Grr – okay, so I've hit a patch of Writer's Block on Just an Average Girl…but here's another installment of one of my Sailor Moon blurbs. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Sailor Moon, I just borrowed them! Sorry!
--FLASHBACK—
"Get out of the way Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars bellowed as fire flared past the blonde girl's cheek and set a burning blaze to the horribly slimy youma.
"Come on Sailor Moon, don't just stand there!" Sailor Mercury yelled as she called upon her Aqua Shine Illusion and a wave of ice and bubbles sprayed the youma, knocking it to the ground.
"Sailor Moon! Dust the youma; we don't have strength to last all night!" Sailor Jupiter panted from the side, sweat from the battle pooling in her eyes.
Sailor Moon struggled against the thoughts of weakness and fear that turned her stomach as she raised her Moon Wand. She silently prayed to the Moon that she would have the strength and courage to save her friends and dust the horrible beast in front of her. She closed her eyes and pulled all of the energy she had, her voice cracking from her vocal chords.
"Moon Healing Activation!" She shouted, feeling the burst of light that was all of her energy and power encircling the youma and returning it to the human form of a girl. She sighed as she let go of the attack, her arms falling slack at her sides. Sailor Jupiter rushed to help the girl that had been forced into the form of the youma and Sailor Mercury scanned the area on her mini-computer.
"Damn it, the crystal's gone already!" Sailor Mercury shouted as Sailor Mars whirled on Sailor Moon.
"Good going, Meatball brains! You lost us another crystal!"
Out of the corner of her eye, Sailor Moon saw the swirling of flower petals and raced after Zoicite, who had hid in the shadows, never revealing himself to the scouts. She was off before she could alert the others, but she doubted they'd care anyway.
"ZOICITE! Stop where you are!" Sailor Moon yelled, crouching in a defensive stance as the man turned to face her and laughed.
"What's this, the Sailor Klutz chased after me?"
"Where's the crystal, you Nega-twirp?" Sailor Moon spit out disgusted at herself for being called a klutz by her enemy.
"Ask the Cape Boy. Or were you too busy trying to save your pathetic excuse for a life to notice him steal the Rainbow Crystal?" Zoicite growled as he vanished with a swirl of petals.
"Damn it! Zoicite, this isn't over!" She screeched, anger sizzling in her blood. Why hadn't Tuxedo Mask helped them? Was he really an enemy?
Sailor Moon walked back to the scouts and de-transformed, feeling dejected and forlorn. Rei glared at her and walked away, heading towards the Temple. Lita smiled sympathetically to Serena.
"Don't worry Serena; even Ami missed finding the crystal. We'll get the next one."
We can't get the Silver Crystal without all of them though, Serena chided herself. Why was she such a nuisance? Maybe the Scouts would be better off without such a klutz and crybaby…..or so Serena thought as she got ready for the few hours of sleep she'd have before another day at school.
--END FLASHBACK--
Serena trudged her way down the sidewalk, her usually swinging arms limp at her sides, her eyes downcast to the ground below her.
Why couldn't I just sleep a little longer? It's not like I'll even pay attention at school, the young girl thought to herself as she continued walking along in her own haze. Lost in her train of thought, she was startled awake by the sudden solidness she crashed into.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She muttered as she sidestepped the sudden wall and went on her way.
"Watch where you're going, Meatball Head! You almost turned me into a steaming wet mess of coffee!" The voice of her arch nemesis said angrily. She kept walking, too tired to really care.
"Sorry." And she kept going. She was almost there.
Thrown off guard, Darien caught up with her and walked along side of the younger girl.
"What's up with you today, Meatball Head?" He asked, shocked that she still hadn't looked up at him. He heard her sigh, but unlike normal days, she didn't rise to his nickname for her.
"See you, Darien." And she made her way into the gates of the school they had reached. Shocked and utterly flabbergasted, Darien watched the girl walk into the building, suddenly aware that even the meatballs on her head seemed to be drooping.
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"It was the strangest thing I've ever seen, Andrew! She didn't even look up at me and yell at me, like she always does! And I could have sworn the meatballs on her head were drooping!" Darien exclaimed later, sitting at the counter in the Crown Arcade, where his best friend worked. He poured his disbelief over his usual cup of coffee, steam billowing up to greet him.
"Maybe she's getting sick. It's not like Serena to be down in the dumps. Or maybe she got grounded for another bad grade. You know math isn't her forte." Andrew suggested as he re-filled the salt and pepper shakers that were sitting in front of him.
"Yeah but you don't get it, Andrew. Whenever she gets a bad grade, she throws a fit. Full crybaby attack, you've heard her! It's awful." Darien's eyes got huge in his head. "It was like she wasn't even there, 'Drew. Maybe she's possessed!" He laughed as his best friend shook his head at him.
"And why would you care, huh Darien? Could it be you're actually worried about the girl?" Andrew raised an eyebrow, aware of his friend's odd obsession with the cute and bubbly blonde. Darien snorted but took his time in answering.
"Who knows?"
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"Serena, would you please pay attention!" Miss Haruna called out, startled by the girl's odd silence. Instead of daydreaming, the usually bubbly girl seemed to be miserable as she laid her head down on her desk. When she looked up at Miss Haruna, the woman's heart went out to the girl.
"Serena, why don't you go to the Nurse? You don't look so well." And with a nod, the girl stumbled from her chair and made her way clumsily to the Nurse's office.
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"So are you ready for the exam on Thursday?" Andrew asked, as he filled Darien's cup with hot coffee for the eighth time that day.
"With every cup of coffee I drink, I feel more ready than before!" Darien laughed as he felt the caffeine replenish him. What he didn't tell his best friend was the reason that he always needed so much coffee was due to the battles with the Negaverse. It wasn't easy being the only tuxedoed super hero rushing in to save Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts. And now that he was plagued by dreams of his princess every night, he rarely got the chance to rest. He had to find the rest of those crystals before his enemy got to them!
"Uh Darien, if you bite any harder, you'll break the coffee cup." Andrew smirked, bringing Darien back to the arcade. Darien chuckled and took a sip of coffee before nearly spitting it out as Andrew jumped up in an odd fashion and slapped him on the back.
"What the he-" He was cut off as the sound of jingling filled his ears and someone stepped in through the arcade doors.
"Why Serena, what are you doing out of school early?" Andrew said cheerfully, shooting a worried look in Darien's direction. His best friend had been right, something was awfully wrong with their young Meatball head.
"Can I have a cup of coffee Andrew?" The girl asked, refusing to answer his question. Darien nearly choked again.
"Since when do you like coffee, Meatball Head?"
"I don't like coffee, but if I don't get caffeine and soon, I'll fall asleep before I can get to the temple." She said, yawning. Darien raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you going to the Temple, got a shopping date with Rei? You know, if you're that tired, why don't you just ask her to reschedule?" He was surprised as Serena let out a choked sound that might have been a snort of laughter.
"Doesn't work that way." Not when you're shopping for rainbow crystals, she thought bitterly.
"And what's got you so tired lately? I doubt you were up late studying, Meatball Head." Darien chided. She missed the sparkle in his eye and tried to swallow a large gulp of coffee without tasting the awful concoction she was drinking.
Andrew noticed Serena pale at Darien's question and grabbed a napkin as Serena coughed down a gulp of coffee. He laughed as she gratefully accepted the napkin and wiped her mouth.
"God, this stuff is awful, how do you drink a cup of it every day?" Serena proclaimed to Darien. Andrew laughed and both turned to face him.
"One cup? Oh no, Mr. Darien over there is on cup number eight!" Serena gasped, appalled, and went to take another sip.
"At least it helps with the waking up part." She muttered into her cup of coffee.
"So why aren't you in school? You've got another hour, don't you?" Darien asked, still worried about the girl sitting next to him.
"The Nurse sent me home. Said something about stress." Serena laughed softly to herself. Like she knows what stress is, she doesn't have to run around fighting youma every night and then be a student during the day! Serena thought to herself harshly.
Darien snorted. What stress could that meatball head possibly have, compared to me? Man, I wish life was still that simple! He shook his head.
"You don't even know what stress is, Meatball brains. I bet all you worry about is shopping and clothes. Well, and maybe boys." Darien said bitterly. As Andrew tried to intervene and stop the sudden amount of chaos he knew was coming, Serena literally beat him to the punch as she reached back and caught Darien's chin in a right hook. She stood up and left the arcade faster than either of them had seen her leave without falling. Darien stared after her, his jaw dropped and eyes bugging out of his head.
"You deserved that one." Andrew said, shaking his head in dismay as he moved to clean up Serena's coffee cup.
Well, this WAS going to be a one-shot, but I guess not anymore! What do you think? Review please!
