Memories On Earth -- Chapter One
by ACJ Leveille
Author's Note:
First, nothing of Sailor Moon belongs to me, at all.
Now, this is my first Sailor Moon fanfic, so I'm really excited about it, but sort of scared about posting it. I'm going to it anyway. Please let me know what you think. I've used the names from the television series throughout, since I took up the storyline from the television series - and really went from there. I've read all of the manga, though (in French) and some of the ideas and characterization may come from there. I tried to stay true to character, but sometimes it's harder than it seems. I hinted at the romance between the sailors and the Prince's guards - the original bad guys. This is pulled from the manga, where Zoisite is actually a guy. I didn't know how to present the concept, since the ideas sort of clashed, so I sort of glossed over it.
It starts off sort of rocky, but I like to think it picks up nicely. I hope you enjoy. It does really take all the events and squish them up, though. It changes the timeline of the entire series, basically. I think. Well, up through the first "big boss'" defeat
I welcome any and all comments, questions, whatever. Please email me and encourage me to write more if you enjoyed this! I do have lots of ideas.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
Oh, and if I've really murdered the spelling of the names of the bad guys, please let me know, I'll fix it. Thanks!
Monday started out a typical day. There was a scout meeting later at the temple, but Serena had headed by the arcade in the meantime.
"Hey Serena!" Andrew called. He waved at her, his blonde hair combed precisely. Too bad he's taken, Serena thought.
"Hi Andrew!" She responded, sitting down at the Sailor V game and digging in her schoolbag for yen. She was quickly swept up into the game, shooting monsters and saving the world. Time passed, and Serena didn't notice until she reached into her bag for another coin, and couldn't find one.
"What?" She asked herself. "I couldn't have spent all of my money, yet! I've only been here for ..." she looked up at the clock, and shrieked. "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be late!"
Andrew came over. "Serena, are you okay? I heard you screeching..."
She blushed, frantically stuffing her books into her bag and shouldering it. "I'm okay, I have to get to Raye's. She's going to kill me!" She rushed past him, and out the door. Headlong into someone coming into the Arcade.
I don't have time for this! Serena thought, bowing furiously, stammering apologies. She grabbed her bag off the floor and looked up, apologies halting in mid-stream. "You!"
Darien Chiba looked down at her. He seemed amused, and Serena saw red. "Running late again, Meatball Head?" He teased.
A frustrated wail burst from her, as tended to happen when she was around the handsome upper-classman. She thought about smacking him with her schoolbag, a slight smile spreading across her face with the pleasure the fantasy hinted at, but resisted the urge. "Out of my way, Chiba!"
He moved swiftly, making no sound. He was still smiling, and Serena walked past him, fuming. Once safely on the sidewalk, she took off at a run, heading up the sidewalk to the temple.
"Where have you been?" Raye asked coolly as Serena, panting, stumbled up the last few stairs. The other scouts stood behind her, watching curiously.
"Sorry..." she managed to get out. Raye snorted and turned, walking back into the living quarters she shared with her grandfather.
"Are you all right, Serena?" Amy asked as they followed behind the priestess. Serena nodded, letting her heart stop its fierce pumping, and walked in to collapse on the floor in Raye's room.
"Did I miss anything?" She asked, once she had regained her breath.
The scouts shook their heads, but Raye looked at her accusingly. "You were at the Arcade, weren't you? Playing. Again."
Serena sank low into the carpet, smiling. "I almost beat Amy's score, too! I would have if I hadn't run out of money," she muttered to herself.
"Let's get this meeting underway," Raye said.
Everyone agreed.
"All right," Amy started. "I've been doing some analysis, and I'm starting to get worried."
"Analysis?" Serena asked, all attention focused on the scout.
"Yes. I've been tracking the monsters we've been fighting lately, and the frequency of the fights." She pulled her palm-top computer from the air and touched her forehead, pulling the glasses that went with it across her eyes. The scouts watched silently.
Amy looked around. "Has anyone else noticed that we're just not seeing as many monsters around lately?"
Serena thought about it. "I guess that I have been sleeping more than usual," she said.
"That's the truth," Lita agreed enthusiastically. "It's nice to not have to get up in the middle of the night to go out and fight."
"What do you think it means, Amy?" Raye asked.
"I don't know..." The girl said slowly. "It could be that we're just beating them back, and they don't have much left to throw at us. Or," she looked around at her fellow scouts, "it could mean that they're planning something really big."
Raye spoke after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Maybe after the meeting I'll do a fire viewing."
"Good idea, Raye," Luna spoke from the door. "Sorry I'm late, girls, I've been in the computer center, going over the data Amy has put together. I had to wait until no one was looking to get out of there." She sat down on the table.
"Did you find anything?" Amy asked.
"Nothing conclusive."
"Hm." Serena wondered what it all meant.
"Do you think Queen Beryl is trying to trick us? To make us feel we're winning?" Lita threw the idea out.
Luna's eyes opened wide. Amy nodded. "I had considered the idea."
"I think we should all be really careful until we know what's going on." She said. "No one fights alone, all right?"
The scouts all nodded their understanding. They started to stand, getting ready to leave.
"Wait, weren't we going to discuss Tuxedo Mask?" Raye asked. It had been part of the plan for the meeting.
Serena looked up. Tuxedo Mask, she thought, eyes glazing over. Her mind filled with images of the caped hero who had repeatedly come to her rescue.
"Does anyone have anything new about him?" Lita asked.
The scouts were silent.
"Okay," Lita declared, "We'll discuss Tuxedo Mask when we know more about him. He's still an unknown."
"Be careful, everyone," Luna instructed. "Remember not to take any chances." She hopped off into the afternoon light
"Did you finish that math project yet, Serena," Amy asked conversationally. She lived on Serena's way home, and they had taken to walking together from the scout meetings.
Serena's eyes bugged out, and for a second, she couldn't breathe. "Oh no!" She gasped, swinging to stare at Amy. Her long ponytails flew out behind her. "It's due tomorrow, isn't it." Amy nodded. "Ahh! I have to get home!" Serena screamed, racing off in that direction. Amy listened to her frantic wails as they moved farther and farther away, smiling.
Serena collapsed face down on her math papers around nine that night. Drool crept from her mouth as she snored. The night was peaceful and quiet.
Beep Beep
Serena sat bolt upright, looking around. "Oh, that's right," she said, pulling her communicator out. She punched the moon button.
"Guys, we have a monster here," Sailor Jupiter said.
The other scouts replied that they were on their way, and bleeped out. "Are you all right, Jupiter?" She demanded.
"Yeah, I haven't tackled it yet. I'm waiting for backup," she smiled into the communicator. "It's only a little one." She sounded puzzled.
"Hold tight. I'll be right there," Serena assured her friend.
Her arm shot into the air. "Moon Prism Power!"
The transformation was quick, and Sailor Moon bounced out the window quickly.
"The zoo?" She asked, jumping on rooftops. The streets were spread out below her. This feels good, she thought whimsically. If only I didn't have to fight.
She reached the zoo, Sailor Jupiter was waiting at the gate. "It's over this way," she said, leading the way at a run.
It wasn't, as Jupiter had said earlier, a big monster. It was crouched in the back of an empty cage.
"It looks scared," Sailor Moon said, walking toward it.
"Hold on, fearless leader," Sailor Mars barred her way. "This could be a trap."
"But..."
"No buts, Sailor Moon," Mars commanded. "Wait until we know what's going on. Then you can cuddle the monster."
Sailor Moon turned crimson, growling at the scouts. "I wasn't going to cuddle the monster!"
Mars glared back at her, folding her arms over her chest.
"Guys," Jupiter said. She was looking over Mercury's shoulder, watching the screen of the computer she had pulled out. "Break it up, will you?"
"She started it!" Sailor Moon said, stretching her mouth at Mars - who wasn't there anyone. She was over with the other Sailors.
"What have you done so far, Jupiter?" Amy asked, fingers hovering over the small keyboard.
A sweatdrop formed on Jupiter's head, and she began twiddling her fingers.
"Jupiter?" The group asked collectively, looming over the scout.
"I didn't do anything, all right!" She shouted at them, an embarrassed flush spreading over her face. "It's so cute!"
Sailor Mars rolled her eyes, groaning, and leaned backwards on her heels. "I say we blast the thing out of there."
Sailor Moon looked at the so-called monster. It was small - much smaller than any other monster they had ever faced. It was probably less than three feet high. It had the soft-looking fur and little teeth of a baby animal. It looked - cute.
The five scouts looked at it, puzzled.
"What are you doing, Sailor scouts?" A deep voice asked from on high. Sailor Moon looked up, and there in a tree sat a dark, cloaked hero, brandishing a blood-red rose. "Tuxedo Mask," she breathed. She looked around jealously, humphfing at the other girls.
"Where is the monster?" He asked, leaping to the ground, catching himself in a graceful swoop. His cloak shifted with the wind. He's so handsome, Sailor Moon thought.
"There," Mercury pointed at the creature. It opened it's mouth and yawned, snuggling contentedly into the corner of the cage.
Even Tuxedo Mask looked confused. "Are you sure that's the monster?"
"Here," Mercury showed him her computer screen. Weird blips covered it, Sailor Moon saw as she snuck a peek. She couldn't understand anything. Mercury pressed a button, and a reading was displayed.
"That's the power reading," she explained. "That creature isn't doing anything, but it reads as one of the most powerful monsters we've met!"
"Let's get in there and take care of it, I want to go back to bed!" Jupiter complained, shivering a bit. The night was getting colder and the wind was picking up. Her short skirt didn't provide that much protection from the elements.
"I agree with that." Sailor Moon said forcefully. She yawned to punctuate her declaration.
"Then let's fry the sucker," Mars said. She strode forward, hands stretching out. The creature stirred in the cage, it's foot thumping some as it scratched.
"Wait," Sailor Moon cried, running forward. "Let me go in first." That thing couldn't hurt a fly! She stepped in cautiously, becoming aware of the bars surrounding her. She was glad that the end of the cage was open. As she neared the creature, it stretched, standing up. It coughed, and a small gout of fire fell from its mouth. Sailor Moon's eyes got very wide. "Oh oh!"
It's mouth opened even wider, it's eyes fixed on her. She knew it was preparing for a roar - and from the evidence, it looked like it was going to be a toasty one! She screamed, throwing herself to the ground.
"I've got you!" She heard in her ear, and opened her eyes as she was swung out of the creature's range. Tuxedo Mask pulled his cloak from around her, and pushed her forward. "Go on, Sailor Moon, dust him!"
"Okay," she agreed with a lot more enthusiasm than she felt. She pulled her tiara from her brow, holding it and shouting "Moon Tiara Magic!" The tiara twirled away from her, perfectly launched, and exploded when it touched the creature. When the light cleared, there was no sign of either the tiara or the monster.
"Hm. That was easy," Sailor Moon said, dusting her hands. She looked at Tuxedo Mask, who shrugged. They headed together toward the open end of the cage.
Just as they neared it, the bars slid down with a clunk, trapping them. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask rushed the bars, grabbing them and pulling them in a co-coordinated tandem movement. The bars didn't budge.
"What have you done now!?" Mars called from the other side of the cage. The scouts came forward, circling the bars.
"Get us out of here!" Sailor Moon cried, collapsing to her knees and bawling. Tuxedo Mask came behind her and caught her shoulders.
"Calm down, Sailor Moon. We'll get out of here." He assured her.
She looked up at him, and managed to stand shakily. She grabbed onto the bars and looked into Sailor Mercury's calm eyes. The scout reached out a slim hand and took Sailor Moon's. "We'll get you out."
Sailor Mars threw herself to the ground, resting her back against the bars. "Great. Now our fearless leader is trapped in a cage with the ultra-cute Tuxedo Mask and we have to wait around." She growled.
"Then go home, Mars," Sailor Moon barked.
"Guys!" Jupiter called sharply. Mars and Sailor Moon looked over. "Let me see if I can get these bars apart." She walked up to the bars, and spread her legs wide for balance. She grabbed onto the bars and took a deep breath, pulling as she exhaled.
"Come on, Jupiter," Sailor Moon whispered, trying to push her strength to the other scout. She looked up at a slight touch on her shoulder and saw Tuxedo Mark. He was straining with Jupiter as well.
Her face turned red, her arms bulged, but the bars didn't move.
She finally gave up, backpedaling in exhausted defeat. Mars came over catch her before she fell, and she and Mercury crowded around, concerned.
"Are you all right?" Mars asked. Jupiter nodded, her face white. She lifted her hands, looking at them. "I couldn't move them at all."
"It's all right. I think that this is no ordinary cage," Tuxedo Mask assured the scouts in a ringing voice.
Sailor Moon looked up at him, her long blonde hair trailing behind her. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Behind you!"
Eerie laughter rang over their heads, and everyone looked up to see a gray-clad form floating in the air high above.
"Ooh, poor little moon-girl. Trapped, are you? And Tuxedo Mask, as well. My my, Queen Beryl will be pleased with me." Zoisite bragged as she floated, trailing rose petals in her wake.
"You won't succeed at this!" Tuxedo Mask called.
"Salior Moon, duck!" Jupiter called, then screamed her battle cry. Clouds gathered above her, and thunder crackled, then rushed at the enemy. It defused uselessly into the ether, and Zoisite's evil laughter echoed again into the night.
"You're coming with me!" She cried, motioning with her hand. The cage rose, drifting into the lowering clouds, and fading away.
"What's happening?" Sailor Moon shrieked, holding onto Tuxedo Mask's coat. He wrapped an arm around her tightly, sweeping his cloak around to cover them both.
They heard the shouts of the scouts, becoming fainter and fainter until they were gone.
The air became dark and thick, and Sailor Moon gasped deeply. She clutched at her throat. "I can't breathe!"
Tuxedo Mask looked down at her, his mouth tight beneath his white mask, his eyes grim. "Relax. I will protect you."
His mouth lowered slowly, his lips kissing her temple. He wrapped her even more tightly in his cloak. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her breathing, but the world swam around her, and she fainted.
