The Path To Redemption Chapter 1: Discovered, a sailor moon fanfic

THE PATH TO REDEMPTION

Chapter 1: "Discovered"

A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

Usagi Chiba was sitting in her alcove studio, diligently working on page 6 of her latest manga assignment. Though the romantic spy thriller still didn't really capture her imagination, she persevered in trying to bring the script she was working from to visual life. She didn't really have much choice. So far, no one was interested in "Fire Princess Rika" and this assignment was a paying job.

Besides, if she quit, Luna would yell at her.

"Usako, I'm home!" came the call from the other room, just after Usagi heard the front door open.

Resisting the impulse to jump to her feet, fly out into the living room and tackle her husband, Usagi instead kept drawing the panel before her until the picture was finished. This particular panel was shaping up nicely and Usagi didn't want to stop until it was finished. She felt Mamoru's presence behind her. Then she felt his lips nuzzle the back of her neck. The shiver up her spine forced her to stop drawing.

"I'm glad you're home, Mamo-Chan," Usagi said, reaching up and drawing her husband's face into her line of sight. "How was your day?"

"Oodles and oodles of sick people," Mamoru replied. "No question about it: I'm going to have to take on a partner or start turning patients away."

"Word's gotten around about how perfect you are," Usagi grinned. Then her features turned stern. "None of your patients are young and pretty, are they?"

"Don't start that again," he warned. "Page six? You were on page three yesterday, weren't you?"

"Yes!" Usagi squealed. "I got that and two other pages done today! And most of page six, too! Mamo-Chan, it was flowing out of me today! I didn't want to stop, it was going so well!"

"So I'm guessing you didn't get a chance to get dinner?" Mamoru asked.

"Dinner!" gasped Usagi. "Oh, Mamo-Chan, I'm sorry!"

"It's OK," he smiled, kissing her on the head. "We can go out to eat tonight. I don't mind showing you off every so often. We can certainly afford it with all the business that's coming my way." He straightened up and held out his hand for Usagi to take. "Why don't you get dressed formally and we'll hit some expensive club."

"Do you mean it, Mamo-Chan?" Usagi exclaimed happily.

"Sure. Maybe we could do a little close dancing, too."

"It sounds great!" she squealed. Then her expression changed to one of horror. "I've got to get cleaned up and changed!"

With that, she scurried out of the alcove and toward the bathroom, nearly bowling Mamoru over. Watching her from the door was Luna. The cat turned to Mamoru.

"And I assume the cat is supposed to fend for herself tonight?" she asked pointedly.

"Sorry, Luna," Mamoru grinned. "Three's a crowd. I'll put out some tuna for you before we leave - - and there's always the television."

"Don't mind me, Mamoru," Luna smirked. "I'm just having you on. Enjoy yourselves. Goodness knows you both deserve it. Just let me know where you two end up if you both don't make it home."

The couple ended up in a ballroom dinner club that served high-class cuisine at high-class prices. Mamoru wore evening clothes while Usagi wore a blue satin sleeveless gown and white opera gloves, an ensemble she'd bought for special occasions with Mamoru's approval. Silver teardrop earrings, a present from Mamoru from last Christmas, dangled from her lobes. Her long blonde hair was stacked atop her head and held with jade combs, presents from Christmas 2006, baring her neck and making clumsy little Usagi look somewhat sophisticated. A woman sang torch songs from a stage as a band played. The couple dined on Kobe beef and steamed vegetables.

"You know, Mamo-Chan, I was thinking about Daddy today," Usagi began between bites.

"Has his situation changed?" Mamoru asked.

"No, Daddy's still working that 'stringy' job for Tokyo Shimbun."

"'Stringer', Usako."

"Whatever," she fumed. "Anyway, I was thinking: I've had to help him out twice now with set up pictures of Sailor Moon in action. I can't keep doing that. And anyway, Daddy hates being a stringy - - stringer - - whatever." She took another bite and Mamoru noticed she was further along with her steak than he was with his. "So I thought what if I could find a way for Daddy to take publicity pictures for the senshi? It seems like everybody wants pictures of us."

Mamoru thought that over. "Well, he's certainly qualified for it. And he might like it better than chasing down news. But that would mean setting up some sort of marketing enterprise to sell the photos he takes, then pay him from the proceeds. Do you know anything about such an operation?"

"No," she squeaked. "That's why I was hoping you'd do it."

"I don't know anything about publicity and marketing," Mamoru gasped incredulously.

"Well I sure don't," Usagi whimpered. "And I thought it was such a good idea, too."

"It's a good idea," Mamoru assured her. "Sailor Moon is just going to have to go to a professional and get an organization set up."

"Hey, maybe Mina-Chan can help with that!" Usagi exclaimed. "She knows a lot about publicity!"

"And she could probably recommend someone to handle the enterprise for you," Mamoru nodded. "I think this might just work."

Usagi beamed at him and it made Mamoru feel good. Nothing made him happier than seeing his wife happy.

The offices of "Lotus Entertain You Productions", the producers of the television series "Island Princess" among others, were in the thirty-fourth floor of an office building in Roppongi. The floor housed offices for three producers and their assistants, a publicity department, a marketing department, a script research department and a mail room, as well as the offices of the two partners who founded the enterprise.

Approaching the executive assistant outside of the company head's office were Minako Aino and her agent, Takashi Shiro. The pair had been politely summoned to the producers' office.

"So how much of a raise do you think I'm going to get?" Minako asked with a grin of avarice.

"Minako, honey, I've told you this isn't about a raise," Takashi reiterated. He'd told her that the entire way there, but it seemed to bounce off of the woman's blonde locks. "You've still got three years on your contract. They've got no reason to give you an increase."

"Takashi, it's a top ten show," argued Minako. "And my CD sales are through the roof. And my tour killed. Why wouldn't they give me a raise?"

"Because they still have you under the terms of your original contract," Takashi said again.

"Well it would be a real nice thing to do," Minako proposed.

"These are TV producers," Takashi replied. "Where does 'nice' enter into the equation?"

Minako couldn't come up with a retort for that before they arrived at the assistant's desk. After a short wait in the outer office, the pair were ushered into the office. Inside were the two owners of "Lotus Entertain You". Yuki Tanaka was the idea man. He was fifty-three, heavy set and short with a disarming smile that hid observant eyes. He'd started producing anime for overseas markets, then diverged into television with the sale of "Lucky Carp Fisherman Jinjo". His partner, Kentaro Oburi, was the money man. Tall and thin, with a common, quiet face and eyes hidden behind thick glasses, he was the image of a person who worked better with numbers than with people. As Minako and Takashi entered, Yuki rose from behind the desk to greet them. Kentaro stayed in the background and stared grimly. Minako instantly got the impression from him that this wasn't about a pay raise for her.

"Nice to see you again, Shiro-San," Yuki nodded, bowing to him with over-wrought congeniality. "And Aino-San - - the returns from the tour are all in. You did a splendid job! The tour was the talk of Japan!"

"Yeah, that's the vibe I got," Minako smiled. "So, ready to give me my own feature film?"

Everyone laughed, even though Minako had only been partially kidding. Everyone except Kentaro. He merely shifted uncomfortably. Minako picked it up immediately.

"Well, we're here, Tanaka-Sama," Takashi ventured. "What exactly did you need to discuss?"

The joy on Yuki's face dimmed. He turned to his desk and picked up a file folder. Turning back to them, he handed the file to Takashi.

"Recently one of our publicity people found these on the internet," Yuki began. "They're . . . well . . ."

"Hardly appropriate for the star of a family comedy that we produce," Kentaro interjected. The man seemed quite disapproving.

Minako peered over Takashi's shoulder at the folder. Inside it were photos. They were photos of Minako, obviously from several years ago. In the photos, Minako was naked.

On rounds at the hospital, Ami exited a patient's room and entered the hall. This patient was a seventy-six year old man suffering from back problems. They were the accumulation of roughly fifty years of manual labor and his lower lumbar region was arthritic. There wasn't a lot Ami could do for him as far as a long-term cure. All she could do was make him comfortable, relieve the pain as best she could and get him to where he could walk again. It wasn't as much as she wished she could do for him, but his gratitude over both her efforts and her sympathetic consideration were heartening.

In the hall, she noticed the hospital cleaning staff was finishing cleaning one of the rooms. The room was empty now, but Ami distinctly recalled a patient there earlier. And she did recall hearing a Code Blue summons while she was working with one of her other patients. Her curiosity getting the better of her, as it so often did, Ami walked over to the nurse's station.

"Hi, Dr. Mizuno," the head nurse greeted her.

"Hello, Nurse Azuma," Ami nodded. "What happened in 1206?"

"Cardiac arrest," Azuma related.

"Was the patient here for cardiac problems?"

Azuma nodded. "Male, 54, diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia. I guess we didn't get to him fast enough."

"Was there enough time for CPR?" Ami asked.

"Dr. Yamaguchi was right there. He'd just administered the anti-arrhythmic when the patient went into arrest. They tried, but it wasn't enough."

"Dr. Yamaguchi was attending?" Ami mused. Dr. Yamaguchi was the senior physician for the department. He had thirty years in medicine and was respected by everyone. There were some hints of impending retirement, but nothing had been confirmed and Yamaguchi himself dismissed any notion to that effect.

Just then more attendants began moving a patient into the newly vacated room. Ami glanced at the process, then noticed Nurse Azuma had a patient folder in her hand.

"I think you were next in the hopper, Dr. Mizuno," Azuma smiled. Ami took the patient folder.

"Yes, I believe I was. Ah, well, what's one more patient," Ami surrendered.

As she entered the hospital room, Ami quickly reviewed the history that had come up from the emergency room. The patient was an eight year old boy who had fallen from the top of a brick wall. In addition to a broken arm and multiple bruises and contusions, there was a slight laceration of the boy's right kidney. He would be in the hospital for a day or two for observation to make sure no complications set in. It seemed simple enough. Ami entered the room and found the boy's mother berating him for causing so much trouble. The doctor smothered a smile.

Just then, Ami noticed a drug vial laying on the floor. Clearly the cleaning crew had missed it. Conscientiously she stooped down and picked it up. Moving to throw it in the trash can near the bed, something in the can caught her eye. Ami bent down and picked it up. It was another drug vial, empty and discarded, that must have been used during the cardiac arrest that had previously occupied the room. Ami examined the bottles closely.

"Both Lidocaine," Ami thought, puzzled. "That's an anti-arrhythmic, which would make sense for treating a cardiac arrhythmia. But why would you need two. . ." Ami looked up from the bottle at nothing in particular. "A double dosage of Lidocaine could induce cardiac arrest. Surely Dr. Yamaguchi has to be aware of this."

The world was once known as Sarhari. It was shiny and green and a monument to what could be accomplished by humanoids. Lush flora once co-existed with massive stone structures that reached into the sky and decorated the landscape artfully instead of like a gaping wound. Animal life was abundant, due to the philosophy among the humanoid denizens that all life was sacred and all living creatures had a place on the planet. Among the humanoids, all had lived in harmony. Everyone was encouraged to excel at art or science. All competed in athletics. Physical, mental and spiritual perfection was the goal, for everyone wished to emulate she who had been their shining example of all of it: Queen Triumphant. If there was a civilization closer to perfection in the universe than the one which resided upon Sarhari, that civilization was unknown.

It was all gone now. Sarhari today was a planet of ruined structures. It was a nearly dead world, bereft of nearly all humanoid and animal life. Only now the flora was just beginning to peak through the rubble and gouged soil to reclaim the planet and sow the seeds of life again. Perhaps, in a million years, Sarhari might once again be some semblance of what it had been - - before she came.

Emerging from the crumbling ruins of what had been the central store of knowledge on Sarhari was the sole survivor of Sarhari - - the sole survivor of "her". The creature was a woman, tall and erect with tight curls of black hair cascading down her back. Her face was vaguely heart-shaped, with prominent cheekbones, a long nose, full lips and penetrating ruby eyes that could hold you like a fist around your throat. Her figure was broad-shouldered and athletic, suggesting that she could rip your arm from your body if she chose. But it was also graced with elegant curves and soft skin that allowed her to alternate between warrior and seductress, athlete and queen.

The woman sat on a smooth stone that had once been part of a grand staircase leading up to the central store. She assumed a lotus position and let her head drift back as her eyes closed. Physically at peace, she reached out with her mind into the heavens, searching for a trace. Once she had been called Queen Triumphant, and before that Sailor Valiant. It seemed like yesterday, but it was an illusion of her circumstances. In reality, it was eighteen years ago - - eighteen years since she'd had friends, loved ones, a home and a life.

For it was eighteen years ago that death in the guise of a woman had come unto them. She arrived on Sarhari in her golden armor and her wrist bands that spat death and damnation. She had her avatars of destruction by her side to do her foul deeds and slice through the population like a scythe through wheat. What were their names again? It hadn't been that long, for her. Platinum Fox and Tin Nyanko, Gold Wolf and Iron Mouse; it was so hard to believe that they'd been senshi like her. As their leader had been, Sailor Galaxia.

Even now, thinking of Galaxia's cold, ruthless manner made Sailor Valiant's blood boil. The manner in which Galaxia struck down her fellow senshi and ripped their star seeds from them haunted her. The shrieks of agony her friends cried out tortured her even now. And her utter inability to stop Galaxia from destroying everything that was precious to her pained the woman once known as Queen Triumphant, pained her like a hot iron impaling her. The philosophy of Sarhari was one of peace and co-existence and Queen Triumphant had embraced it and championed it. But at the moment, the once and former queen was having a hard time embracing it still.

Better she had died with everyone else. But her friend, Sailor Resolute, had used her senshi attack to project Queen Triumphant sixteen years into the future in a desperate attempt to keep the queen out of Galaxia's hands. In the two years since she emerged from the warp into the remains of Sarhari, the corpse Galaxia slew, the once queen had come to realize just how much she had lost and just how alone she was. Her people were gone. Her civilization was gone. Her friends were gone.

Kalen Tu was gone. Never again would she feel his hand upon her face, his lips upon her mouth, his body entwined with hers, his soul merged with her soul. It was all gone. There was only one thing left for her. And she would search for it if it took the rest of her life.

At once the woman's eyes opened. She stared out across the rubble of what had been her world, but she saw something quite different. What she saw was a world not unlike her own and yet totally different. On this world was a woman with gold-spun hair gathered in two balls atop her head. She sensed the power this woman possessed, and she sensed more. It was faint, but it was there. It was what she had been searching for these past two years.

The once and former queen stood up and, with a moment's thought, transformed herself into a ball of blue energy, then rocketed into space. Her destination was Earth and the woman with the unique hair and unique presence. This woman would be her chance at the only thing left to her: Revenge.

Continued in Chapter 2