran her fingers along the ugly scar running lengthwise on her right arm. She shaded her eyes and looked up into the sky. A strange-looking bird was flying in her general direction. It was gray, and its head was yellow, but she couldn't discern any other details. Suddenly someone screamed. Ryuu Furui immediately looked in the direction of the sound. A strange creature had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It looked sort of like a large monkey, and yet not. Without knowing what she was doing or why, Ryuu started to move closer. The monkey-monster picked up a girl who had fainted in fear. As Ryuu watched from behind a tree, it sunk its teeth into her neck. Ryuu tried to shrink back against the tree, make herself as inconspicuous as possible. What is that thing?! I've got to stop it! But how could I possibly take on a. a vampire monkey and hope to win? Ryuu took a deep breath, then stepped out from behind the tree. "Hey, plasma breath, over here!" she said. The monkey-creature dropped its intended victim, shrieked, and loped towards Ryuu on all fours. All her courage left her at that moment, and she bolted. She dashed inside the school, the monkey-creature right behind her. She ducked into a classroom, closed the door, and locked it. The monkey-creature's face appeared suddenly at the door. It tried to open the doorknob, but the door was locked. Shrieking in frustration, it drew back a fist and punched the door. A crack appeared on the glass, but it didn't break. "I think I'm safe for now." Ryuu said to nobody in particular. "What came over me? I must be insane to risk my neck, literally, by disturbing that vampire monkey! How am I going to get out of here?!" The monkey-creature hit the glass again, and a small hole opened in the window. Then the whole window on the classroom door exploded inwards. The monkey-creature reached inside, and unlocked the door. "Oh, man, it's smart, too!" Ryuu moaned. The door swung open and the creature stepped inside. Ryuu got to take a good, long look at it. It didn't look like a monkey, per se, more like a huge chimpanzee. A chimpanzee with glowing green eyes, but a chimpanzee nonetheless. It stalked forward slowly, weaving around desks and chairs. Ryuu picked up a chair to defend herself, though it would be of little use. The creature was within six feet of her, and it moved forward, to grab her. Ryuu jerked around, releasing her grip on the chair. It flew through a window, shattering it. Broken glass rained down on both Ryuu and the creature. Ryuu shook the glass off of herself, just as the monkey-creature grabbed her by her right arm. She seethed with anger, and, unseen by her, her eyes became bright green and shaped like a cat's. She picked up the first thing she saw, a piece of broken glass, and stabbed it into the creature's hand. It howled with pain and let go of her arm. Before she could think of what to do, she ran to the broken window. Ignoring the shattered glass, some of which cut into her hands, she climbed through the window and into the schoolyard. Ryuu couldn't see anyone. They all had fled, terrified of the monster whose sole intent was now to kill her. She ran as fast as she could, but an incautious step sent her crashing to the ground. The monkey- creature climbed out of the window and loped towards Ryuu. She stood up, but the creature was very fast. It was only a few yards away now, and closing. Ryuu turned and ran as fast as she could. This time, an unfortunately placed rock tripped her up. She fell harder this time. Then she noticed something in the grass next to her. She picked it up. It looked like a small silver talon on a pendant. She examined it carefully, wondering whom it belonged to. A guttural shriek jolted her back to reality. The monkey-creature was within an arm's reach of her! It drew back a fist, and swung at her. Ryuu shrieked and threw up her hands to protect herself. As the monkey-creature made contact with Ryuu, the pendant glowed brilliantly. A wave of energy blasted the monkey-creature, lifting it off its feet and sending it flying. Ryuu sat there, looking with amazement at the pendant. "It's yours." Ryuu, startled, looked around. "What? Who's talking?" "The pendant is yours. That little show proves it." The voice came from high in a nearby tree. A small gray bird with a yellow face and orange cheeks flew down out of the tree and landed in front of her. "You're. you're talking!" Ryuu said. "I knew parrots could speak, but I thought they just mimic!" The bird cocked his head. If his face were capable of the expression, he would be smirking. "Most do, but I'm different. And, for the record, I'm a cockatiel. The name's Psittacus, but there'll be more time for pleasantries later." "What is that thing?" "An embodiment of Terraforce's sorrow." Psittacus said, though that only confused Ryuu further. "Listen closely, this is very important; hold that pendant up and repeat after me: Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, Make Up!" Ryuu nodded. This is too weird. Vampire monkeys, talking birds, and now this! I guess this can't get any weirder. She held up the raptor claw pendant, and started to speak. "Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, Make Up!" she shouted. Green energy erupted from the pendant and engulfed her. She closed her eyes, not eager to see what was happening to her body. When she opened her eyes, she was different. Somehow she had changed her clothes. She now wore a white bodysuit similar to one worn by gymnasts. A skirt and shoulder flap, both yellowish-green with darker green striping, were on top of the bodysuit. Purple bows adorned her back and her chest. A round green gem held the bow and the shoulder flap together. On her forehead was a crescent-shaped boomerang with a green jewel in the middle. It was secured to her head by an unknown agency. Elbow-length gloves covered her hands, and she held a bluish staff, striped with silver and surmounted by an amber-yellow crystal.
Then again, maybe it can.
"Cool! But, what am I?" "You are a Sailor Soldier." "But I can't be! They all are named after planets, not animals!" "You are an Animal Soldier, a different breed than the Solar Soldiers. You are Sailor Dinosaur, and it is your destiny to lead others like yourself into battle. But now you must destroy that creature before it destroys you!" Psittacus said, nodding in the direction of the monkey-creature. It stood up, shrieked and loped towards Sailor Dinosaur. She swung her staff, hitting the creature across the face and taking it by surprise. Without knowing for sure what she was doing, Sailor Dinosaur pointed the crystal end of her staff at the creature. Energy began to gather inside the crystal, making it glow. "Extinction BEAM!" she shouted, as a beam of energy radiated from her staff, and hit the creature square in the chest. It was overwhelmed, and was destroyed. "Whoo-hoo!" Sailor Dinosaur cheered. "I beat the vampire monkey!" "Maybe, but you have more important things to do. There are six more Animal Soldiers here in Japan, and you have to locate them. Then you have to find the others, the ones spread across the world. There are thirteen of them." "Man, that sounds like too much work." Sailor Dinosaur said. "You're the Warrior of Extinction, and you have certain duties to. Ryuu?" Sailor Dinosaur was standing stone still, and she was trembling. "Warrior of Extinction. that strange voice in that museum, when the dinosaur bones came to life, it called me that too." Sailor Dinosaur said to herself. "Was this what it meant? That I wasn't ready for this power yet?" "What are you talking about?" Psittacus chirped. "Tell me!" "Oh, it's nothing that concerns you." "Well, let's go home then." Sailor Dinosaur flicked her hand at him. "I have to get home now. You're welcome to come, but we have a cat." Psittacus froze, speechless. Sailor Dinosaur smiled. "Don't worry. He's never caught anything in his whole life." THAT NIGHT: A young woman walked along a darkened street. Her eyes were hidden in shadow, and she walked slowly, unafraid of the possible threats lurking in the darkness. She was short, with orange hair that fanned out not unlike a hamadryad's hood. A black cape, tied around her shoulders, shrouded her body. "Hey, sweetie, what are you doing out here so late?" an arrogant male voice said from behind her. She said nothing in reply and kept walking. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he said, getting a little angry. No reply. Furious now, the man ran forward and grabbed this woman who was acting as if he weren't there. She turned her head slowly. "Let go." The voice was emotionless. "And why should I do that?" the guy sneered. "You'll pay with your life if you don't." "Bite me!" The girl looked down at her cloak, and her mouth stretched into a wicked smile. "Naja..." There was a sibilant hiss and, suddenly, a cobra struck out from under the girl's cloak, sinking its fangs into the man's throat and injecting all of its venom at once. The girl pushed the now dying man away from her. As if nothing had happened, she kept on walking. THE NEXT DAY: Ryuu shot out of bed, quickly dressed herself, and ran downstairs to eat. "Ryuu! I think you should see this." Psitaccus said from on top of the TV. "I don't have time." "This is important!" Ryuu walked over, holding a bagel in one hand and her backpack in the other. She squawked with surprise when she heard the news report on the TV. "Someone got killed by a. snake? In the middle of Tokyo?!" "There are two possibilities. The most likely is that that guy ran into a snake-demon." "Snake-demon?!" Ryuu whimpered. "Let me explain. You could easily call that vampire ape you encountered yesterday an ape-demon. By snake-demon I mean a creature like the one you fought, but based on a serpent rather than a chimpanzee" "Great! More monsters for me to fight!" Ryuu complained, then looked at the Jurassic Park watch she had found in an import store. "I'll be late for school! Bye bye, Meow Mix. Psittacus, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." She said, dashing out the door. "Well, it looks like Naja has found his mistress." Psittacus said. "I didn't want to lie to Ryuu, but it's better for her to find out about her new ally directly." MUCH LATER: The school day was over. Ryuu hung around for a while, talking with some of her friends. Then she started to head home. Midway there she heard an explosion. More curious than scared, she headed in that direction. Don't tell me I have to fight again! Please, just don't let it be one of those monsters! Ryuu thought. Unfortunately, when she turned the corner, it was. A spotted, scaly, sinewy creature, seemingly the product of a misguided union between leopard and crocodile, was standing over a man, preparing to make the kill. Before it could, a whip wrapped around its front legs, and it was yanked forward, losing its balance. The whip lashed out again, but it was glowing this time. It hit the creature, sending it flying. Ryuu held her pendant, and spoke aloud the words of transformation. "Dinosaur Prehistoric Power, MAKE UP!" Energy swirled around Ryuu's body in an iridescent whirlwind, transforming her into Sailor Dinosaur. She charged out into the open. Then she saw the person at the other end of the whip. It was a girl in a Sailor Soldier outfit rather like her own. She wore a two-piece outfit exposing her middle, with a translucent blue skirt around her waist. An undulating metal snake encircled her neck, and she wore knee-high boots in a snakeskin pattern. She glared angrily at Sailor Dinosaur, then leaped lightly to the ground. Without saying a word, she slashed at Sailor Dinosaur with her whip. The lash sliced through the glove on her right arm, cutting into the flesh of her hand. Sailor Dinosaur hissed in pain, and almost reflexively aimed her staff at this strange Sailor Soldier. "Extinction Beam!" she shouted. The strange woman dived away from the blast, and narrowly missed it. She sprung immediately to her feet, and held one of her hands up into the air. She cracked her whip, and glowing orbs appeared in the sky. "Serpentine Rockslide!" she shouted, and rocks began to rain from the sky. They impacted all over the area, but to Sailor Dinosaur's surprise, they didn't hit her. In fact, the other woman had to make an undignified scramble to avoid the rocks she had summoned! Regaining her poise and her dignity, the other Sailor Soldier took a flying leap, landing within a few feet of Sailor Dinosaur. There were a few moments of silence, then the woman spoke. "You pathetic creature! That monster escaped because of you!" the woman fumed. "Hey! You attacked me first!" "I have an important mission to accomplish. I have no time for peons like you." The woman said. She started to walk away. "Peons!? I am an Animal Soldier!" Sailor Dinosaur said. The woman froze. She turned her head. "Animal. Soldier?" Sailor Dinosaur grew a little more confident. "I am Sailor Dinosaur, Warrior of Extinction!" The woman's eyes closed and it looked as if she had a headache. "Well, I guess that changes things. You would have to be a Sailor Soldier to fight that well." Sailor Dinosaur decided to press her advantage. "Well, you know, calling rocks down from the sky does no good if you bring them down on your head." The woman's face turned into an angry frown. "Don't push it." She started to walk away. When she got to the other end of the street, she turned around. "By the way, the name is Sailor Cobra, the Serpent Warrior. I work alone, and I'll destroy you if you interrupt me again." She started running, making a sharp turn and disappearing into an alley. LATER: "Psittacus, why didn't you tell me about Sailor Cobra?!" "Ryuu, calm down. I didn't expect her to awaken this early. Think of it this way; that's one less Animal Soldier for you to find." "Was she the one who killed that guy last night?" Ryuu asked. "I don't know, but I'd guess she was. She has an animal guardian, a cobra named Naja." "Well, is there anyone else you want to warn me about?" "No. The others have not yet awoken. Ryuu." "What?" Psittacus looked around him at Ryuu's apartment. "Is your mother and that poor excuse for a cat the only family you have?" Ryuu closed her eyes and said nothing for several seconds. Just as Psittacus was about to ask another question, certain he had brought up a delicate subject, Ryuu started speaking. "I used to have a normal family, but my parents are divorced now. My brother lives with my father, but they live far away and I don't see them often." "I'm sorry, I didn't know." "It's okay. It doesn't really bother me anymore."