Everyone knows of the greatest heroine ever born, Sailor Moon. They
also know of her companions and their bravery and great powers.
But they exist only in the first dimension out of seven. Sailor Moon's deeds are true in her dimension, but are stories of encouragement or cartoons in others.
Especially in the dimension cursed to forever be almost devoid of magic. The Third Dimension.
And this dimension is what this story is about. When six girls receive powers never before seen in this dimension. The same powers granted to the Sailor Senshi of the First Dimension. The power to transform into a Sailor Soldier.
The Jewel Senshi Saga begins here.
White foggy mists swirled over the ground, obscuring her view of the horizon. The girl blinked as a figure materialized. She was so familiar to her that she could have placed the figure in a heartbeat.
"Sailor Diamond." Sailor Moon whispered.
".Your time is now!"
"What the.?!"
The girl who had been dreaming leapt up in bed and immediately fell off onto the floor. "Ow." She muttered, rubbing her butt from where it had hit the corner of her bedside table. "What the heck was that all about?"
A huge yawn broke through her contemplations. She smiled sleepily. "Gee, I like Sailor Moon so much I'm even dreaming about her."
Still smiling, she curled back within a mountain of blankets, and went to sleep.
1.1 Chapter One
Angela Kay Pirko, eighth grader at Chickahominy Middle, sighed as she looked at her latest test score. "Eighty-three." She moaned. "I should have gotten at least a ninety! All because of this two stupid questions. I mean, who cares about the five themes of geography?"
She was so busy complaining she didn't notice the girl in front of her until-
WHAM!
"Ow!" With a thud Angela was down on the ground panting and gasping for breath.
"Ouch!"
Angela winced. "Sorry! Didn't see you!"
The girl who Angie had bumped into looked down. Angela caught her breath. The look about her, from her glistening raven black hair to deep scarlet eyes to thin frame, was immaculate.
"Oh, God!" Angie wailed. "I ran into a popular!"
"Don't be silly." The girl snorted, putting her hand down for the grounded one. "Why would I want to be a part of a bunch of squealing ninnies?"
Angie grinned as she took the hand. "Thanks. Sorry about the run-in."
The girl laughed. "I probably should have been watching where I was going too. I just wasn't expecting a blond bomb to explode on me." She swept back her hair with one hand, then offered it. "I'm Rachelle Roberts."
Angie accepted the hand. "Angela Pirko, but for Pete's sake call me Angie."
Rachelle's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Angie, huh? You're in some of my classes. Chickahominy, right?"
Angie blinked. "Um, yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like a Chickahominy student."
"I refuse to be pulled into stereotypes and frames." Rachelle announced grandly.
Angie laughed. "You are definitely not the normal student."
"Neither are you. You seem sort of, well, ditzy."
Angie grinned. "I get that all the time. I guess I am, just a bit."
It was Rachelle's turn to blink. "Now who's not a normal student? Usually no one would let themselves get treated like that."
Angela shrugged. "If people need to put me down to make themselves look better, then what's the point in valuing their opinion?"
Rachelle blinked again. "You sound like a preacher. That's-deep."
In the silence that followed Angela's ears pricked up. "Hey, did you hear that?"
Rachelle closed her eyes. "It sounds like-it sounds like-"
"Screaming." Angela finished grimly.
"Yep." Rachelle shrugged. "Someone must be in trouble. Oh well, too bad- "
She stopped talking as Angela grabbed her arm and started to run. "Come on! Let's see who it is and if they need help!"
"Ah! Wait! Hold on!" Rachelle yelped, trying to dig in her heels. "I'm not that good at fighting-"
"Then I'll fight for both of us!" Angela yelled enthusiastically, pulling harder. "Now come on!"
"Oh, man." Rachelle muttered as the sound of the screams grew louder and more precise. "Not good, not good, not good."
Angela chose to ignore these whimpers. She pulled Rachelle a little harder as the reached a small alcove in the park.
A dozen guys-Angela and Rachelle immediately recognized them all as foolish bullies, morons with out an ounce of sense whatsoever- were torturing a girl, probably also around thirteen. Papers fluttered everywhere as one or two boys who jump in and snatch at a thick leather binder before darting away. The girl-with pale blue hair and angry eyes behind thick glasses- swung her book bag like a lasso, knocking several guys upside the head.
Rachelle stopped in badly concealed horror before rushing to the blue- haired girl who had just been thrown onto a park bench. Angela ignored this. When a heavy, square jawed boy came within reach, she lashed out and hit him on the chin while her knee found his stomach.
The boy let out a surprised grunt, and flew back a few feet. Angela ignored him and ran, with a yell, into the huge throng of bullies.
At first the guys didn't know what had hit them. But when a few had been knocked back into various corners, Angela became visible.
It still took them a few seconds to think of what to do. Then slowly, shuffling a little, they formed a semicircle, enclosing the three girls. The blue-haired girl was leaning on Rachelle's shoulder, glaring angrily at the gang. "Savages!" She shrieked. "Freaks! Unhand my papers!"
Angela backed up until her knees touched the back of the bench. "I think your papers are the least of our problems." She muttered. "I can take four. Twelve's a bit too many."
Rachelle bit her lip. "Now what? We get beat up too?"
The pale, square jaw boy Angela had hit first was obviously the leader. He inched a few steps forward, as if baiting to strike again. Angela bared her teeth.
The leader grinned. "You gonna regret messing with us, girl." He hissed. "We gonna hurt ya and your stupid friends."
"Excuse me, we're stupid?" Rachelle snapped.
The leader paused, trying to work this out. Then (a few seconds later) he snarled and started to charge. Angela prepared to leap at him-
Before he had taken two steps the leader had suddenly been lifted and thrown violently through the air. A girl, with bright purple hair and eyes, stood there. Her eyes blazed as she charged at the pack of boys, roaring.
Rachelle looked at the whirling bal of fists and yelps blankly. "Who's she and why's she helping us?"
Angela shrugged. "I don't know, but she's going to get murdered if I don't help her!" With that she charged back into the fray.
The boys were perfectly capable of picking on a helpless over laden schoolgirl, but against two girls with attitude and an ability to fight was beyond their area. In a few minutes, all twelve lay flattened on the ground, gasping for breath.
The purple-haired girl spat with disdain at the ground. "Bullies." She muttered. "Worthless little cowardly crap."
The leader bully struggled to sit up slightly. Grasping a whistle around his neck, he blew three loud calls.
"That cannot be good." Rachelle called from the bench, where she was forcing the blue girl to sit still and not go and fight.
As if on cue, twelve more boys appeared. The ground boys were slowly getting to their feet.
The purple girl and Angela went back to back. "Think we can handle twenty- four?" Angela asked under her breath.
The girl shook her head. "Those idiots. They only fight if they outnumber their victims twelve to one."
Angela laughed nervously. "Victims, huh? Well, maybe Rachelle and that other girl can help."
The leader yelled. All twenty four boys charged.
The purple girl and Angela crouched low, and leapt to either side of the fray.
In the confusion of so many people, many boys ended up hitting their neighbor. But a few good eyes landed on the two girls who had slunk to the middle. Pointing and yelling, the boys rushed at them again.
The two girls clenched their fists-
And suddenly the boys fell back wailing. It took Angela a moment to see why.
Two girls, one with flowing yellow hair pulled back into a long ponytail, and one with hair blacker even than Rachelle's, stood defiantly facing the throng. The tall, black-haired girl held a sort of staff in one hand. She angrily hit one boy across the chest when he edged too close. He went flying and took another boy with him.
The gang had had enough. One helpless girl had been nothing. Two strong fighters a bit worrisome. But four seemingly crazy girls were nothing to be messed with. Grumbling, the group jogged away.
The black-haired girl stood looking after them, black eyes burning with cold fire. But the fire went out when she turned around, to be replaced by a friendly light. "Hi."
"Um, hi." Angela said, staring at the girl. During the heat of battle, the girl had looked pretty and dangerous. Now that she had a good look, she was gorgeous. Black hair swirled up into a bun before falling all the way down her back. Cinnamon-y skin was complimented by her dark eyes. Her teeth were white and even, and she carried herself like a queen.
The other girl grinned broadly at Angela. She, too, was pretty, though not in the glamorous way of the other girl. She had a pure, fresh beauty that reminded all onlookers vaguely of a rose petal. Deep blue eyes and peachy skin met waves of golden locks, and the look suited her entirely.
"They look like models." Rachelle murmured from the bench.
The blue haired girl had managed to fend Rachelle off by this time and had gone up to the four fighters. "I believe I owe you a debt for relinquishing your unused time to assist me. Thank you."
After blinking a moment, Angela said, "Sure. No problem."
The purple head absent-mindedly pounded one fist into her palm. "It was fun, and you looked like you were all in a spot of trouble."
"Excuse me, she was the one in trouble, we came to help!" Angela said indignantly.
"Well, you didn't do the best job of saving her." Rachelle snickered, coming up from the bench. "First you charge you, then you get outnumbered, goodness."
"Would you have rather left her to get beat up?" Angela retorted.
"Oh, stop bickering." The golden haired girl said, before Rachelle could retaliate. "That's not getting us anywhere."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Rachelle inquired.
The girl smiled brightly. "How about introduce ourselves?"
Angela and Rachelle stared at her a second. "Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense." Rachelle muttered finally.
The girl giggled. "Okay." She struck a dramatic pose. "My name's Malorie Mackey! I'm in the eighth grade at Chickahominy, and I like to read manga!"
The black-haired girl smiled. "I'm Mary Harrison. I'm in the eighth grade at Chickahominy, I also like to read manga, and I can get very hyper!"
Angela blinked at her. "You're in the eighth grade?"
Mary's smile was somewhat bitter. "You and every guy I've ever dated. Yes, I'm in the eighth grade."
Angela smiled, feeling somewhat idiotic. "I'm sorry. I'm a bit of a ditz. If you say you're in the eighth grade, then I've got no right to question it."
Mary smiled back, a real smile this time. "Apology accepted."
The purple girl cleared her throat. "Um, my name's Lacie Lipscombe, I did not dye my hair, contrary to popular belief, I also go to Chickahominy, manga rocks, end of story."
Rachelle giggled. "I'm Rachelle Roberts, eighth grader. Chickahominy student extraordinaire. I love to write and I've got a boyfriend whose name is Kyle-" There was a glazed, starry look in her eyes now. "-and he's cute, and a perfect gentlemen, and SO sweet, and-"
"Okay!" Angela laughed nervously, lightly punching Rachelle. "Enough!"
The blue haired girl smiled and adjusted her folder. "I am Elisha Tehan, and I also reside as a student at Chickahominy. I am a bit of a newbie at anime-loving, but I assure you, I believe I shall enjoy it."
"You're the genius girl, aren't you?" Malorie asked, curiously.
Elisha blinked. "Well, yes, I suppose so."
Angela stared at her a second before grinning. "And last but not least, I'm Angela Pirko, well-known manga maniac. I am smart and like to read and write, and I am NOT as much of a ditz as it first appears."
Mary laughed. "Good, you were scaring me a second. You sounded like the ditz Queen."
Angela scowled while the other girls giggled.
The chilling sound of a scream tried to break its way through the laughs. It was so faint that at first it reached only Angela's burning ears. With the first notes Angela started, then raised her head to hear above the cackles. As the girls saw this the laughter died away, to be replaced by a listening stillness.
Rachelle finally broke the silence. "Someone's in trouble."
"Again?" Mary sighed.
"It's none of our business." Lacie said, firmly. "What are we, Rescuers Inc.? Besides, it might just be those brain-dead Neanderthals trying to get back at us."
Elisha glanced around uncertainly. "I might possibly be mistaken, but those sounded like very feminine screams."
Lacie blinked. "Well-"
"What are we waiting for?!" Malorie said enthusiastically, pumping her fist. "We can take them! Let's go! We'll kick their butts!"
Angela grinned. "She's right. Let's make tracks!"
The six girls started jogging nonchalantly towards the screams, occasionally still joking and talking.
But as the screams grew closer and louder, all talk died. The process slowed. Uneasy and edgy glances were thrown back and forth.
Finally, when the owner of the screams was only a few yards away and hidden my bushes, Rachelle sat down on the pavement. "I refuse to go any father." She explained, matter-of-factly.
"Now, Rachelle." Elisha said, comfortingly. "We have to do our duty and citizens and assist the needy-"
"Fine." Angela said. "You can sit there and refuse to help. I'm going to go stop whatever's causing those yells."
Rachelle shifted, uncomfortable. "I didn't quite mean that."
Angela smiled. "Good. Then you'll come?"
Rachelle hesitated, then laughed. "Something about you almost requires obedience. Yes, Master." She got up and dusted off her rear end.
"Well, let's do this!" Angela said, more to herself than anyone else. She took a deep breath, then jumped into the bushes.
"Fun!" Lacie and Mary yelled as they simultaneously vaulted through after her.
"Here we go!" Malorie said happily, shoving a few shrubs out of her way.
"I hope we survive this." Rachelle muttered, gingerly picking through the plant growth.
"Wait for me!" Elisha called, diving in last of all.
After several feet of prickly plants all six girls emerged, scratched and a little worse for wear.
"Really great idea, jumping through the bushes." Rachelle told Angela as she picked a twig out of her dark hair.
Angela rolled her eyes and glanced around. "All right, what's happening?"
Lacie glanced around, blinked at something, then pointed a single finger. "Um, perhaps that?"
A tall blond man was leaning towards a girl around five years old. He was murmuring unintelligible words and smiling kindly. The little girl was crying and screaming, trying to force her way out of his grip.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Just looks like a disagreement between father and daughter. Great."
Rachelle shook her head. "I don't know, that doesn't look like a family match to me."
Elisha edged forward and tapped the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, we were just wondering-"
The man turned and looked at Elisha, smiling. "Yes, miss?"
Malorie and Angela sighed. "Man, for a dad, he's hot!"
Mary nodded, "Exactly. He's not exactly father material, is he? He looks about twenty."
Rachelle, Lacie, Angela, and Malorie blinked as this sunk in.
Elisha hadn't heard. She was returning the man's friendly smile. "Yes, we were just wondering if there was a problem here. We heard your daughter's screams and thought, well, perhaps someone was in trouble."
The man blinked at "daughter", but then smiled wider. "Yes, she's just a bit upset at me now. I'll have to get her to calm down before trying to take her home, I guess."
Elisha laughed politely, then walked back to the group. "Just an ordinary man with his bratty daughter. Our mistake. Now-"
Angela moved forward and tugged on the man's shirt. He turned around again, looking as if he was hiding a look of annoyance. "Yes, miss, what is it?"
Angela was tempted to whack the guy upside the head. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from this girl."
The man sighed patiently. "My daughter's just mad we didn't buy ice cream. Now, come along, Lizzie." He tugged at her hand. The little girl shuddered and tried to yank away.
"I didn't ask you what you are doing, I asked you to get away from the child!" Angela moved forward and with surprising strength pried his hand off the girl's and flung him back a few feet.
"Hey!" The man spluttered. "What's the idea?!"
"Angela!" Elisha whispered, shocked.
Angela ignored both of them. She kneeled down in front of the girl and lightly hugged her. "There, there. It's okay. Now what's your name?"
The girl blinked up at her through swollen, tear-stained eyes. "Maggie Mulstead."
"Oh?" Angela said, shooting the man a very nasty look over her shoulder. "That's funny. That man who claims to be your father said your name's Lizzie."
Maggie tremble. "He's not my daddy. He's a witch!"
"Hey, it's okay." Angela said soothingly, tousling the girl's hair. "I'm sure your dad's much nicer."
"He is!" Maggie said enthusiastically. "He buys me sweets and takes me places. We were going to the animal place, but then Daddy said he had to take a phone call real quick an' then the witch came up and stole me."
"Don't worry." Angela comforted. "We're going to chase the nasty old witch away."
She didn't see the man coming up behind her with a very strange, hateful look on his once handsome face. But Rachelle and Lacie did.
The man found himself being frog marched backward from Angela and Maggie. "Now sir," Lacie said calmly. "I believe our friend asked you to stay away."
The man snarled.
Some strange force broke Lacie and Rachelle away from the man and sent them flying into the bushes. Malorie and Mary gasped and ran to help them out.
The man's kindness had disappeared. "Filth." He spat. "Don't ruin my clothes." He headed for Angela and Maggie again, his footsteps strangely silent against the pavement.
Angela would not have known he was coming except for the sudden contraction of Maggie's pupils in fear. She turned.
The man's hand was raised. As Maggie and Angela watched, it started to come down for them.
He again found himself getting thrown backward into the same bushes Lacie and Rachelle were emerging from. They blinked as his form soared overhead.
"Air delivery!" Lacie crowed, giggling.
"Jet coming through!" Rachelle called.
Malorie clutched a stitch in her side from laughing. "Did you see-oh my- did you see the look on his face?!" She gasped.
Mary was rolling on the ground. "He looked like Elmer Fudd when Bugs Bunny comes up behind him out of the other hole!"
"Elmer Fudd?!" Elisha shrieked, falling to the ground. "Oh no!"
All five girls dissolved in helpless laughter. Even Angela's anger was waylaid by giggles. Maggie chuckled too, in a bemused sort of way.
When the laughter finally died, Elisha came over to Maggie. "I believe we should try and find your father now. He's no doubt worried about you-"
CRASH!
Everyone jumped. "What was that?!" Malorie yelled.
CRASH! BASH! THUMP!
"It's coming from the bushes." Lacie said, peering into them.
"What the heck could be making that sort of noise?!"
CRASH!!!
Mary yelped and pulled Rachelle out of the way as a nine-foot bush crashed down on the pavement where they had been.
The blond man was back. His clothes were disheveled and torn. An insane, maniacal grin was plastered on his face, and a strange light danced in his eyes.
Maggie let out a tiny scream and buried her head in Angela's shirt. Mary and Rachelle edged backward toward Elisha, Angela, and Maggie. Malorie and Lacie had ran to them the moment the bush had nearly crushed them.
"Come here, girly." The man said. Along with his changed appearance, his voice had gone ice cold. Maggie whimpered in terror and clutched at Angela.
Angela stood, letting Maggie hide behind her legs. Neither she nor any of the older girls had so much as let a drop of the fear they were feeling show.
"Get out of my way." The man ordered.
Mary's eyes had somehow managed to transform themselves into black glittering jewels. Elisha's, Angela's, and Malorie's eyes had gone ice blue. A red fire burned in Rachelle's, and sparks shot from Lacie.
"I don't know who you are." Malorie pronounced slowly, proclaiming the unanimous opinion. "I don't really care. All I know is there's something very wrong with a person who hurts and scares little kids."
"Only a human would think so-pathetically." The man sneered. "It makes me sick. The lot of you do!"
"So you're saying your own race disgusts you?" Elisha asked, cocking her head.
"My own race?" The man said. To their astonishment, he began to laugh. "My own race?! My race?! You actually think I would belong to a race of ground-pounding slobbering backwards primates?!"
"Okay, so you're not a human." Lacie said, rolling her eyes at Mary. "Then what are you, an alien?"
He smiled. "Precisely."
"Nut." Mary muttered. There were murmurs of agreement.
Suddenly a man with chestnut brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail swung down to land by the blond. "You called, Jedin?"
The blonde man-Jedin-gave the brunette a sort of roving sneer. "Took you long enough."
"I was looking for my own victim!" He said defensively. "And why do you need help, macho-boy?"
"Honestly, using human words, Uther." Jedin teased. "How low can you possibly go?"
Uther spat on the pavement. "Don't make me mad, Jedin. What d'you want?"
Jedin jerked his head at the girls and Maggie. "These girls are giving me some trouble. I want them gone."
Uther sized them up. "You need help? With a bunch of young human girls?"
"Watch it, pal." Elisha warned.
Jedin sneered at him again. "I'd like to see you try and tackle them physically, psychic psycho."
"Fortunately I do not need to use your muscle-bound techniques." Uther remarked, giving the girls a look like they were a slab of meat and he was a carving knife. "I have my own way."
Rachelle bit her lip. "There's something funny about him. Some strange feeling."
Uther stepped towards them. The air shimmered, as if in a mirage.
Angela felt as if someone was wrapping her in a thick woolen blanket and suffocating her. She couldn't move or breath, just wonder what was happening.
Then the feeling started to vanish. All of the girls shook their heads to clear them. Malorie swung her blonde hair around, and then stopped as she saw Rachelle.
Rachelle's face was taut with tension and concentration. She was biting her lip. The air around her flickered, as it did around Uther.
Uther gazed at Rachelle oddly. "What were these humans supposed to be? Ours in disguise?"
Jedin snorted. "No, you idiot. They're regular human children. Why, is one of them stopping your psychic powers?" He snickered.
"Excuse me?" Lacie muttered indignantly. "Children?"
Maggie whimpered. Rachelle blinked and seemed to come back out of a deep well. She smiled kindly at Maggie. "You'd better get out of here, sweetheart. I don't think these guys want to play nice."
Maggie gulped, nodded, and then took off down the sidewalk.
Jedin started to walk after her, but Uther threw out a hand to stop him. Jedin snarled, "A perfectly good energy-host is just sauntering away!"
Uther looked at the girls with the hungry look in his eyes again. "Why go chasing after that weak little thing? We have six perfectly good ones right here."
Jedin eyed them as well. "Several full tough ones."
Uther shrugged. "We can handle them. One look at your real face would be enough to make them faint."
"Yeah, well right now his face's enough to make me sick, so I wouldn't doubt it." Mary said simply.
Elisha and Angela gave her discreet high-fives.
Jedin smiled oddly. His teeth seemed suddenly to be pointed and sharp at the ends. Angela stared at them, fascinated. They looked like the teeth of a vampire, or some terrible beast of prey.
Uther's ears seemed to prick up suddenly, like a dog's. His teeth were glinting pearly white in the sun.
"Um, guys?" Malorie said timidly. "How about we get out of here?"
"An excellent idea." Lacie said.
They stood perfectly still for one more moment, then turned and bolted down the path.
"We'd-better-split up." Angela panted. "We'll be harder to catch. Besides, if we keep going this way we might lead the freaks to Maggie again."
"Right." Elisha gasped.
"All right," Angela said, hearing footsteps getting louder and louder behind her. "Split up-now!"
In a flash, the girls scattered. Jedin and Uther were left, staring in surprise, at where they had been a moment before.
Lacie had vaulted over a bench and into the bushes, and was making her way to another path. Malorie and Mary had gone in the same direction, a small path to the right. But then Malorie had kept on the path whereas Mary had taken the path that had next connected to it. Elisha had cleverly ducked under a park bench covered with rather old and deaf people who merely glanced at her for a moment before going back to sleeping. Rachelle had quickly wrapped her hair up with a spare hair-tie and stolen the hat of an older boy. She then slouched against the back of a lamppost, hiking her shirt collar up around her ears.
Angela had sprinted quickly ahead. She was now almost to the edge of the park. Just as she was about to slow down and take a breather, a long, low howl like the cry of a hunting dog ripped through the air from behind her. Angela gasped in terror and alarm. Somehow, the men had picked up her trail. She was confident they couldn't see her from this distance. So what had they done? Sniffed for her, like dogs? Heard her breathing?
Animals, she thought, angrily clenching her teeth as she started running again. They're probably predators, like the kind who you hear about in newspapers. Rapists.
Damn.
A turn left at the road and Angela ran right into Mary. "Yeeowch!" Mary shrieked. "Don't do that!! You nearly scared me to death!!"
"Same here!" Despite her fear, Angela grinned. "Let's split up again. They're right on my trail."
Mary winced. "Yikes! See ya!" And she turned and took off. Chuckling, Angela ran the way she had been going, occasionally glancing back at the distant figures.
Suddenly another figure hurled itself into her from a side path. Angela panicked-then saw it was only Malorie.
Malorie managed a smile. "H-hey!"
Angela weakly grinned back. "Scatter again."
"Right. Scattering." Malorie disappeared back into some bushes, and Angela jogged onward, aware of the closer pressing shadows and speeding up even more.
Finally, when it seemed that she was about to lose them-
WHAM!!!
With a sickening thud Angela was knocked flat on her back in the middle of the sidewalk, winded and at the bottom of a huge pile of kicking legs and thrashing arms.
"Get off me!" She managed to gasp.
There was no comply from the pile. Angela laid her head back and tried to suck in some air.
Lacie's purple eyes suddenly peered down on her from the top of the stack. "Angela? Oh my gosh, everybody off!"
There was some desperate squawking and commotion, then the weight on Angela's lungs was lifted. She gulped a few deep breaths and looked up at the five pairs of eyes, two blue, one black, one purple, and one red, that were staring down at her. "Well?" She asked. "Help me up!"
Rachelle bent over and offered a hand. Angela accepted it. When she was standing again and had been thoroughly brushed off, she did a final check to make sure all body parts were still intact, then announced, "This is ridiculous! This is the third time I crashed into someone. What gives?"
"Beats me!" Elisha shrugged. "I was just running along when all of a sudden, bam! Here I am kissing the sidewalk."
Rachelle nodded. "It's the oddest thing. I thought I was headed to Main Street, but then I took a right and suddenly ended up here."
"Took a right where?" Mary asked, spreading her arms. "We're in the middle of a sidewalk strip. There aren't any adjoining paths around here!"
"Well then, what do you think happened?" Rachelle snapped.
Mary shrugged. "Haven't the faintest idea. The exact same thing happened to me."
Lacie nodded. "You're not going to believe this, but I was jogging around in the park! I took a side step through some bushes-and suddenly I was here!"
"This is too weird!" Malorie said shakily. "Teleportation? In real life? Come on!"
"There!" Someone cried a distance behind them.
Elisha glanced back and cursed. "Those two idiots are still after us. Let's run!"
"Split up again." Angela advised. Then she was gone.
Malorie sprinted away to the right. She hadn't told them her story. She had been in a small second-hand corner clothes shop after meeting with Angela, hoping to hide from the strange men. She had been crouching in a rack of dresses for a few minutes, and had decided to stretch to get some feeling back into her legs.
The clothes had vanished. She suddenly had been looking at Lacie's frightened face, then smashed to the ground just above Angela.
She wondered if she was going crazy.
"Malorie! Watch out!"
Malorie yelped and threw herself to the side as Mary and Lacie collided where she had been a second before. Malorie sighed with relief as Mary and Lacie rubbed their heads and scowled-and then she immediately found herself crashed into by Angela. They both fell to the ground.
"Ouch." Mary moaned, rolling over and feeling her ribs. "We crashed again."
"Majorly." Lacie muttered, rubbing her elbows.
"Look out!"
Angela shrieked and rolled over as Elisha and Rachelle appeared where she had been. They managed to stop before colliding, but Elisha tripped over Malorie and ended up on her face.
"This is getting too weird." Elisha muttered, picking herself up and helping Malorie.
"Really." Rachelle huffed.
"No, I mean really too weird. I was a block away from this street. I know because this is the candy shop I sometimes go to-" she indicated the building they had crashed in front of, ignoring the stares of the people inside, "-and I was near the museum."
Angela nodded. "I know!! I was headed back to the park by way of bushes! Not possible I could end up here!"
"Um, guys-"
"I thought I was headed to the mall, but I guess if I ran into you people here, I couldn't have been, could I?" Lacie asked uncertainly.
"Guys-"
"This is impossible!" Mary raged. "I was going the opposite of you, Lacie! How'd we collide?!"
"GUYS!!!!!" Rachelle shouted angrily.
""What, Rachelle?!" Everyone bellowed back.
"Evil men coming on turbo charge!!" Rachelle yelled, pointing down the street.
"Split up again?" Elisha wondered.
Angela shook her head grimly. "Uh-uh. No way. No more painful collisions. Obviously something wants us to stay together, and if it's going to force us so painfully, I'm going to agree with it. We stick together."
"We'll be easy targets!" Mary argued.
"We'll deal with it!" Angela yelled, pulling her hand and starting to run. "Now we've got to move!"
"She's right!" Lacie cried. "Move!"
The girls took off, but this time stayed together as close as a wolf pack. Once in a while Angela or Lacie or Mary would glance back to check on their pursuers, then would turn around, faces grim and grimmer.
"I-don't-think-I-can-run-much-farther!" Rachelle panted, clutching at a stitch in her side.
"Just a little further!" Malorie encouraged, wiping her brow. "Then maybe we can come up with a plan to lose them."
"Why are they still following us?" Mary gasped, glancing back again. "I mean, come on, there a hundreds of people out on the streets all around us!!"
Angela shrugged, "They're mad at us, remember? We saved that little girl. We made them look like idiots."
A car in the street suddenly swerved over onto the sidewalk. Startled, the girls all jumped aside into the street.
"Maniac! Baka!" Elisha yelled, making a rude sign at the car's back fender.
Suddenly, the manhole cover in the street in front of them opened. Angela stared at the hole. It was a deep pitch black, so she couldn't see who had opened it.
The hole suddenly started to grow. It enlarged until it was half the size of the street. Now it was glowing with purple and black lights, and swirling like a whirlpool.
"Ahhhhhhh!" The girls shrieked as a wind stared to suck them towards it.
"What is that thing?!" Rachelle cried.
"Not good!" Mary yelled back
"Oh God!" Malorie yelled as a ribbon in her hair untangled and was sucked in.
"Unnhhh!" Angela grunted, trying desperately to hold her ground.
A huge wind suddenly lifted her off her feet. With a scream, she flew into the vortex.
"Angie!" Rachelle screamed.
"Angela!" The rest of the girls shouted.
"Oh noooooooo!" With a wail Rachelle was also lifted off her feet and immediately sucked in.
"Rachelle! Angie!" Malorie yelled. "What happened to them?!"
She was buffeted forward to the edge of the hole. "Malorie!" Mary, Lacie, and Elisha yelled, desperately trying to hold onto her.
The wind picked up again. This time Malorie, Mary, and Elisha were all thrown in, shrieking.
"Guys!" Lacie yelled at the edge. "I'll find a way to get you out-no!"
The wind, with its final burst, grabbed Lacie and picked her up into the air. She kicked and screamed, for she felt like an invisible hand was holding her just above the chasm. Then it dropped her, and she fell in, trying vainly to grasp the sides.
The hole shortened, then closed entirely. The street was empty.
The girls had completely vanished.
But they exist only in the first dimension out of seven. Sailor Moon's deeds are true in her dimension, but are stories of encouragement or cartoons in others.
Especially in the dimension cursed to forever be almost devoid of magic. The Third Dimension.
And this dimension is what this story is about. When six girls receive powers never before seen in this dimension. The same powers granted to the Sailor Senshi of the First Dimension. The power to transform into a Sailor Soldier.
The Jewel Senshi Saga begins here.
White foggy mists swirled over the ground, obscuring her view of the horizon. The girl blinked as a figure materialized. She was so familiar to her that she could have placed the figure in a heartbeat.
"Sailor Diamond." Sailor Moon whispered.
".Your time is now!"
"What the.?!"
The girl who had been dreaming leapt up in bed and immediately fell off onto the floor. "Ow." She muttered, rubbing her butt from where it had hit the corner of her bedside table. "What the heck was that all about?"
A huge yawn broke through her contemplations. She smiled sleepily. "Gee, I like Sailor Moon so much I'm even dreaming about her."
Still smiling, she curled back within a mountain of blankets, and went to sleep.
1.1 Chapter One
Angela Kay Pirko, eighth grader at Chickahominy Middle, sighed as she looked at her latest test score. "Eighty-three." She moaned. "I should have gotten at least a ninety! All because of this two stupid questions. I mean, who cares about the five themes of geography?"
She was so busy complaining she didn't notice the girl in front of her until-
WHAM!
"Ow!" With a thud Angela was down on the ground panting and gasping for breath.
"Ouch!"
Angela winced. "Sorry! Didn't see you!"
The girl who Angie had bumped into looked down. Angela caught her breath. The look about her, from her glistening raven black hair to deep scarlet eyes to thin frame, was immaculate.
"Oh, God!" Angie wailed. "I ran into a popular!"
"Don't be silly." The girl snorted, putting her hand down for the grounded one. "Why would I want to be a part of a bunch of squealing ninnies?"
Angie grinned as she took the hand. "Thanks. Sorry about the run-in."
The girl laughed. "I probably should have been watching where I was going too. I just wasn't expecting a blond bomb to explode on me." She swept back her hair with one hand, then offered it. "I'm Rachelle Roberts."
Angie accepted the hand. "Angela Pirko, but for Pete's sake call me Angie."
Rachelle's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Angie, huh? You're in some of my classes. Chickahominy, right?"
Angie blinked. "Um, yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like a Chickahominy student."
"I refuse to be pulled into stereotypes and frames." Rachelle announced grandly.
Angie laughed. "You are definitely not the normal student."
"Neither are you. You seem sort of, well, ditzy."
Angie grinned. "I get that all the time. I guess I am, just a bit."
It was Rachelle's turn to blink. "Now who's not a normal student? Usually no one would let themselves get treated like that."
Angela shrugged. "If people need to put me down to make themselves look better, then what's the point in valuing their opinion?"
Rachelle blinked again. "You sound like a preacher. That's-deep."
In the silence that followed Angela's ears pricked up. "Hey, did you hear that?"
Rachelle closed her eyes. "It sounds like-it sounds like-"
"Screaming." Angela finished grimly.
"Yep." Rachelle shrugged. "Someone must be in trouble. Oh well, too bad- "
She stopped talking as Angela grabbed her arm and started to run. "Come on! Let's see who it is and if they need help!"
"Ah! Wait! Hold on!" Rachelle yelped, trying to dig in her heels. "I'm not that good at fighting-"
"Then I'll fight for both of us!" Angela yelled enthusiastically, pulling harder. "Now come on!"
"Oh, man." Rachelle muttered as the sound of the screams grew louder and more precise. "Not good, not good, not good."
Angela chose to ignore these whimpers. She pulled Rachelle a little harder as the reached a small alcove in the park.
A dozen guys-Angela and Rachelle immediately recognized them all as foolish bullies, morons with out an ounce of sense whatsoever- were torturing a girl, probably also around thirteen. Papers fluttered everywhere as one or two boys who jump in and snatch at a thick leather binder before darting away. The girl-with pale blue hair and angry eyes behind thick glasses- swung her book bag like a lasso, knocking several guys upside the head.
Rachelle stopped in badly concealed horror before rushing to the blue- haired girl who had just been thrown onto a park bench. Angela ignored this. When a heavy, square jawed boy came within reach, she lashed out and hit him on the chin while her knee found his stomach.
The boy let out a surprised grunt, and flew back a few feet. Angela ignored him and ran, with a yell, into the huge throng of bullies.
At first the guys didn't know what had hit them. But when a few had been knocked back into various corners, Angela became visible.
It still took them a few seconds to think of what to do. Then slowly, shuffling a little, they formed a semicircle, enclosing the three girls. The blue-haired girl was leaning on Rachelle's shoulder, glaring angrily at the gang. "Savages!" She shrieked. "Freaks! Unhand my papers!"
Angela backed up until her knees touched the back of the bench. "I think your papers are the least of our problems." She muttered. "I can take four. Twelve's a bit too many."
Rachelle bit her lip. "Now what? We get beat up too?"
The pale, square jaw boy Angela had hit first was obviously the leader. He inched a few steps forward, as if baiting to strike again. Angela bared her teeth.
The leader grinned. "You gonna regret messing with us, girl." He hissed. "We gonna hurt ya and your stupid friends."
"Excuse me, we're stupid?" Rachelle snapped.
The leader paused, trying to work this out. Then (a few seconds later) he snarled and started to charge. Angela prepared to leap at him-
Before he had taken two steps the leader had suddenly been lifted and thrown violently through the air. A girl, with bright purple hair and eyes, stood there. Her eyes blazed as she charged at the pack of boys, roaring.
Rachelle looked at the whirling bal of fists and yelps blankly. "Who's she and why's she helping us?"
Angela shrugged. "I don't know, but she's going to get murdered if I don't help her!" With that she charged back into the fray.
The boys were perfectly capable of picking on a helpless over laden schoolgirl, but against two girls with attitude and an ability to fight was beyond their area. In a few minutes, all twelve lay flattened on the ground, gasping for breath.
The purple-haired girl spat with disdain at the ground. "Bullies." She muttered. "Worthless little cowardly crap."
The leader bully struggled to sit up slightly. Grasping a whistle around his neck, he blew three loud calls.
"That cannot be good." Rachelle called from the bench, where she was forcing the blue girl to sit still and not go and fight.
As if on cue, twelve more boys appeared. The ground boys were slowly getting to their feet.
The purple girl and Angela went back to back. "Think we can handle twenty- four?" Angela asked under her breath.
The girl shook her head. "Those idiots. They only fight if they outnumber their victims twelve to one."
Angela laughed nervously. "Victims, huh? Well, maybe Rachelle and that other girl can help."
The leader yelled. All twenty four boys charged.
The purple girl and Angela crouched low, and leapt to either side of the fray.
In the confusion of so many people, many boys ended up hitting their neighbor. But a few good eyes landed on the two girls who had slunk to the middle. Pointing and yelling, the boys rushed at them again.
The two girls clenched their fists-
And suddenly the boys fell back wailing. It took Angela a moment to see why.
Two girls, one with flowing yellow hair pulled back into a long ponytail, and one with hair blacker even than Rachelle's, stood defiantly facing the throng. The tall, black-haired girl held a sort of staff in one hand. She angrily hit one boy across the chest when he edged too close. He went flying and took another boy with him.
The gang had had enough. One helpless girl had been nothing. Two strong fighters a bit worrisome. But four seemingly crazy girls were nothing to be messed with. Grumbling, the group jogged away.
The black-haired girl stood looking after them, black eyes burning with cold fire. But the fire went out when she turned around, to be replaced by a friendly light. "Hi."
"Um, hi." Angela said, staring at the girl. During the heat of battle, the girl had looked pretty and dangerous. Now that she had a good look, she was gorgeous. Black hair swirled up into a bun before falling all the way down her back. Cinnamon-y skin was complimented by her dark eyes. Her teeth were white and even, and she carried herself like a queen.
The other girl grinned broadly at Angela. She, too, was pretty, though not in the glamorous way of the other girl. She had a pure, fresh beauty that reminded all onlookers vaguely of a rose petal. Deep blue eyes and peachy skin met waves of golden locks, and the look suited her entirely.
"They look like models." Rachelle murmured from the bench.
The blue haired girl had managed to fend Rachelle off by this time and had gone up to the four fighters. "I believe I owe you a debt for relinquishing your unused time to assist me. Thank you."
After blinking a moment, Angela said, "Sure. No problem."
The purple head absent-mindedly pounded one fist into her palm. "It was fun, and you looked like you were all in a spot of trouble."
"Excuse me, she was the one in trouble, we came to help!" Angela said indignantly.
"Well, you didn't do the best job of saving her." Rachelle snickered, coming up from the bench. "First you charge you, then you get outnumbered, goodness."
"Would you have rather left her to get beat up?" Angela retorted.
"Oh, stop bickering." The golden haired girl said, before Rachelle could retaliate. "That's not getting us anywhere."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Rachelle inquired.
The girl smiled brightly. "How about introduce ourselves?"
Angela and Rachelle stared at her a second. "Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense." Rachelle muttered finally.
The girl giggled. "Okay." She struck a dramatic pose. "My name's Malorie Mackey! I'm in the eighth grade at Chickahominy, and I like to read manga!"
The black-haired girl smiled. "I'm Mary Harrison. I'm in the eighth grade at Chickahominy, I also like to read manga, and I can get very hyper!"
Angela blinked at her. "You're in the eighth grade?"
Mary's smile was somewhat bitter. "You and every guy I've ever dated. Yes, I'm in the eighth grade."
Angela smiled, feeling somewhat idiotic. "I'm sorry. I'm a bit of a ditz. If you say you're in the eighth grade, then I've got no right to question it."
Mary smiled back, a real smile this time. "Apology accepted."
The purple girl cleared her throat. "Um, my name's Lacie Lipscombe, I did not dye my hair, contrary to popular belief, I also go to Chickahominy, manga rocks, end of story."
Rachelle giggled. "I'm Rachelle Roberts, eighth grader. Chickahominy student extraordinaire. I love to write and I've got a boyfriend whose name is Kyle-" There was a glazed, starry look in her eyes now. "-and he's cute, and a perfect gentlemen, and SO sweet, and-"
"Okay!" Angela laughed nervously, lightly punching Rachelle. "Enough!"
The blue haired girl smiled and adjusted her folder. "I am Elisha Tehan, and I also reside as a student at Chickahominy. I am a bit of a newbie at anime-loving, but I assure you, I believe I shall enjoy it."
"You're the genius girl, aren't you?" Malorie asked, curiously.
Elisha blinked. "Well, yes, I suppose so."
Angela stared at her a second before grinning. "And last but not least, I'm Angela Pirko, well-known manga maniac. I am smart and like to read and write, and I am NOT as much of a ditz as it first appears."
Mary laughed. "Good, you were scaring me a second. You sounded like the ditz Queen."
Angela scowled while the other girls giggled.
The chilling sound of a scream tried to break its way through the laughs. It was so faint that at first it reached only Angela's burning ears. With the first notes Angela started, then raised her head to hear above the cackles. As the girls saw this the laughter died away, to be replaced by a listening stillness.
Rachelle finally broke the silence. "Someone's in trouble."
"Again?" Mary sighed.
"It's none of our business." Lacie said, firmly. "What are we, Rescuers Inc.? Besides, it might just be those brain-dead Neanderthals trying to get back at us."
Elisha glanced around uncertainly. "I might possibly be mistaken, but those sounded like very feminine screams."
Lacie blinked. "Well-"
"What are we waiting for?!" Malorie said enthusiastically, pumping her fist. "We can take them! Let's go! We'll kick their butts!"
Angela grinned. "She's right. Let's make tracks!"
The six girls started jogging nonchalantly towards the screams, occasionally still joking and talking.
But as the screams grew closer and louder, all talk died. The process slowed. Uneasy and edgy glances were thrown back and forth.
Finally, when the owner of the screams was only a few yards away and hidden my bushes, Rachelle sat down on the pavement. "I refuse to go any father." She explained, matter-of-factly.
"Now, Rachelle." Elisha said, comfortingly. "We have to do our duty and citizens and assist the needy-"
"Fine." Angela said. "You can sit there and refuse to help. I'm going to go stop whatever's causing those yells."
Rachelle shifted, uncomfortable. "I didn't quite mean that."
Angela smiled. "Good. Then you'll come?"
Rachelle hesitated, then laughed. "Something about you almost requires obedience. Yes, Master." She got up and dusted off her rear end.
"Well, let's do this!" Angela said, more to herself than anyone else. She took a deep breath, then jumped into the bushes.
"Fun!" Lacie and Mary yelled as they simultaneously vaulted through after her.
"Here we go!" Malorie said happily, shoving a few shrubs out of her way.
"I hope we survive this." Rachelle muttered, gingerly picking through the plant growth.
"Wait for me!" Elisha called, diving in last of all.
After several feet of prickly plants all six girls emerged, scratched and a little worse for wear.
"Really great idea, jumping through the bushes." Rachelle told Angela as she picked a twig out of her dark hair.
Angela rolled her eyes and glanced around. "All right, what's happening?"
Lacie glanced around, blinked at something, then pointed a single finger. "Um, perhaps that?"
A tall blond man was leaning towards a girl around five years old. He was murmuring unintelligible words and smiling kindly. The little girl was crying and screaming, trying to force her way out of his grip.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Just looks like a disagreement between father and daughter. Great."
Rachelle shook her head. "I don't know, that doesn't look like a family match to me."
Elisha edged forward and tapped the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, we were just wondering-"
The man turned and looked at Elisha, smiling. "Yes, miss?"
Malorie and Angela sighed. "Man, for a dad, he's hot!"
Mary nodded, "Exactly. He's not exactly father material, is he? He looks about twenty."
Rachelle, Lacie, Angela, and Malorie blinked as this sunk in.
Elisha hadn't heard. She was returning the man's friendly smile. "Yes, we were just wondering if there was a problem here. We heard your daughter's screams and thought, well, perhaps someone was in trouble."
The man blinked at "daughter", but then smiled wider. "Yes, she's just a bit upset at me now. I'll have to get her to calm down before trying to take her home, I guess."
Elisha laughed politely, then walked back to the group. "Just an ordinary man with his bratty daughter. Our mistake. Now-"
Angela moved forward and tugged on the man's shirt. He turned around again, looking as if he was hiding a look of annoyance. "Yes, miss, what is it?"
Angela was tempted to whack the guy upside the head. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from this girl."
The man sighed patiently. "My daughter's just mad we didn't buy ice cream. Now, come along, Lizzie." He tugged at her hand. The little girl shuddered and tried to yank away.
"I didn't ask you what you are doing, I asked you to get away from the child!" Angela moved forward and with surprising strength pried his hand off the girl's and flung him back a few feet.
"Hey!" The man spluttered. "What's the idea?!"
"Angela!" Elisha whispered, shocked.
Angela ignored both of them. She kneeled down in front of the girl and lightly hugged her. "There, there. It's okay. Now what's your name?"
The girl blinked up at her through swollen, tear-stained eyes. "Maggie Mulstead."
"Oh?" Angela said, shooting the man a very nasty look over her shoulder. "That's funny. That man who claims to be your father said your name's Lizzie."
Maggie tremble. "He's not my daddy. He's a witch!"
"Hey, it's okay." Angela said soothingly, tousling the girl's hair. "I'm sure your dad's much nicer."
"He is!" Maggie said enthusiastically. "He buys me sweets and takes me places. We were going to the animal place, but then Daddy said he had to take a phone call real quick an' then the witch came up and stole me."
"Don't worry." Angela comforted. "We're going to chase the nasty old witch away."
She didn't see the man coming up behind her with a very strange, hateful look on his once handsome face. But Rachelle and Lacie did.
The man found himself being frog marched backward from Angela and Maggie. "Now sir," Lacie said calmly. "I believe our friend asked you to stay away."
The man snarled.
Some strange force broke Lacie and Rachelle away from the man and sent them flying into the bushes. Malorie and Mary gasped and ran to help them out.
The man's kindness had disappeared. "Filth." He spat. "Don't ruin my clothes." He headed for Angela and Maggie again, his footsteps strangely silent against the pavement.
Angela would not have known he was coming except for the sudden contraction of Maggie's pupils in fear. She turned.
The man's hand was raised. As Maggie and Angela watched, it started to come down for them.
He again found himself getting thrown backward into the same bushes Lacie and Rachelle were emerging from. They blinked as his form soared overhead.
"Air delivery!" Lacie crowed, giggling.
"Jet coming through!" Rachelle called.
Malorie clutched a stitch in her side from laughing. "Did you see-oh my- did you see the look on his face?!" She gasped.
Mary was rolling on the ground. "He looked like Elmer Fudd when Bugs Bunny comes up behind him out of the other hole!"
"Elmer Fudd?!" Elisha shrieked, falling to the ground. "Oh no!"
All five girls dissolved in helpless laughter. Even Angela's anger was waylaid by giggles. Maggie chuckled too, in a bemused sort of way.
When the laughter finally died, Elisha came over to Maggie. "I believe we should try and find your father now. He's no doubt worried about you-"
CRASH!
Everyone jumped. "What was that?!" Malorie yelled.
CRASH! BASH! THUMP!
"It's coming from the bushes." Lacie said, peering into them.
"What the heck could be making that sort of noise?!"
CRASH!!!
Mary yelped and pulled Rachelle out of the way as a nine-foot bush crashed down on the pavement where they had been.
The blond man was back. His clothes were disheveled and torn. An insane, maniacal grin was plastered on his face, and a strange light danced in his eyes.
Maggie let out a tiny scream and buried her head in Angela's shirt. Mary and Rachelle edged backward toward Elisha, Angela, and Maggie. Malorie and Lacie had ran to them the moment the bush had nearly crushed them.
"Come here, girly." The man said. Along with his changed appearance, his voice had gone ice cold. Maggie whimpered in terror and clutched at Angela.
Angela stood, letting Maggie hide behind her legs. Neither she nor any of the older girls had so much as let a drop of the fear they were feeling show.
"Get out of my way." The man ordered.
Mary's eyes had somehow managed to transform themselves into black glittering jewels. Elisha's, Angela's, and Malorie's eyes had gone ice blue. A red fire burned in Rachelle's, and sparks shot from Lacie.
"I don't know who you are." Malorie pronounced slowly, proclaiming the unanimous opinion. "I don't really care. All I know is there's something very wrong with a person who hurts and scares little kids."
"Only a human would think so-pathetically." The man sneered. "It makes me sick. The lot of you do!"
"So you're saying your own race disgusts you?" Elisha asked, cocking her head.
"My own race?" The man said. To their astonishment, he began to laugh. "My own race?! My race?! You actually think I would belong to a race of ground-pounding slobbering backwards primates?!"
"Okay, so you're not a human." Lacie said, rolling her eyes at Mary. "Then what are you, an alien?"
He smiled. "Precisely."
"Nut." Mary muttered. There were murmurs of agreement.
Suddenly a man with chestnut brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail swung down to land by the blond. "You called, Jedin?"
The blonde man-Jedin-gave the brunette a sort of roving sneer. "Took you long enough."
"I was looking for my own victim!" He said defensively. "And why do you need help, macho-boy?"
"Honestly, using human words, Uther." Jedin teased. "How low can you possibly go?"
Uther spat on the pavement. "Don't make me mad, Jedin. What d'you want?"
Jedin jerked his head at the girls and Maggie. "These girls are giving me some trouble. I want them gone."
Uther sized them up. "You need help? With a bunch of young human girls?"
"Watch it, pal." Elisha warned.
Jedin sneered at him again. "I'd like to see you try and tackle them physically, psychic psycho."
"Fortunately I do not need to use your muscle-bound techniques." Uther remarked, giving the girls a look like they were a slab of meat and he was a carving knife. "I have my own way."
Rachelle bit her lip. "There's something funny about him. Some strange feeling."
Uther stepped towards them. The air shimmered, as if in a mirage.
Angela felt as if someone was wrapping her in a thick woolen blanket and suffocating her. She couldn't move or breath, just wonder what was happening.
Then the feeling started to vanish. All of the girls shook their heads to clear them. Malorie swung her blonde hair around, and then stopped as she saw Rachelle.
Rachelle's face was taut with tension and concentration. She was biting her lip. The air around her flickered, as it did around Uther.
Uther gazed at Rachelle oddly. "What were these humans supposed to be? Ours in disguise?"
Jedin snorted. "No, you idiot. They're regular human children. Why, is one of them stopping your psychic powers?" He snickered.
"Excuse me?" Lacie muttered indignantly. "Children?"
Maggie whimpered. Rachelle blinked and seemed to come back out of a deep well. She smiled kindly at Maggie. "You'd better get out of here, sweetheart. I don't think these guys want to play nice."
Maggie gulped, nodded, and then took off down the sidewalk.
Jedin started to walk after her, but Uther threw out a hand to stop him. Jedin snarled, "A perfectly good energy-host is just sauntering away!"
Uther looked at the girls with the hungry look in his eyes again. "Why go chasing after that weak little thing? We have six perfectly good ones right here."
Jedin eyed them as well. "Several full tough ones."
Uther shrugged. "We can handle them. One look at your real face would be enough to make them faint."
"Yeah, well right now his face's enough to make me sick, so I wouldn't doubt it." Mary said simply.
Elisha and Angela gave her discreet high-fives.
Jedin smiled oddly. His teeth seemed suddenly to be pointed and sharp at the ends. Angela stared at them, fascinated. They looked like the teeth of a vampire, or some terrible beast of prey.
Uther's ears seemed to prick up suddenly, like a dog's. His teeth were glinting pearly white in the sun.
"Um, guys?" Malorie said timidly. "How about we get out of here?"
"An excellent idea." Lacie said.
They stood perfectly still for one more moment, then turned and bolted down the path.
"We'd-better-split up." Angela panted. "We'll be harder to catch. Besides, if we keep going this way we might lead the freaks to Maggie again."
"Right." Elisha gasped.
"All right," Angela said, hearing footsteps getting louder and louder behind her. "Split up-now!"
In a flash, the girls scattered. Jedin and Uther were left, staring in surprise, at where they had been a moment before.
Lacie had vaulted over a bench and into the bushes, and was making her way to another path. Malorie and Mary had gone in the same direction, a small path to the right. But then Malorie had kept on the path whereas Mary had taken the path that had next connected to it. Elisha had cleverly ducked under a park bench covered with rather old and deaf people who merely glanced at her for a moment before going back to sleeping. Rachelle had quickly wrapped her hair up with a spare hair-tie and stolen the hat of an older boy. She then slouched against the back of a lamppost, hiking her shirt collar up around her ears.
Angela had sprinted quickly ahead. She was now almost to the edge of the park. Just as she was about to slow down and take a breather, a long, low howl like the cry of a hunting dog ripped through the air from behind her. Angela gasped in terror and alarm. Somehow, the men had picked up her trail. She was confident they couldn't see her from this distance. So what had they done? Sniffed for her, like dogs? Heard her breathing?
Animals, she thought, angrily clenching her teeth as she started running again. They're probably predators, like the kind who you hear about in newspapers. Rapists.
Damn.
A turn left at the road and Angela ran right into Mary. "Yeeowch!" Mary shrieked. "Don't do that!! You nearly scared me to death!!"
"Same here!" Despite her fear, Angela grinned. "Let's split up again. They're right on my trail."
Mary winced. "Yikes! See ya!" And she turned and took off. Chuckling, Angela ran the way she had been going, occasionally glancing back at the distant figures.
Suddenly another figure hurled itself into her from a side path. Angela panicked-then saw it was only Malorie.
Malorie managed a smile. "H-hey!"
Angela weakly grinned back. "Scatter again."
"Right. Scattering." Malorie disappeared back into some bushes, and Angela jogged onward, aware of the closer pressing shadows and speeding up even more.
Finally, when it seemed that she was about to lose them-
WHAM!!!
With a sickening thud Angela was knocked flat on her back in the middle of the sidewalk, winded and at the bottom of a huge pile of kicking legs and thrashing arms.
"Get off me!" She managed to gasp.
There was no comply from the pile. Angela laid her head back and tried to suck in some air.
Lacie's purple eyes suddenly peered down on her from the top of the stack. "Angela? Oh my gosh, everybody off!"
There was some desperate squawking and commotion, then the weight on Angela's lungs was lifted. She gulped a few deep breaths and looked up at the five pairs of eyes, two blue, one black, one purple, and one red, that were staring down at her. "Well?" She asked. "Help me up!"
Rachelle bent over and offered a hand. Angela accepted it. When she was standing again and had been thoroughly brushed off, she did a final check to make sure all body parts were still intact, then announced, "This is ridiculous! This is the third time I crashed into someone. What gives?"
"Beats me!" Elisha shrugged. "I was just running along when all of a sudden, bam! Here I am kissing the sidewalk."
Rachelle nodded. "It's the oddest thing. I thought I was headed to Main Street, but then I took a right and suddenly ended up here."
"Took a right where?" Mary asked, spreading her arms. "We're in the middle of a sidewalk strip. There aren't any adjoining paths around here!"
"Well then, what do you think happened?" Rachelle snapped.
Mary shrugged. "Haven't the faintest idea. The exact same thing happened to me."
Lacie nodded. "You're not going to believe this, but I was jogging around in the park! I took a side step through some bushes-and suddenly I was here!"
"This is too weird!" Malorie said shakily. "Teleportation? In real life? Come on!"
"There!" Someone cried a distance behind them.
Elisha glanced back and cursed. "Those two idiots are still after us. Let's run!"
"Split up again." Angela advised. Then she was gone.
Malorie sprinted away to the right. She hadn't told them her story. She had been in a small second-hand corner clothes shop after meeting with Angela, hoping to hide from the strange men. She had been crouching in a rack of dresses for a few minutes, and had decided to stretch to get some feeling back into her legs.
The clothes had vanished. She suddenly had been looking at Lacie's frightened face, then smashed to the ground just above Angela.
She wondered if she was going crazy.
"Malorie! Watch out!"
Malorie yelped and threw herself to the side as Mary and Lacie collided where she had been a second before. Malorie sighed with relief as Mary and Lacie rubbed their heads and scowled-and then she immediately found herself crashed into by Angela. They both fell to the ground.
"Ouch." Mary moaned, rolling over and feeling her ribs. "We crashed again."
"Majorly." Lacie muttered, rubbing her elbows.
"Look out!"
Angela shrieked and rolled over as Elisha and Rachelle appeared where she had been. They managed to stop before colliding, but Elisha tripped over Malorie and ended up on her face.
"This is getting too weird." Elisha muttered, picking herself up and helping Malorie.
"Really." Rachelle huffed.
"No, I mean really too weird. I was a block away from this street. I know because this is the candy shop I sometimes go to-" she indicated the building they had crashed in front of, ignoring the stares of the people inside, "-and I was near the museum."
Angela nodded. "I know!! I was headed back to the park by way of bushes! Not possible I could end up here!"
"Um, guys-"
"I thought I was headed to the mall, but I guess if I ran into you people here, I couldn't have been, could I?" Lacie asked uncertainly.
"Guys-"
"This is impossible!" Mary raged. "I was going the opposite of you, Lacie! How'd we collide?!"
"GUYS!!!!!" Rachelle shouted angrily.
""What, Rachelle?!" Everyone bellowed back.
"Evil men coming on turbo charge!!" Rachelle yelled, pointing down the street.
"Split up again?" Elisha wondered.
Angela shook her head grimly. "Uh-uh. No way. No more painful collisions. Obviously something wants us to stay together, and if it's going to force us so painfully, I'm going to agree with it. We stick together."
"We'll be easy targets!" Mary argued.
"We'll deal with it!" Angela yelled, pulling her hand and starting to run. "Now we've got to move!"
"She's right!" Lacie cried. "Move!"
The girls took off, but this time stayed together as close as a wolf pack. Once in a while Angela or Lacie or Mary would glance back to check on their pursuers, then would turn around, faces grim and grimmer.
"I-don't-think-I-can-run-much-farther!" Rachelle panted, clutching at a stitch in her side.
"Just a little further!" Malorie encouraged, wiping her brow. "Then maybe we can come up with a plan to lose them."
"Why are they still following us?" Mary gasped, glancing back again. "I mean, come on, there a hundreds of people out on the streets all around us!!"
Angela shrugged, "They're mad at us, remember? We saved that little girl. We made them look like idiots."
A car in the street suddenly swerved over onto the sidewalk. Startled, the girls all jumped aside into the street.
"Maniac! Baka!" Elisha yelled, making a rude sign at the car's back fender.
Suddenly, the manhole cover in the street in front of them opened. Angela stared at the hole. It was a deep pitch black, so she couldn't see who had opened it.
The hole suddenly started to grow. It enlarged until it was half the size of the street. Now it was glowing with purple and black lights, and swirling like a whirlpool.
"Ahhhhhhh!" The girls shrieked as a wind stared to suck them towards it.
"What is that thing?!" Rachelle cried.
"Not good!" Mary yelled back
"Oh God!" Malorie yelled as a ribbon in her hair untangled and was sucked in.
"Unnhhh!" Angela grunted, trying desperately to hold her ground.
A huge wind suddenly lifted her off her feet. With a scream, she flew into the vortex.
"Angie!" Rachelle screamed.
"Angela!" The rest of the girls shouted.
"Oh noooooooo!" With a wail Rachelle was also lifted off her feet and immediately sucked in.
"Rachelle! Angie!" Malorie yelled. "What happened to them?!"
She was buffeted forward to the edge of the hole. "Malorie!" Mary, Lacie, and Elisha yelled, desperately trying to hold onto her.
The wind picked up again. This time Malorie, Mary, and Elisha were all thrown in, shrieking.
"Guys!" Lacie yelled at the edge. "I'll find a way to get you out-no!"
The wind, with its final burst, grabbed Lacie and picked her up into the air. She kicked and screamed, for she felt like an invisible hand was holding her just above the chasm. Then it dropped her, and she fell in, trying vainly to grasp the sides.
The hole shortened, then closed entirely. The street was empty.
The girls had completely vanished.