Switched Blades

by Mnemosyne

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon

AN: Yeah, my first attempt at a SM fanfic. This is based on a Korean manwa – I'll have the name for you later 'cause I can't find it right now – and will be slightly AU. Hope you guys like it. Review Review Review!

'Blah' = thoughts

"Blah" = dialogue/talking

jjang = leader of a gang

CHAPTER 1: Prologue

A little blond girl sniffled quietly in the corner of the playground, her tiny shoulders shaking with sobs. An exasperated two-headed boy scrubbed her wet face.

"The bullies again, Usa?"

She gave a little nod and pointed at her massacred toy. "They hurted Luna!" she wailed.

"They would stop picking on you if you just stood up to them," the little boy said quietly.

Usagi's two pig-tails bounced vigorously as she shook her head from side to side. "No! You keep Usa safe."

"I can't keep rescuing you. You have to learn to care of yourself."

She gave the playground a quick glance and saw the bullies nudge and grin at each other. "No!" In denial, Usagi grabbed the boy's hand.

He gently extricated her hold and kept out of her reach.

With finality that shook more sobs out of the tiny girl, he said, "You're stronger than you think." With that, Usagi's protector walked away, leaving her defenseless.

ooo

"Diamond! Slow down you bastard! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Don't be such a baby Usa!"

Cars screeched and squealed as they made room for the gang of motorcycles that occupied the road. Looking around at her crew through her helmet, Tsukino Usagi said, "Move it. Remember we are Dobermans; one last move and we'll clean them all." She glared at her underlings. "I want everyone to be on their guard. The Knights aren't gonna be a piece of cake." Heads nodded in agreement.

Diamond gave a loud whoop as he zoomed ahead and screamed, "Victory!" His war cry was echoed by the rest of the gang.

Exasperated, Usagi shouted, "Diamond! Your f--cking jjang you to slow down!" Muttering other expletives, Usagi revved her engine and raced to intercept him. As she drove her unwieldy motorcycle around the honking cars waiting in traffic, something caught her attention.

A man with flowing white robes was floating.

"Usa! Look out!" The loud toot of the truck headed her way was left unheard as she stood gaping at the sight. Looking at the beatific smile that graced the floating man's porcelain face, Usagi's last thought was, 'What the hell?' before everything went black.

ooo

Usagi woke up with a gasp. Disoriented, she shakily lifted a cup of water to her lips and drank thirstily. She felt strangely weak and lethargic as she looked around to assess her surroundings.

'A hospital?' Fck! It's gonna take weeks for me to get back into shape.'

Staring ruefully at her emaciated arms, Usagi did a body check. Minutes later, she gave a piercing scream when she saw the mass of dark luxurious hair surrounding her form.

"You're finally awake." The floating man (as she had christened him) stood there frowning at her.

"You a--hole! What have you done to my body?!"

Usagi, who rarely cried, gave a panicked sob. "It took…took years to hone it. Years and years…and now, look at me! My body was perfect."

Unperturbed by her nearly hysterical state, the man gave a diffident sniff. "Yes, yes I know what you thought about your previous body," he said grumpily, "But you should thank me. Your new body is infinitely more beautiful." Gesturing at the mirror, he said, "Why don't you take a look."

Usagi wrestled with her bed covers as she walked unsteadily to the mirror. Perfectly chiseled features stared back at her. Purple eyes accentuated by pale creamy skin and rich red lips.

"I'm supposed to be happy with this?" she demanded. Unable to see the willowy femininity encased in the body's slender form, all Usagi could see was its lack of muscles. "If I were in a fight, I could be knocked out in the first round. Why I oughta knock you out for doing this to me."

The floating man grew angry. "You are not to harm that body! You're only loaning it until the real owner comes back."

"Yeah? Well, what about my old body?"

Looking guilty, he answered, "It's under repair." He gave an exasperated sigh. "Come on, I'll have to talk to the Elders to see what should be done with you."

Smiling tauntingly, Usagi said, "That's right. This is your screw-up. If you hadn't been floating up there, I would still be me."

"Humans aren't supposed to see us!" Murmuring under his breath, he moaned, "I could get demoted for this."

In a snap, Usagi was floating in an empty space of swirling pink hues. "What is this place?"

"Netherworld."

Looking sideways at him, she asked, "So what are you? Some kind of spirit?"

"No, I'm a bringer. I collect spirits from your world and bring them to their rightful place."

"Does that mean I was supposed to die?"

Looking annoyed at her questions, he said, "No, you're repertoire says that you get to live to the ripe old age of 90. Not that you'd care, but I've got to go and save my career." He left with a puff. "Damn human, how was I supposed to know she could see me?"

Less than a minute later, he poofed back in his chibi form. "You're an Old Soul!" he said accusingly. Unable to guess the cause of his new annoyance, Usagi just smirked and stuck out her tongue. Glaring at her rudeness, he muttered, "It's beyond me how a filthy loud-mouthed human like you could possess such a soul of purity." He took out a file folder titled "Tsukino Usagi" and began to rifle through its pages.

Usagi simultaneously grabbed it and asked, "What's this?"

She ignored his indignant, "Hey!" and began to read the first page in her file.

Name: Tsukino Usagi

Race: Japanese

Good Traits: loyal, guileless, innocent, & PURE SOUL

Bad Traits: loud, lacks manners, lacks attention span, very aggressive, & often clueless

Likes: food (ultimate priority in subject's life), being jjang, sports, & fighting.

Dislikes: chicken feet, loud places, & injustice

Before she could read further, the file went poof and disappeared. "Awww and I was getting to the good part," she complained.

Still in his chibi form, the bringer wagged his finger reprovingly. "Listen up. It looks like I'm stuck with you until this mess is straightened out. Here are a few rules: #1 you can never reveal that you are not the owner of that body. From now on your name is Hino Rei, heiress to Hino Enterprises. #2 no humans can see me but you, so you can't be seen talking to me or people'll think you're crazy. And #3, you must ALWAYS do what I tell you. Got that?" He looked at the bored yawning Usagi and sighed. "Since my real name can't be pronounced by mortals, you can call me whatever you want."

Usagi perked with interest. "I used to have a toy cat named Luna…"

The bringer gave another long suffering sigh and transformed into a blue toy cat with a gleaming crescent. "Fine. I'm Luna." He (now transformed into she) clapped her paws and reappeared in the hospital room. "You better get back to bed. The monitors will be signaling that you're awake."

Minutes later, a red-haired woman loaded with expensive jewelry and frizzy hair coolly walked into the room. "They told me you're finally awake," she said flatly. "Your father's been informed of your recovery. The doctor should be coming in soon." She left as briskly as she came in.

Usagi wrinkled her nose in disgust. 'What's her problem?'

"Her name's Stella and she's your stepmother," Luna replied.

At the dour answer, Usagi's eyebrows rose in shock. 'You…you can read my mind!'

"Of course. All bringers can focus and listen in on human thoughts."

'Damn! This means no uncensored thoughts…stupid bringer…all his, I mean her fault anyways…hmm…I wonder if changing around makes him/her/it gay…'

Luna clapped her paws over her ears. "I can hear you, you know. And for your information, I only took this form to make you feel at ease."

Footsteps and the clack of high heels announced Stella and the doctor's arrival. He came in beaming, taking her hand solicitously. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you've finally awakened, Ms. Hino." He took his stethoscope and began his examination. After ascertaining her stepdaughter's good health, Stella left. "I'll be sure to send the limo around for you."

The doctor gave her a last pat on the hand. "Well now, you are on your way to recovery. The only thing I can prescribe is rest and relaxation."

Rubbing her growling stomach, Usagi said, "Great! I'm starved. Food would be nice."

The doctor chortled on his way out. "It's always good to know that a patient feels well enough to eat. I'll send a nurse to assist you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Luna commented. She looked with disgust at the drool forming at the corner of Usagi's mouth in anticipation of food. When the tray service arrived, Usagi eagerly grabbed and demolished plate after plate. She slurped around a mouthful of noodles, "This is great!"

Hours later, she felt like she had gone to hell. Luna grinned at her misery.

"Uuuhhhnn…." Usagi groaned miserably, "What's happening to me?"

"Rei never ate much. It's probably gastro spasms." Luna gave a spiteful shrug. "Who knows? It may be her ulcers."

"Figures," Usagi said resentfully, "Only rich people can afford to have diseases like that."

Later, as her charge lay sleeping restlessly, occasionally grabbing her disturbed stomach, Luna looked tenderly at the slumped figure. Her worried eyes looked at the moon outside the window.

'Where are you Rei?' Her paw touched Rei's face and gently smoothed her hair away. 'This is my fault Rei…my fault that this girl is in your body…I should never have tried to hurry along your destiny…'