--------------------------------------------------------------------
Kono yoni wa meni wa miemai yami no juunin tachi ga iru...
yatsura wa toki toshite kiba o muki kimi tachi o osotte kuru...
kare wa...sonna yatsura kara kimi tachi o mamoru tame
jigouku no soko kara yatte kita--seihi no shisha--nano kamo shirenai
--------------------------------------------------------------------
OF DEVIL TEACHERS AND MOON PRINCESSES
a Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Jigouku Sensei Nube Crossover
by Dark Day for Anime
Both BSSM and JSN are owned by the people and companies who created
them. I'm just using them for purposes benign. (And if you believe
that, you'll believe anything ^_^)
Part One
The Man they call 'Nu-be'
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Usagi sat with her arms crossed, eyes shut, huffing, muttering
and shifting in her seat, doing her level best to bring down the
mood in the Crown coffee shop above the game parlour. Makoto, Ami
and Minako spent a good twenty minutes after their arrival, watching
this performance and taking in all its tiny little nuances and
incomprehensibles before they found it within themselves to actually
ask her why, on Earth, she was in this uncommon mood.
"Well, are you going to tell us about it, or would you like us
to applaud your performance?" Makoto leaned back, chewing on the
end of a straw that was sticking out of the corner of her mouth.
Usagi opened her eyes, surprised by Makoto's question. Not that she
should have been surprised, or anything....
"Pardon?"
"You've been like this ever since we left school. Need I ask
the question again?" Makoto sighed, peering aside at Usagi, whose
face dropped.
"Oh, I'm just thinking about things."
"That'll be a first." Minako giggled, stopping when Usagi
shot her a look.
"Are you having any problems in your relationship with Mamoru-
san?" Ami managed to get in. Usagi put up her hands,
sweatdropping.
"No, it's nothing like that.... It's.... It's.... It's our
new teacher.... The one who was transferred a week ago."
"What about Nueno-sensei?" Makoto sat forward. "Don't tell
me you have a thing for him?"
"If so, you'll have to stand in line. He's got all the girls
in school after him." Minako smiled. "Even with those big brushy
black eyebrows.... They give him a dangerous look." She clamped
her hands together, a dreamy expression crossing her face. "It's
sooooo romantic.... The dark, mysterious new teacher...."
"It's... not that... I'm dedicated to Mamoru, and all....
You should know that." Usagi blushed as Makoto snorted.
"Yeah yeah yeah.... I saw the look on your face when you saw
Nueno-sensei.... He's so cool at times, but all those old students
of his, who hang around him all the time.... You just can't get
near him."
"It's nothing to do with how good looking he is, or any
feelings I might have for him...." Usagi paused.
"Well, what is it then?" Makoto blinked.
"It's.... Something instinctive.... Every time I see him, I
get this... strange feeling... of evil." The trio stared at Usagi,
then burst out laughing. Usagi looked up at them, angrily. "What?
What are you laughing for? You think I'm being paranoid, or
something?"
Minako wiped tears from her eyes, shaking her head. "We're
sorry.... But you're starting to sound like Rei-chan."
"What do you mean, I'm starting to sound like Rei-chan?"
Usagi growled.
"Every time something happens, just lately, you get these
sudden bad feelings.... Almost like you're trying to detect evil
in everything." Minako continued.
"In other words, you think I'm paranoid. Maybe I've had
reason to, after everything that has happened to us...."
"I don't mean it THAT way...." Minako shrugged. "Really,
Usagi.... I talked to one of Nueno-sensei's old students from
Junior High.... Miki, her name was.... We get on REALLY well....
She seemed to think the sun shines out of his...."
"Ahem...." Makoto and Ami interrupted. "I don't think that
is a very good analogy to use, there...." Makoto continued.
"But it's true.... She said he was really cool.... Into all
kinds of spiritualism and such.... She said he was one of the best
oni-exorcists she had ever met."
Usagi, Makoto and Ami stared at her, disbelievingly. "He's
WHAT?" Usagi managed to get out, eventually.
"An oni-exorcist.... Apparently he learnt a few things from
HIS teacher, when he was very young, and has been training his own
students to follow in his footsteps. Isn't it cool?"
"Damn." Makoto leant her elbows on the table and stared off
into space. "And here I was, thinking that was OUR job."
"We've never fought oni before.... Or even met up with a
single ghost or some such spirit.... Our enemies have always been
products of the physical world, Mako-chan." Ami wagged a finger at
the taller girl, who shrugged and looked away.
"You just don't believe in that kind of thing, even though the
existence of magic has been made as clear as day to you." Ami fumed
at Makoto's statement.
"I KNOW magic exists.... For Kami's sake, I never said
otherwise.... But the magic we use is, for want of a better
explanation, a form of natural phenomena, or technology, that was
used in the Silver Millennium.... Or even the product of a form of
science that this world hasn't been able to catch up on, yet....
Ghosts and Onis and such are a completely different matter.... They
are the product of a society's efforts to explain things they cannot
understand. For all we know, the legend of Onis can be explained by
the appearances of Youma, and such."
"You just have an altogether too-logical mind, Ami.... You
lack a sense of romance and mysticism." Makoto winced as Ami
brought a fist down on the top of her arm, chastisingly.
"And if you were a bit less romantic, you might be able to
pass your exams with greater ease."
Makoto sweatdropped, dropping her face wearily. "Don't remind
me about the Home Ec exam.... How did I fail a Home Ec exam....?
That's what I want to know...."
Usagi shook her head and sat back. "I never knew he was into
all that spooky stuff, though.... Maybe I AM right.... Maybe there
is something evil, lurking underneath that roguish surface...."
"See, I told you she had something for him...." Minako
whispered to the other two, who nodded conspiratorially.
"What's that?" Usagi looked at them, dangerously. They sat
up straight, staring around with goofy expressions, giggling
nervously. It was at this point that they were given the brief
respite of Rei's late arrival. She came crashing through the door
to the coffee shop backwards, like she had been pushed through, a
worried expression on her face.
"Ogaku-sama?" The waitress at the counter stared at her,
blinking, as did nearly everyone else in the shop. Rei swallowed,
turning to the patrons, and smiled nervously.
"Ah, it's nothing.... Sorry...." She continued on towards
the table where the others were sitting, glancing around at the
other customers as if scrutinising their expressions and reactions
to her presence. She was so taken up with this that she walked into
the side of the table, making the others facefault.
"Rei-chan.... What's wrong?" Usagi asked, worried at her
friend's strange behaviour, as the slightly winded girl giggled
inanely.
"Oh, it's.... It's nothing, really...." She clutched her
belly, trying to rub the pain away.
"Come off it.... We've put up with that kind of response from
Usagi already.... We don't need it from you." Makoto crossed her
arms. Rei nervously sat down, beside Minako, and began to rub her
hands together.
"Well.... I've had this feeling...."
"Oh great... Someone else who has been having 'feelings'...."
Makoto huffed and sat back, staring at the ceiling. "Everyone is
having 'feelings' lately. Must be an epidemic."
"What kind of 'feelings' has Usagi been having?" Rei looked
across the table at her. "Have you felt like you've been followed?"
Usagi swallowed.
"Ano.... No, actually.... It was something to do with a new
teacher who has been transferred into our school.... What is this
about being followed?"
Rei glanced around the Crown, nervously, then turned back to
the others. "Ever since I left for school this morning.... No,
longer than that.... Ever since I arrived back from our meeting
last night, at the shrine, I've felt like I'm being watched."
"What do you mean, being watched?" Ami leant forward,
rubbing her chin.
"Is there someone following you around? Have you seen them?"
Minako continued. "Are they good looking?"
"Ano.... Minako...." Ami sweatdropped. "I don't think their
physical appearance enters into it...."
"You never know.... Rei might be followed by a good looking
guy who is madly in love with her...." Minako went into lala land
once more, her eyes glimmering. Rei stared at her, dubiously.
"Whomever it is, I don't think their intentions are good."
Rei sighed, lowering her face on the table. "It's put me on edge,
all through the night and all today.... I didn't get much sleep at
home, so I kept nodding off in class.... I'm in a hell of a lot of
trouble for it.... Ojiichan is not going to be happy when I give
him the note my teacher gave me."
"Damn those teachers." Usagi punched one hand into the palm
of the other. "They just don't think about the welfare of their
students. I bet she wouldn't have helped you if you told her about
your concerns."
"Are you kidding? She'd think I was mad." Rei sighed and
closed her eyes. "You guys look around and see if anyone reacts to
the fact that I'm not watching out for them, now." She paused.
"Just don't be too obvious about it, okay? Don't want to frighten
them off."
"If there is anyone following you." Makoto sniffed, leaning
back with her hands behind her head.
"Don't argue with me, just do it." Rei buried her face in her
arms. Usagi was about to say something to her friend, when she
noticed a woman, sitting on the other side of the shop, staring at
them.
"Uh, guys...." She swallowed, half nodding her head in the
direction of the woman without actually looking at her.
"I see her." Makoto looked aside, then at Minako. "So,
Minako-chan.... What is this new friend of yours, Miki is it? What
is she like?"
"Uh.... Miki?" Minako frowned.
"Yes. Miki." Makoto's tone was slow and deliberate.
Eventually, even Minako was able to get the message.
"Oh, you mean Miki." She swallowed. Out of the corner of her
eye, she could see the woman shifting in her seat. "Well, she's a
lot like me, really.... Only she's a lot more.... mercernary, for
want of a better term oh my Kami she's getting out of her seat...."
Minako started to sweatdrop. "Why does it have to be me to do the
happy, conversational thing?"
"Shutup and keep talking like nothing's wrong." Makoto
growled. "Besides, you're the best at saying lots for no good
reason.... Who else would you choose to do the 'happy,
conversational thing'?"
The woman started to make her away across the room, towards
them. Minako shook as she wracked her brain for something to say.
"And... and so... Miki... told me... she can do this... amazing...
party trick... Something to do... with her neck..." Minako
quivered, looking around the table. Usagi was shrinking in her
seat, whilst Ami was gripping onto her teaspoon like a weapon. Only
Makoto seemed relaxed, but that was as much perception than anything
else. Minako could feel fear welling up in her belly as she
continued. "She said... she said she could... stretch her neck...
She doesn't know... why.... IYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Minako jumped to her feet. screaming. The woman fell onto the
floor, staring at her in surprise and shock, as did everyone else in
the shop. Makoto used this as a cue to go for the woman, leaping
from her seat and grabbing the woman by the collar. "Alright, you!
Just what do you want?"
The woman stared at Makoto, quivering. "What... what do you
mean?"
"You were walking in our direction. What the hell for?"
Makoto held a fist up to the woman's face. One of the shop
waitresses ran over to the, holding up her tray.
"Please.... I don't want to use violence, but we can't allow
any fighting in here." Makoto looked up at the waitress, who
appeared quite willing to thwack her one over the head with the
tray. She let the woman go, holding up her hands.
"Okay.... Okay.... I give up." Makoto stepped back to her
seat and sat down. The waitress helped the woman to her feet.
"For Kami's sake." The woman looked at Makoto and the others,
angrily. "All I wanted to do was use the bathroom. This IS the
only way to get there, as far as I know." She brushed herself down,
turning to the waitress. "You really should do something about the
delinquents who frequent your establishment. I have a lot of clout
in this city, you know."
"You... You're Kanzaki Natako, the newsreader on NHK...."
The waitress gasped, then bowed to her. "I'm so terribly sorry
about this.... I promise it won't happen again."
"It better not." Natako huffed. "Now, if you'll excuse
me.... I have to clean myself up." And with that, she threw her
nose in the air and strode away. The waitress turned to the five
girls with an angry look on her face, making them cringe.
"As for you..."
----o
"...AND NEVER COME BACK!!!!" The waitress shouted as the
five girls lay on the pavement, amazed at how strong waitresses were
in this day and age.
"Who would have thought she had it within her to pick up all
of us at once and toss us through the front door of the Crown." Ami
rubbed her sore head. "I wonder what kinds of additives they put in
food, these days?"
"Mostly pork fat and insect matter." Makoto stood, helping
Ami to her feet. "And then there's the pus in the cows' milk, but
you really couldn't describe that as an additive.... More likely an
intrinsic ingredient."
"Mako-chan.... You're making me feel sick." Ami put a hand
to her chest, sticking out her tongue.
"That COW! Who does SHE think SHE is?" Usagi jumped to her
feet, holding up her fists. "We have been customers of this shop
for YEARS! And she throws us out all because some two-bit
television presenter gets snooty...." She was more than ready to
march back into the shop to remonstrate with the waitress, when
Minako and Rei grabbed her by the arms and began to drag her away.
"What are you doing, guys? Let me go! I'll kill her! I'll grind
her bones together to make flour! I'll bounce her off the walls,
chew her up and spit her out!"
"That's what we're afraid of." Minako sweatdropped.
"Surely.... You don't think she should be allowed to get away
with this?" Usagi looked at Minako, angrily. "I'll never be able
to show my face in that place again if she's allowed to...."
"Usagi-chan, going back in there and 'bouncing her off the
walls' isn't going to do anything for our already-tarnished
reputation." Rei huffed. Usagi turned to her, half-smiling.
"And who was it that lead to our reputations being tarnished?
Oh, if only you WERE being followed by someone from tv...."
Minako's eyes glimmered. "Ah, to be chased around by talent
scouts. It's been a dream of mine for years."
"We know." Makoto and Ami said in unison, following along
behind the trio. Minako turned to them and stuck out her tongue.
"Biiiiida! What would the pair of you know? You don't have
any desire to further your own careers."
"No, we go for substance, rather than glitz." Makoto sniffed
and looked away as Minako growled.
"Ah, good evening, girls." The male voice came from behind
them, which succeeded, in their already jumpy mood, in making them
all leap a good two feet from the ground before they turned to see
who it was. "Oh, I'm sorry.... Did I frighten you?"
"Aha... ahahahahaha...." Makoto placed a hand behind her
head. "No, Nueno-sensei.... Not at all. We were just on our way
home.... It has been a... stressful day."
Nube shrugged, adjusting the collar of his white, open-necked
shirt with his gloved left hand. "Yes, I suppose it must have been,
being thrown out of the coffee shop in that manner...."
"Ah, you saw that...." Minako said as they all sweatdropped.
Then she ran to his side, taking a hold of his left arm. Nube
blinked as she smiled up at him. "We're not really bad students,
Nueno-sensei. It was that psycho waitress in there."
"Minako-chan's cracking onto another guy." Usagi whispered to
Rei, who nodded. For some reason, the both of them felt a little
uneasy in his presence. "Can you feel it?" Usagi whispered.
"The presence of something evil.... In him." Rei replied.
They both watched as Nube giggled, nervously, trying to shy away
from Minako's all too obvious advances. "Maybe not." Rei raised
her eyes to the heavens.
"Call me Nube, uh.... What was your name again, Miss?" Nube
swallowed as Minako sweatdropped.
"Oh, come on, Nube-CHAN.... You can't have forgotten me,
already. It's Minako-chaaaan." She looked up at him with big,
round eyes, and he blushed despite himself.
"Ah yes, Miss Aino.... I remember now. You're the one who
hangs around with Miki-chan. She's told me a lot about you." He
paused. "Perhaps more than she really should have. You have to be
careful what you say and do around that girl, or it'll be all over
the school."
"Yep, sounds like the perfect friend for Minako to me."
Makoto crossed her arms. "What are you doing around here, anyway,
Nueno-sen.... I mean, Nube?"
"Well, I was just following a spirit trail or two. Did you
know your friend over there is being haunted by a spirit of
gluttony?" Nube pointed at Usagi, who immediately went into
hysterics, looking for the ghost.
"Where? Where? Get it offa me!" She started swatting
herself, as if that was likely to get rid of it. Nube shook his
head, sadly, stepped forward, having finally shaken off Minako, and
reached behind Usagi's back, lifting away something that the girls
could not see.
"Not much of a spirit, really.... It only clamps onto people
who aren't very smart." He did a double take at Usagi's expression.
"There are, of course, exceptions to the rule." He giggled,
inanely, and threw the invisible object into the air. "And don't
come back, you blasted thing. Pick on somebody more worthy of your
talents." He waved a finger in the air. Usagi held her stomach,
suddenly looking ill.
"I don't feel so good.... I feel... FULL!" She screwed up
her face. "I NEVER feel full. Well, most of the time." Rei held
Usagi's arm.
"I wonder why I never saw that spirit." She rubbed her chin.
Nube smiled at her.
"Ah, so you're a spiritualist, as well?"
"Ah, not as such. I'm a priestess at the local Shinto
shrine." She cleared her throat. "Most of the time."
"Hmm.... Well, as long as you don't get too many big ideas.
I've known schoolgirls who think they can deal with all manner of
spirits and onis, only to come unstuck." He scratched his head.
"The number of times I've had to come to the rescue of one
particular girl...." He shrugged. "The world of spirits is not
to be messed with. Take that as advice from someone who has seen
its wrath." He pointed at Rei with his gloved left hand. Rei
stared at the hand, feeling a sudden wave of uneasiness and nausea.
"Why do you have a glove on only one of your hands?" She
asked, softly. Nube looked at the hand, blinking, and realising she
might have felt something about it.
"Ah, that. Yes, well.... I had an... accident, if you will,
in my younger days, whilst trying to defeat a particularly nasty
little oni...."
"But onis don't really exist, do they?" Ami stepped forward,
her arms crossed in front of her. Nube turned to her, smiling.
"Ah, we have a sceptic, do we?" He crossed his arms.
"Believe me, my dear, I have battled with many an evil being, intent
on waging war against the human race." He paused. "Of course, why
they would begin with the schoolgrounds I was working at, I have no
idea.... Anyway, that's what has brought me here.... I have been
following an ominous trail, which lead me to you five."
"An ominous trail?" Usagi and Minako started to panic. "Is
there something after us, Nube-chan?" Minako ran up to him, leaning
forward and staring into his eyes, dreamily. Nube swallowed.
"Well, er.... I wouldn't say that, exactly. The trail just
stopped here, that's all. I'm sure it's nothing for you to worry
yourself over." He took a step back from Minako. "Anyways. It's
starting to get dark. You girls should all hurry home. We wouldn't
want anything to happen to you during the darkness of night, now
would we?"
"Oh no, Nube-chan." Minako cooed, making Nube sigh, wondering
why, if so many schoolgirls and other assorted females were after
him, he had so much trouble holding down a decent relationship.
"Come on, guys." Makoto waved her hands, expansively. "You
heard Nube. We shouldn't be walking the streets at night." She
winked to the others, making them giggle. Nube wondered what the
joke was that they were all sharing, and decided that he'd probably
discover it in the course of time. He waved as the five said their
goodbyes, and disappeared around the nearest street corner.
He then turned and looked up to the top of a nearby building.
A figure who had been standing there, watching them, disappeared
from sight. Nube frowned with some determination. "What do you
want from them, friend?" He rubbed his chin. "What do you want,
indeed...."
END OF PART 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Chapter - "Devil Detection, Devil Detention"
Notes
I've been sitting on this story for a while, but have been roused
out of inactivity by people who really wanted to see it done.
Considering how easily both series could be incorporated, an SM/Nube
fic shouldn't be all that much of a hassle, excluding the fact that
only a very few people have heard of Jigouku Sensei Nube.... One of
my favourite anime tv shows (next to Kenshin, Hareluya, Silent
Mobius, Trigun and a million others that really deserve more
attention in the fanfic world).
The idea for this fic came from an idea given to me by the good
people at the Sailormoon Romance Fanfic Archive. If you haven't
heard of it, then you're obviously not into Sailormoon fanfics.
They've been good enough to host all my stuff, in absence of my own
site. Pray the day never comes when the world bears witness to that
evil destination. ^_^
_________
/ @ \ DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page)
/ / ^ ^ \ \ ayanami@internode.on.net
/\
\/ \/
\___________/
/_/ \_\ PU
VERSION 1.0 - Thursday, 4th March 1999
Kono yoni wa meni wa miemai yami no juunin tachi ga iru...
yatsura wa toki toshite kiba o muki kimi tachi o osotte kuru...
kare wa...sonna yatsura kara kimi tachi o mamoru tame
jigouku no soko kara yatte kita--seihi no shisha--nano kamo shirenai
--------------------------------------------------------------------
OF DEVIL TEACHERS AND MOON PRINCESSES
a Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Jigouku Sensei Nube Crossover
by Dark Day for Anime
Both BSSM and JSN are owned by the people and companies who created
them. I'm just using them for purposes benign. (And if you believe
that, you'll believe anything ^_^)
Part One
The Man they call 'Nu-be'
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Usagi sat with her arms crossed, eyes shut, huffing, muttering
and shifting in her seat, doing her level best to bring down the
mood in the Crown coffee shop above the game parlour. Makoto, Ami
and Minako spent a good twenty minutes after their arrival, watching
this performance and taking in all its tiny little nuances and
incomprehensibles before they found it within themselves to actually
ask her why, on Earth, she was in this uncommon mood.
"Well, are you going to tell us about it, or would you like us
to applaud your performance?" Makoto leaned back, chewing on the
end of a straw that was sticking out of the corner of her mouth.
Usagi opened her eyes, surprised by Makoto's question. Not that she
should have been surprised, or anything....
"Pardon?"
"You've been like this ever since we left school. Need I ask
the question again?" Makoto sighed, peering aside at Usagi, whose
face dropped.
"Oh, I'm just thinking about things."
"That'll be a first." Minako giggled, stopping when Usagi
shot her a look.
"Are you having any problems in your relationship with Mamoru-
san?" Ami managed to get in. Usagi put up her hands,
sweatdropping.
"No, it's nothing like that.... It's.... It's.... It's our
new teacher.... The one who was transferred a week ago."
"What about Nueno-sensei?" Makoto sat forward. "Don't tell
me you have a thing for him?"
"If so, you'll have to stand in line. He's got all the girls
in school after him." Minako smiled. "Even with those big brushy
black eyebrows.... They give him a dangerous look." She clamped
her hands together, a dreamy expression crossing her face. "It's
sooooo romantic.... The dark, mysterious new teacher...."
"It's... not that... I'm dedicated to Mamoru, and all....
You should know that." Usagi blushed as Makoto snorted.
"Yeah yeah yeah.... I saw the look on your face when you saw
Nueno-sensei.... He's so cool at times, but all those old students
of his, who hang around him all the time.... You just can't get
near him."
"It's nothing to do with how good looking he is, or any
feelings I might have for him...." Usagi paused.
"Well, what is it then?" Makoto blinked.
"It's.... Something instinctive.... Every time I see him, I
get this... strange feeling... of evil." The trio stared at Usagi,
then burst out laughing. Usagi looked up at them, angrily. "What?
What are you laughing for? You think I'm being paranoid, or
something?"
Minako wiped tears from her eyes, shaking her head. "We're
sorry.... But you're starting to sound like Rei-chan."
"What do you mean, I'm starting to sound like Rei-chan?"
Usagi growled.
"Every time something happens, just lately, you get these
sudden bad feelings.... Almost like you're trying to detect evil
in everything." Minako continued.
"In other words, you think I'm paranoid. Maybe I've had
reason to, after everything that has happened to us...."
"I don't mean it THAT way...." Minako shrugged. "Really,
Usagi.... I talked to one of Nueno-sensei's old students from
Junior High.... Miki, her name was.... We get on REALLY well....
She seemed to think the sun shines out of his...."
"Ahem...." Makoto and Ami interrupted. "I don't think that
is a very good analogy to use, there...." Makoto continued.
"But it's true.... She said he was really cool.... Into all
kinds of spiritualism and such.... She said he was one of the best
oni-exorcists she had ever met."
Usagi, Makoto and Ami stared at her, disbelievingly. "He's
WHAT?" Usagi managed to get out, eventually.
"An oni-exorcist.... Apparently he learnt a few things from
HIS teacher, when he was very young, and has been training his own
students to follow in his footsteps. Isn't it cool?"
"Damn." Makoto leant her elbows on the table and stared off
into space. "And here I was, thinking that was OUR job."
"We've never fought oni before.... Or even met up with a
single ghost or some such spirit.... Our enemies have always been
products of the physical world, Mako-chan." Ami wagged a finger at
the taller girl, who shrugged and looked away.
"You just don't believe in that kind of thing, even though the
existence of magic has been made as clear as day to you." Ami fumed
at Makoto's statement.
"I KNOW magic exists.... For Kami's sake, I never said
otherwise.... But the magic we use is, for want of a better
explanation, a form of natural phenomena, or technology, that was
used in the Silver Millennium.... Or even the product of a form of
science that this world hasn't been able to catch up on, yet....
Ghosts and Onis and such are a completely different matter.... They
are the product of a society's efforts to explain things they cannot
understand. For all we know, the legend of Onis can be explained by
the appearances of Youma, and such."
"You just have an altogether too-logical mind, Ami.... You
lack a sense of romance and mysticism." Makoto winced as Ami
brought a fist down on the top of her arm, chastisingly.
"And if you were a bit less romantic, you might be able to
pass your exams with greater ease."
Makoto sweatdropped, dropping her face wearily. "Don't remind
me about the Home Ec exam.... How did I fail a Home Ec exam....?
That's what I want to know...."
Usagi shook her head and sat back. "I never knew he was into
all that spooky stuff, though.... Maybe I AM right.... Maybe there
is something evil, lurking underneath that roguish surface...."
"See, I told you she had something for him...." Minako
whispered to the other two, who nodded conspiratorially.
"What's that?" Usagi looked at them, dangerously. They sat
up straight, staring around with goofy expressions, giggling
nervously. It was at this point that they were given the brief
respite of Rei's late arrival. She came crashing through the door
to the coffee shop backwards, like she had been pushed through, a
worried expression on her face.
"Ogaku-sama?" The waitress at the counter stared at her,
blinking, as did nearly everyone else in the shop. Rei swallowed,
turning to the patrons, and smiled nervously.
"Ah, it's nothing.... Sorry...." She continued on towards
the table where the others were sitting, glancing around at the
other customers as if scrutinising their expressions and reactions
to her presence. She was so taken up with this that she walked into
the side of the table, making the others facefault.
"Rei-chan.... What's wrong?" Usagi asked, worried at her
friend's strange behaviour, as the slightly winded girl giggled
inanely.
"Oh, it's.... It's nothing, really...." She clutched her
belly, trying to rub the pain away.
"Come off it.... We've put up with that kind of response from
Usagi already.... We don't need it from you." Makoto crossed her
arms. Rei nervously sat down, beside Minako, and began to rub her
hands together.
"Well.... I've had this feeling...."
"Oh great... Someone else who has been having 'feelings'...."
Makoto huffed and sat back, staring at the ceiling. "Everyone is
having 'feelings' lately. Must be an epidemic."
"What kind of 'feelings' has Usagi been having?" Rei looked
across the table at her. "Have you felt like you've been followed?"
Usagi swallowed.
"Ano.... No, actually.... It was something to do with a new
teacher who has been transferred into our school.... What is this
about being followed?"
Rei glanced around the Crown, nervously, then turned back to
the others. "Ever since I left for school this morning.... No,
longer than that.... Ever since I arrived back from our meeting
last night, at the shrine, I've felt like I'm being watched."
"What do you mean, being watched?" Ami leant forward,
rubbing her chin.
"Is there someone following you around? Have you seen them?"
Minako continued. "Are they good looking?"
"Ano.... Minako...." Ami sweatdropped. "I don't think their
physical appearance enters into it...."
"You never know.... Rei might be followed by a good looking
guy who is madly in love with her...." Minako went into lala land
once more, her eyes glimmering. Rei stared at her, dubiously.
"Whomever it is, I don't think their intentions are good."
Rei sighed, lowering her face on the table. "It's put me on edge,
all through the night and all today.... I didn't get much sleep at
home, so I kept nodding off in class.... I'm in a hell of a lot of
trouble for it.... Ojiichan is not going to be happy when I give
him the note my teacher gave me."
"Damn those teachers." Usagi punched one hand into the palm
of the other. "They just don't think about the welfare of their
students. I bet she wouldn't have helped you if you told her about
your concerns."
"Are you kidding? She'd think I was mad." Rei sighed and
closed her eyes. "You guys look around and see if anyone reacts to
the fact that I'm not watching out for them, now." She paused.
"Just don't be too obvious about it, okay? Don't want to frighten
them off."
"If there is anyone following you." Makoto sniffed, leaning
back with her hands behind her head.
"Don't argue with me, just do it." Rei buried her face in her
arms. Usagi was about to say something to her friend, when she
noticed a woman, sitting on the other side of the shop, staring at
them.
"Uh, guys...." She swallowed, half nodding her head in the
direction of the woman without actually looking at her.
"I see her." Makoto looked aside, then at Minako. "So,
Minako-chan.... What is this new friend of yours, Miki is it? What
is she like?"
"Uh.... Miki?" Minako frowned.
"Yes. Miki." Makoto's tone was slow and deliberate.
Eventually, even Minako was able to get the message.
"Oh, you mean Miki." She swallowed. Out of the corner of her
eye, she could see the woman shifting in her seat. "Well, she's a
lot like me, really.... Only she's a lot more.... mercernary, for
want of a better term oh my Kami she's getting out of her seat...."
Minako started to sweatdrop. "Why does it have to be me to do the
happy, conversational thing?"
"Shutup and keep talking like nothing's wrong." Makoto
growled. "Besides, you're the best at saying lots for no good
reason.... Who else would you choose to do the 'happy,
conversational thing'?"
The woman started to make her away across the room, towards
them. Minako shook as she wracked her brain for something to say.
"And... and so... Miki... told me... she can do this... amazing...
party trick... Something to do... with her neck..." Minako
quivered, looking around the table. Usagi was shrinking in her
seat, whilst Ami was gripping onto her teaspoon like a weapon. Only
Makoto seemed relaxed, but that was as much perception than anything
else. Minako could feel fear welling up in her belly as she
continued. "She said... she said she could... stretch her neck...
She doesn't know... why.... IYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Minako jumped to her feet. screaming. The woman fell onto the
floor, staring at her in surprise and shock, as did everyone else in
the shop. Makoto used this as a cue to go for the woman, leaping
from her seat and grabbing the woman by the collar. "Alright, you!
Just what do you want?"
The woman stared at Makoto, quivering. "What... what do you
mean?"
"You were walking in our direction. What the hell for?"
Makoto held a fist up to the woman's face. One of the shop
waitresses ran over to the, holding up her tray.
"Please.... I don't want to use violence, but we can't allow
any fighting in here." Makoto looked up at the waitress, who
appeared quite willing to thwack her one over the head with the
tray. She let the woman go, holding up her hands.
"Okay.... Okay.... I give up." Makoto stepped back to her
seat and sat down. The waitress helped the woman to her feet.
"For Kami's sake." The woman looked at Makoto and the others,
angrily. "All I wanted to do was use the bathroom. This IS the
only way to get there, as far as I know." She brushed herself down,
turning to the waitress. "You really should do something about the
delinquents who frequent your establishment. I have a lot of clout
in this city, you know."
"You... You're Kanzaki Natako, the newsreader on NHK...."
The waitress gasped, then bowed to her. "I'm so terribly sorry
about this.... I promise it won't happen again."
"It better not." Natako huffed. "Now, if you'll excuse
me.... I have to clean myself up." And with that, she threw her
nose in the air and strode away. The waitress turned to the five
girls with an angry look on her face, making them cringe.
"As for you..."
----o
"...AND NEVER COME BACK!!!!" The waitress shouted as the
five girls lay on the pavement, amazed at how strong waitresses were
in this day and age.
"Who would have thought she had it within her to pick up all
of us at once and toss us through the front door of the Crown." Ami
rubbed her sore head. "I wonder what kinds of additives they put in
food, these days?"
"Mostly pork fat and insect matter." Makoto stood, helping
Ami to her feet. "And then there's the pus in the cows' milk, but
you really couldn't describe that as an additive.... More likely an
intrinsic ingredient."
"Mako-chan.... You're making me feel sick." Ami put a hand
to her chest, sticking out her tongue.
"That COW! Who does SHE think SHE is?" Usagi jumped to her
feet, holding up her fists. "We have been customers of this shop
for YEARS! And she throws us out all because some two-bit
television presenter gets snooty...." She was more than ready to
march back into the shop to remonstrate with the waitress, when
Minako and Rei grabbed her by the arms and began to drag her away.
"What are you doing, guys? Let me go! I'll kill her! I'll grind
her bones together to make flour! I'll bounce her off the walls,
chew her up and spit her out!"
"That's what we're afraid of." Minako sweatdropped.
"Surely.... You don't think she should be allowed to get away
with this?" Usagi looked at Minako, angrily. "I'll never be able
to show my face in that place again if she's allowed to...."
"Usagi-chan, going back in there and 'bouncing her off the
walls' isn't going to do anything for our already-tarnished
reputation." Rei huffed. Usagi turned to her, half-smiling.
"And who was it that lead to our reputations being tarnished?
Oh, if only you WERE being followed by someone from tv...."
Minako's eyes glimmered. "Ah, to be chased around by talent
scouts. It's been a dream of mine for years."
"We know." Makoto and Ami said in unison, following along
behind the trio. Minako turned to them and stuck out her tongue.
"Biiiiida! What would the pair of you know? You don't have
any desire to further your own careers."
"No, we go for substance, rather than glitz." Makoto sniffed
and looked away as Minako growled.
"Ah, good evening, girls." The male voice came from behind
them, which succeeded, in their already jumpy mood, in making them
all leap a good two feet from the ground before they turned to see
who it was. "Oh, I'm sorry.... Did I frighten you?"
"Aha... ahahahahaha...." Makoto placed a hand behind her
head. "No, Nueno-sensei.... Not at all. We were just on our way
home.... It has been a... stressful day."
Nube shrugged, adjusting the collar of his white, open-necked
shirt with his gloved left hand. "Yes, I suppose it must have been,
being thrown out of the coffee shop in that manner...."
"Ah, you saw that...." Minako said as they all sweatdropped.
Then she ran to his side, taking a hold of his left arm. Nube
blinked as she smiled up at him. "We're not really bad students,
Nueno-sensei. It was that psycho waitress in there."
"Minako-chan's cracking onto another guy." Usagi whispered to
Rei, who nodded. For some reason, the both of them felt a little
uneasy in his presence. "Can you feel it?" Usagi whispered.
"The presence of something evil.... In him." Rei replied.
They both watched as Nube giggled, nervously, trying to shy away
from Minako's all too obvious advances. "Maybe not." Rei raised
her eyes to the heavens.
"Call me Nube, uh.... What was your name again, Miss?" Nube
swallowed as Minako sweatdropped.
"Oh, come on, Nube-CHAN.... You can't have forgotten me,
already. It's Minako-chaaaan." She looked up at him with big,
round eyes, and he blushed despite himself.
"Ah yes, Miss Aino.... I remember now. You're the one who
hangs around with Miki-chan. She's told me a lot about you." He
paused. "Perhaps more than she really should have. You have to be
careful what you say and do around that girl, or it'll be all over
the school."
"Yep, sounds like the perfect friend for Minako to me."
Makoto crossed her arms. "What are you doing around here, anyway,
Nueno-sen.... I mean, Nube?"
"Well, I was just following a spirit trail or two. Did you
know your friend over there is being haunted by a spirit of
gluttony?" Nube pointed at Usagi, who immediately went into
hysterics, looking for the ghost.
"Where? Where? Get it offa me!" She started swatting
herself, as if that was likely to get rid of it. Nube shook his
head, sadly, stepped forward, having finally shaken off Minako, and
reached behind Usagi's back, lifting away something that the girls
could not see.
"Not much of a spirit, really.... It only clamps onto people
who aren't very smart." He did a double take at Usagi's expression.
"There are, of course, exceptions to the rule." He giggled,
inanely, and threw the invisible object into the air. "And don't
come back, you blasted thing. Pick on somebody more worthy of your
talents." He waved a finger in the air. Usagi held her stomach,
suddenly looking ill.
"I don't feel so good.... I feel... FULL!" She screwed up
her face. "I NEVER feel full. Well, most of the time." Rei held
Usagi's arm.
"I wonder why I never saw that spirit." She rubbed her chin.
Nube smiled at her.
"Ah, so you're a spiritualist, as well?"
"Ah, not as such. I'm a priestess at the local Shinto
shrine." She cleared her throat. "Most of the time."
"Hmm.... Well, as long as you don't get too many big ideas.
I've known schoolgirls who think they can deal with all manner of
spirits and onis, only to come unstuck." He scratched his head.
"The number of times I've had to come to the rescue of one
particular girl...." He shrugged. "The world of spirits is not
to be messed with. Take that as advice from someone who has seen
its wrath." He pointed at Rei with his gloved left hand. Rei
stared at the hand, feeling a sudden wave of uneasiness and nausea.
"Why do you have a glove on only one of your hands?" She
asked, softly. Nube looked at the hand, blinking, and realising she
might have felt something about it.
"Ah, that. Yes, well.... I had an... accident, if you will,
in my younger days, whilst trying to defeat a particularly nasty
little oni...."
"But onis don't really exist, do they?" Ami stepped forward,
her arms crossed in front of her. Nube turned to her, smiling.
"Ah, we have a sceptic, do we?" He crossed his arms.
"Believe me, my dear, I have battled with many an evil being, intent
on waging war against the human race." He paused. "Of course, why
they would begin with the schoolgrounds I was working at, I have no
idea.... Anyway, that's what has brought me here.... I have been
following an ominous trail, which lead me to you five."
"An ominous trail?" Usagi and Minako started to panic. "Is
there something after us, Nube-chan?" Minako ran up to him, leaning
forward and staring into his eyes, dreamily. Nube swallowed.
"Well, er.... I wouldn't say that, exactly. The trail just
stopped here, that's all. I'm sure it's nothing for you to worry
yourself over." He took a step back from Minako. "Anyways. It's
starting to get dark. You girls should all hurry home. We wouldn't
want anything to happen to you during the darkness of night, now
would we?"
"Oh no, Nube-chan." Minako cooed, making Nube sigh, wondering
why, if so many schoolgirls and other assorted females were after
him, he had so much trouble holding down a decent relationship.
"Come on, guys." Makoto waved her hands, expansively. "You
heard Nube. We shouldn't be walking the streets at night." She
winked to the others, making them giggle. Nube wondered what the
joke was that they were all sharing, and decided that he'd probably
discover it in the course of time. He waved as the five said their
goodbyes, and disappeared around the nearest street corner.
He then turned and looked up to the top of a nearby building.
A figure who had been standing there, watching them, disappeared
from sight. Nube frowned with some determination. "What do you
want from them, friend?" He rubbed his chin. "What do you want,
indeed...."
END OF PART 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Chapter - "Devil Detection, Devil Detention"
Notes
I've been sitting on this story for a while, but have been roused
out of inactivity by people who really wanted to see it done.
Considering how easily both series could be incorporated, an SM/Nube
fic shouldn't be all that much of a hassle, excluding the fact that
only a very few people have heard of Jigouku Sensei Nube.... One of
my favourite anime tv shows (next to Kenshin, Hareluya, Silent
Mobius, Trigun and a million others that really deserve more
attention in the fanfic world).
The idea for this fic came from an idea given to me by the good
people at the Sailormoon Romance Fanfic Archive. If you haven't
heard of it, then you're obviously not into Sailormoon fanfics.
They've been good enough to host all my stuff, in absence of my own
site. Pray the day never comes when the world bears witness to that
evil destination. ^_^
_________
/ @ \ DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page)
/ / ^ ^ \ \ ayanami@internode.on.net
/\
\/ \/
\___________/
/_/ \_\ PU
VERSION 1.0 - Thursday, 4th March 1999