Raye's Sunshine
by Mitch
wells17@gte.net

It's going to be a good day, I can just tell. We're all waiting
for Ken at the park. He's never officially met my friends, so why
waste more time? He arrives, looking vagely surprised about the
number of people there. I run up to him.

"Ken, hi! How are you?"

"Better," he says, "How are you?"

"I've...had some troubles, but I'm okay. Anyway, meet everyone.
This is Serena Tsukino from Crossroads."

"Hi!"

"Her cat, Luna."

"Meow."

"Amy Anderson from Crossroads."

"Good afternoon."

"Mina Aino from Grass Valley"

"Hello."

"Her cat, Artemis."

"Mew."

"And Raye Hino from Brookdale."

"Hey."

"Um, hi."

Ken seemes a little strange introducing himself. Raye looks a
little different as well.

"So, Lita," Ken asks me, "how did you make friends with girls
from different schools?"

"Well," I explain, "Serena and Amy already knew Raye and we
just...ran into Mina one day." It was a stretch of truth, but I had
to keep our secret even from him. How would I explain it? His
childhood friend is a princess of the planet Jupiter and she and four
other girls are soldiers in sailor suits? It wasn't too hard on me
when I learned all this, but still...

"By the way," Ken askes, "what's with the moon-shaped bald spots
on Luna and Artemis."

"Uh, they were just like that when Serena and Mina found them."
Technically true, but i hope he doesn't ask me any more about this. I
wonder how the cats feel, since they have to pretend that they can't
talk.

Ken turns to Raye.

"Hey," he says "I think I've seen you before. You're that
pristess at the temple on Cherry Hill?"

"Yeah," she says, "you've been there?"

"Well, to pray occasionally. Usually, I already have everything
I want."

"Well, life is demanding sometimes."

Raye's behavior is surprising me. She and Ken are really hitting
it off. It's almost as if...

I smile. I feel a little jealous, but I almost hope I'm right.

The others are busy today, so Ken, Raye, and myself take a walk
down through Shinjuku. We stroll through the park of Shinjuku Gyoen,
past the temple of Taisoji, past the Hanazono Shrine, and we stopped
at the department stores of Isetan, Marui, and Mitsukoshi.

All the time, I think about how well Raye and Ken are getting
along. What concerns me the most about this is thinking of what Chad,
the guy who works at Raye's temple and has a crush on her, might say.
Well, maybe I'm overconcerned. I seem to see love where it isn't,
usually for me. Still, I'm glad they seem to like each other.

About that time, a monster appeared. I groan. I'm just not in
the mood today. Well, Serena would feel worse.

This monster looks like a saleslady with clothesracks for arms.
They just get stranger...

"I am...CLOTHESLINE!" she announces, "I've come to take the
energy of young shoppers!"

Again? Now our enemies are backtracking themselves.

"Get back, Lita! I'll shield you!"

Good old Ken, but if he thinks I'll just step back...

"Sorry, Ken," I say, "but remember last time...!"

"No!" exclaimes Raye, "You've suffered before, Ken. Lita and I
will hold it off. You go. We'll catch up with you later!"

"But..."

"Trust me, Ken," I tell him, "you can't really win in an argument
with Raye. Just go on. Don't worry about us."

Ken looked at me in disbelief, but slowly nodded. He head off,
looked back, and kept running.

"Ready?" Raye asks me.

"Ready," I say.

We both duck between the buildings. Fortunatly, all the other
people had left.

"MARS POWER!"

"VENUS POWER!"

We transform into Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter. We exit the
ally and face the monster.

"Threatening innocent shoppers, huh?"

"Well, prepare to be pushed back! We're Sailor Scouts!"

"Champions of justice!"

"And in the name Jupiter...!"

"In the name of Mars...!"

"We're here to right wrongs and triumph over evil...!"

"AND THAT MEANS YOU!"

Clothesline reponds by firing razor-sharp clothes at us. We
dodge out of the way.

"I suggest we split up and take her by the sides!"

"No!" says Mars, "Let's get her together!"

I silently groan. I used to consider myself critical of others
before I met Raye. The thing one has to understand about her is that
this is her way of showing that she cares.

Surprisingly, Ken returns. I guess he got tired of waiting for
us. Not good for all involved.

"Get out of here," I shout, "NOW!"

I try to sound more concerned than angry. I understand,
however. He was worried about Lita and Raye and came back for them.
I'll have to rescue him without hinting that I know him.

Ken dodges Clothesline's attack well, but he should leave this to
the professionals. I leapt at him and tackle him.

"You're on dangerous grounds," I tell him.

"Looks like it," he tells me.

He looks at me strangly. Does he recognize me?

"Have you seen my friends, Lita and Raye?" he asks.

I breath a sigh of relief. He doesn't know, but I still need to
think of something.

"They...left," I tell him, "I guess they were going to find you."
Not quite accurate, but we were going to catch up to him after this.

"Jupiter, come on!" says Mars, "We have to get this floating
clothesrake!"

I groan and tell Ken to stay put.

"MARS FIREBIRD STRI...!"

Clothesline hits her with hard-pressed jackets. I rush over to
her.

"Mars! You okay?"

"I've felt worse. Maybe,...we should try your idea."

It really bothers Raye to learn when she's wrong. I should
remember to make up to her for it.

We jump to opposite sides of Clothesline. This time, Mars is
protecting Ken.

"Just...try to be more careful, all right?" she tells him.
Again, this how you knw that she cares. And when she pauses, you know
she's feeling more worried than irritated at the moment.

"MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE!"

"JUPITER THUNDER DRAGON!"

Our respective attacks hit Clotheline from both sides. She
changes into a tarot card, like all the monsters we've fought lately,
and her picture burns out. During all this, Mars and I leap away,
leaving Ken in blissful ignorance.

After changing back, Raye and I wait for Ken on the other end
of our walk. He arrives, looking confused. Raye explains that we have
been waiting for him a little after he went that way. He explains how
he went baack for us and met two of the Sailor Scouts. We pretend to
be surprised.

On our way back to the park, Raye and Ken look at each other,
almost nervously. Raye finally gulps and says the following.

"Look, Ken, you're a nice guy and all, but... there's sort of a
guy. Well, he's more like a frend. Anyway, I..."

"Oh, that's okay," says Ken, "we can still..."

"Be friends? Yeah, why not?"

I feel a little sorry for them, but I'm glad Raye didn't give up
on Chad. I think there's something special between the two of them.
Sometimes, I wonder if I'm just seeing love everywhere. Maybe that's
just the type of person I am.

Ken leaves us that evening. As he goes, I ask Raye if she's
all right.

"Well," she says, "at least it was fast, unlike me and Darien.
Still, I keep telling myself that Serena deserves him. And, in this
case, you're lucky to have such an understanding friend."

"You mean we're both lucky," I correct her, "Want to tell the
others about today?"

"Later," she says, "I feel like a bath after I get home."

I look at her sadly. At least, I'm used to heartbreak.

"Maybe I'll spend the weekend teaching Chad about the
supernatural," she says, "I haven't spent much time with him lately."

I smile.

END