Hello everyone! This is a story I've had in mind for a long time but couldn't quite iron out the details. As it is, I'm still making certain things up as I go lol. I hope you enjoy this!
A New Hero Rises
The stars twinkled like diamonds in a vast sky. Comets chased each other in a jubilant blaze of light. In the midst of this splendor, a silver orb was suspended like a great pearl. The surface of this shining world was like a soft silver desert bathed in peaceful silence. Further on the landscape was broken by a great city of white stone. Men and women of all ages strolled along wide lanes, rested by calm ponds, or gathered in the many gardens. A few were gazing at the marvelous green and blue planet above in the sky.
The happy conversations suddenly stilled and many more turned their eyes upwards. The planet above was no longer shining so brightly. A shadow had fallen across it and was now spreading across the void. For a moment there was only frightful stillness but as the shadow grew deeper and closer, panic broke out. Some ran for their homes, others fled for the palace at the center of the city crying out for help.
Soldiers and guards were running to their battle stations. On the steps of the palace stood a small group colorfully dressed individuals also posed for battle. Strange elemental energies surrounded them; they were ready to fight to the death against this coming terror. All was for naught; the shadow engulfed the kingdom and all was silence.
With a gasp, a young man sat up in bed. His heart was racing as he tried to remember the odd dream that had jolted him awake. Something about a city under attack; attack from the Earth? He took a few deep breaths and fell back upon his pillows. He hated bad dreams at the best of times and this one had felt so real. Why couldn't he just dream about nice things like food or anime?
He was just starting a daydream about watching his favorite show while resting on a throne made of cake when a shrill beeping interrupted him. He frowned and turned his head to where his cell phone lay on the nearby window sill. He picked up the phone, turned off the alarm, and set it back down.
Seconds later he sat upright again and grabbed the phone. His heart started another panicked drumbeat as he looked at the time. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!"
He bounced out of bed, ripped off his pajamas, and grabbed his school uniform. He was in such a panic that he tried to put his pants on backwards and fell to the floor with a crash. As he scrambled back to his feet and turned his pants around, his mother's voice bellowed up the stairs.
"Kaemon, is that you finally getting up!?"
"Yes! Why didn't you wake me?" He shouted back as he finished getting dressed
"I did and you said you would be right down."
"And you believed me?"
Her response was an exaggerated sigh. He emerged from his bedroom, tripped over his own feet and tumbled down the stairs. He half ran, half crawled into the dining area where a now cold breakfast was sitting at his place at the table. He started to wolf it down but the plate was suddenly whipped away.
"No time for that if you're going to be on time" His mother said with a stern expression "Your brother is already on his way to school."
"Of course he is" Kaemon growled. His hunger was barely satisfied but his mother gave him a glare as he tried to take the plate back from her.
"If you want breakfast, then you should be here at breakfast time." He watched mournfully as she dumped the food into the trash can. She then plopped a lunch box in front of him and pointed to the door. "Now go to school!"
"Fine" he huffed. Kaemon snatched up the lunchbox and made for the front door. He paused as he glimpsed the TV in the living room. His father was watching the morning news and the current story was how a burglar had been apprehended during a break in.
"I heard a noise downstairs" the owner of the house was saying "At first I was sure I'd imagined it but the noises continued and I heard someone opening drawers and things. I called the police of course but in the middle of my call, I heard a shout. A rough voice was crying out 'No, leave me alone' but he was quickly silenced. I ran downstairs and found the thief tied up in the back yard. When the authorities showed up, he started ranting about Sailor V. The thief tried to run but Sailor V was there to stop him."
"Wow" Kaemon said as the news then displayed stock footage of the mysterious masked hero in a sailor suit. Suddenly, he heard heavy breathing behind him.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" his mother asked
"Got it, got it" he replied as he shoved his feet into his shoes and ran out the door.
He yawned as he hurried along the sidewalk. Really, he thought, school way too early in the morning. Why couldn't mornings in general just come in the afternoon? These musings were interrupted by the yowling of a cat. He stopped and looked around in curiosity. He quickly spotted a group of local young boys gathered in an alley. One was holding down a black cat while the others were prodding it, sticking things on it, and just general being cruel.
A determined expression came across Kaemon's face. He knew that Sailor V wouldn't have stood idly by and he wasn't going to either. He ran forward, threw out his chest, and said in a deep voice "Unhand that poor cat, citizens, or in the name of all that good and decent, I'll punish you!"
The kids glanced up but didn't look impressed. "Hey aren't you the wimp who lives down the street?"
"Look at him, who does he think he is, Sailor V?" a second boy said
"His brother says that he's practically in love with Sailor V" the third boy snickered
Kaemon's eye twitched. He made a mental note to clobber Shingo later. For now there was work to do. "Be quiet if you know what's good for you. I bet your parents would be thrilled to hear this story."
"Ah save it" the first boy said "Come on guys, it's getting a little too dumb around here for me."
The kids stuck their tongues out at Kaemon and ran away. He childishly stamped his foot and stuck his tongue out in retaliation. He then remembered the cat and dropped to his knees to check on the poor creature.
"Oh poor kitty" he said as he pulled various stickers off of the cat "They even put one on your face, the little jerks."
The cat squirmed a little under Kaemon's ministrations but only really reacted when he pulled off the bandage stuck to its forehead. He had a quick glimpse of a curiously shiny bald spot in the shape of crescent as it leapt away. The cat turned to look at him and Kaemon was unnerved by the intensity of its gaze.
Suddenly he sprang to his feet and cried out "I totally forgot about school!" The cat watched the boy stumble over his own feet, race around the corner and out of sight. Its whiskers twitched thoughtfully and it too left the alley.
Kaemon barreled down sidewalks, through busy intersections and finally saw the school building. He cried out in despair as the final bell rang while he was barely at the gate. His depression grew as he changed into his school shoes and made his way to his classroom. He noticed that his teacher was busy writing something on the board and decided to make one last effort. He inched the door quietly open and began to crawl to his desk. Several kids, including his best friend Nao, glanced at him but they said nothing.
"Tsukino!" a voice bellowed. Kaemon froze and looked up to see the teacher staring at him.
"Uh…yes Haruna Sensei?"
"Would you be so kind as to get off of the floor and explain why you're late again?"
He popped up like a jack in the box and stood rigidly. "Well, you see I…"
"Overslept?" she supplied with a disappointed expression
"Just a little bit; I also had to perform a rescue!"
"And just who was this person in such need of your assistance?"
"A…a…a cat with a bald spot."
The class laughed and Haruna growled. "You may think about ways to improve your constant tardiness while standing out in the hall."
"Yes Haruna Sensei."
A few kids gave him sympathetic looks as Kaemon took the walk of shame to the hallway. He stood there, miserable, while listening to the goings on in the classroom. Soon the discussion turned to the English test they had recently taken but he was distracted by his stomach. He glanced down at the lunchbox still in his hand and grinned.
"It's unhealthy to go wit out breakfast after all"
He was just about to dig in when he heard his name being shouted. He turned to see his teacher standing in the doorway of the classroom. "I was about to let you come back in but here I find you compounding one infraction with another?"
"Infraction?" he asked in confusion
More laughter came from the classroom while the teacher looked angry. She grabbed his lunchbox and said "I'll take this and trade you this" she shoved a paper into his hands "Stand out here a little longer and add study habits to your contemplations…that means thoughts."
She slammed the classroom door shut and Kaemon felt like crying. It's not like he tried to be stupid. He looked at the paper and a strange noise was caught halfway up his throat. He had achieved only a 30 on the English test; an all time personal low. He thought he might really cry this time and even considered using the stupid test to blow his nose. Instead he shoved it into his pocket and just stood there in misery.
The rest of the morning passed joylessly but also uneventfully. Finally, it was lunchtime, Kaemon's favorite time of the day.
"Now aren't you glad you didn't eat your lunch" Nao said as the boys made their way out to the courtyard to eat
"I wasn't going to eat all of it" Kaemon replied in indignation
"Yeah you probably were"
"Yeah I probably was" Kaemon replied while hanging his head
"Oh stop being so dramatic all the time. Let's just enjoy this beautiful day
Kaemon smiled and joined Nao on their favorite bench. He really didn't know why someone as popular and talented as Nao put up with him. He was even kind of handsome, with his athletic body and wavy brown hair. Kaemon considered his own appearance; blonde, not very tall, slight bulge in the tummy area…hardly the ideal Japanese youth. He consoled himself by tucking into his lunch with passion.
Nao sensed that something was bothering him but his guess was off. "Are you depressed about today's grades? Me too, I know I can do better than an 85."
Kaemon chocked on a huge mouthful of rice and Nao had to thump him on the back to help him swallow. "Oh my, that is a bit depressing" he replied while mentally vowing to burn his test at the first opportunity
"I'll say. What did you get?"
Kaemon was spared an answer by the sudden appearance of one of their classmates. This was Umino Konomi, a nerdy girl with thick glasses who always got good grades. "Are you talking about the test? I thought I was going to die when I saw how horribly I did! Look upon my shame!"
She gave a great sniff as she held out an almost perfect test paper. The two boys stared at the big red 95 with blank expressions. "Oh my yes, how will you live with yourself?" they relied in simultaneous monotone.
"I know right! I knew I should have studied more but instead I went to the arcade. Oh curse that Sailor V game!"
"Sailor V was on the news this morning" Kaemon said, desperate to change the subject of test scores "He caught a burglar last night!"
"Sailor V is so amazing" Umino shouted "I want to marry him someday!"
"Right…" Nao replied awkwardly "Well he is amazing, I'll agree to that. So many strange things have happened over the past year or so. Monsters have even shown up sometimes."
"I don't like monsters" Kaemon said with a shiver
"Speaking of strange things" Uminio said "have you guys heard of what's been going on in schools recently? One after another, the kids are being found unconscious in various situations, usually sports related."
"What?" Kaemon squeaked. He inched a bit closer to Nao as Uminio went on to say that they recover quickly but the doctor's are baffled.
"It's like their simply drained of all energy" she explained "I've been looking at the pattern of the incidents and our school may be next."
"No, I need my energy!" Kaemon cried out. By this point, he was almost in Nao's lap and the other boy looked a bit annoyed
"Move over you coward" he said giving his friend a shove. Kaemon complied but continued wolfing his lunch for comfort "Half of these stories are just rumors anyway."
"I guess."
"You better hope it's not true" Umino said, getting rather close to Nao "After all, tomorrow's game would be a prime chance for another attack."
"I'm sure it will be fine. Hey if something goes wrong, maybe we'll get to meet Sailor V."
"That would be cool" Kaemon said
"You bet it would!" Nao replied with a grin "You'll be there of course?"
"Duh, I'd never miss you play."
"Except for the time…"
"No need to go into any of that" Kaemon said with a sour expression "I never said I was perfect. However I will be there tomorrow. You can count on it."
"Awesome!" He held up his hand and the two friends fist bumped
"I'll be there too" Umino said "I may even bring my pom poms to cheer you to victory!"
"I…don't think that's necessary" Nao said
The bell rang and the three kids all jumped slightly in surprise. Umino looked at her watch and said "Oh no, lunch is already over! We can't be late back to class!"
The boys agreed; the group packed up their things and ran back inside the school. As they did, a black cat stepped deeper into the bushes but always kept its eyes trained on Kaemon. The rest of the day passed without event and the final bell was eventually met with much rejoicing.
"Have a good weekend everyone" Haruna Sensei called out as the class prepared to leave "Don't forget to get some studying done though."
Kaemon moaned loudly but this was drowned by the rest of the class going about their business. He joined the rest of the students as they flooded to the front doors. He and Nao chatted a bit more as they changed their shoes, mainly about tomorrow soccer game.
"You'll be great" Kaemon enthusiastically declared while flinging out his arms for emphasis. He whacked another student in the head with his school bag and quickly cowered in apology. The other student rolled their eyes and walked on. A little ways away, the black cat continued to watch with a very unimpressed expression
"Let's just save that energy for tomorrow" Nao said as he led his friend away from the crowd
"Yeah, you're right. See you then"
"See you!"
Soon the two boys were on their way to their respective homes. Kaemon was cheerfully looking forward to watching Nao play tomorrow and the journey home passed quickly. He entered the house with a mental debate of whether to tackle a video game or watch some anime but his mother soon popped that bubble.
"Hi Kaemon! Guess what? I ran into Mrs. Uminio today at the store and she said that you were going to be getting your English tests back today."
Kaemon felt his blood turn cold. How could he possibly get out of this one? He thought of lying, of faking a sudden stomach ache, of quickly eating the test…all sorts of crazy scenarios.
"Well let's see" she smiled and held out her hand
"Ah…the test…well you see…it's the funniest thing…here you go." He watched his own hand shoot out with the test held in it. He braced himself as his mother took it and read it.
"A 30!" she bellowed with a suddenly demonic expression on her face "I did not raise you to have such poor study habits! I am utterly ashamed of you, Kaemon Tsukino!"
He stared at the carpet while his mother continued her tirade. He heard the front door open again and he turned to see his little brother taking his shoes off.
"What's going on?"
"I'm just about to ground your brother for his awful English grades."
What?!" Kaemon cried out "I can't be grounded this weekend, I promised Nao I'd be at his game tomorrow."
"Well we'll just see about that. Perhaps you can earn that privilege with extra chores and studying."
Kaemon made a series of choking sounds while Shingo giggled. "Serves you right, you know. You need to study more."
"Shut up, you little worm! School isn't as hard for you!"
"Leave Shingo alone" Mrs. Tsukino demanded "If you want to go to the big game, there's a kitchen that needs sweeping."
Muttering something about child labor and slavery, Kaemon stomped into the kitchen and grabbed the broom. To add insult to injury, Shingo followed him and grabbed some cookies and milk.
"Ah the perfect afternoon snack. If only I had someone to share it with but cookies are only for good students."
"Say one more word and you won't like where this broom goes. Actually I already owe you a pounding for what you've been saying to the neighbor kids about me."
"What'd I say?"
"That I'm a coward and that I'm in love with Sailor V!"
"So you want me to lie to them, got it!"
"Why you…Take a Sailor V kick!"
Shingo dodged Kaemon's foot and he wound up kicking the counter. "Ouchie!"
"Well what do you expect, pulling foolish stunts like that" his mother said from the doorway. "Get back to work or you'll regret it. Come Shingo, let's go enjoy those cookies in the living room."
Kaemon growled and began to sweep with a vengeance. The resultant dust cloud made him sneeze and stumble backwards into the fridge. "Just do it. Get it over with."
Eventually he had the kitchen looking spotless and his mother rewarded him by making him sit down and study until supper time. His father heard the whole story over supper, including the added details about having to stand in the hallway at school, and wasn't happy at all. It was almost a relief when Kaemon could finally escape upstairs for his evening bath.
The keyword was almost. He and Shingo often shared bath time and tonight was no different. He tried to ignore Shingo's bragging about his new high score he'd achieved while Kaemon had been doing his chores.
"Too bad you couldn't have been there" Shingo said as he rinsed off and then settled into the tub for a nice soak. "I know how you love that game."
Kaemon dumped water over his head to remove the suds and was surprised it didn't boil when it touched his skin. "Will you please be quiet? I knew I should have taken my bath later."
"Ha, you really just want to hurry up and get in bed. You sleep way too much you know…and eat…and whine…and moan…dang, what I wouldn't give for a manlier brother."
"I am manly" Kaemon said as he stood up and glared at his sibling
Shingo gazed calmly at Kaemon's nude body and said, with a slight smirk "Not that manly."
"You horrible bug!" He jumped into the tub, splashing water everywhere, and pulled Shingo into a choke hold.
"Let me go" he managed to twist around and start tickling his big brother. Kaemon released him and began to laugh uncontrollably
"See what I mean? You can be defeated by tickles from someone half your size."
"Anyone would be defeated by such a dirty trick!"
"Hey in there!" Mr. Tsukino called as he pounded on the bathroom door "Do I have to come in there?"
"No Dad" they said as they separated and took their sides of the tub
"Good. We've had enough drama today as it is."
The brothers looked at each other and stuck their tongues out. They didn't soak much longer but quickly dried off and went to their rooms. Kaemon flopped onto his bed with his towel still around his waist. "What a day! God bless the weekend!"
He almost fell asleep right there but he heard something outside of his window. Suddenly remembering what Umino had said at lunch, he popped up and thought of monsters. He ran into his closet and peered around the door. "It's probably nothing. I should just go to sleep quickly."
He put on his pajamas at warp speed and dove under the covers. He shivered with fear but quickly started drifting off to sleep. He heard the noise again, louder this time, and sat up. His window was now open and the black cat from the alley was sitting on the sill.
"Oh, it's the kitty with a bald spot. How'd you get here?"
"It's not a bald spot. That's very rude, you know" the cat said in the voice of a young woman "And I've been observing you all day."
Kaemon's felt like his heart had stopped beating. He was sure the cat had just spoken to him but that couldn't possibly be. "I've cracked…the stress today was too much and I cracked."
"Really now, do you honestly think a bad grade and a few chores can lead to insanity."
"Obviously they can because I'm talking to a cat."
"I'm not just a cat. My name is Luna and I've been looking for you for some time now, Kaemon."
"Wait a minute, how long were at the window just now?"
Luna rolled her eyes and said "I certainly didn't see anything I shouldn't have. I have more manners than that."
"You say that but who knows what you really saw!"
"You changed inside the closet, for crying out loud. Not the most dignified but I suppose it's better than the alternative."
"So you were spying!"
"That's not the point!" Luna cried out in frustration "The point is that while I had my doubts, I'm now sure that you're the one I'm searching for." She looked less than pleased at this fact but went on "There are strange forces attacking this world. Most of the attacks have been on this city and it's getting worse. You must join the battle against the Dark Kingdom."
Kaemon suddenly relaxed and smiled "Oh I get it. I'm dreaming. What's next, dream cat? Do I get to partner with Sailor V?"
"You're not dreaming and as for Sailor V, well you at least have a similar role to play."
"Neat. What do I do?"
Luna sighed and said "For now, get some rest. I'll be back soon to give you more instructions."
"Ok, boss cat lady" Kaemon said with salute. He flopped back onto the pillows and was snoring in seconds
Luna looked at him in silence for a moment and sighed again "This is not going to be easy. Hopefully he'll be more convinced that I'm real in the light of day."
The following morning, Kaemon grunted and rolled over as his phone alarm went off. The noise persisted until he was forced to grope for it. Failing to find it, he sat up and located the annoying device. He looked at the screen and decided to sleep just a little longer. He'd had a strange dream about a talking cat trying to make him into some sort of super hero.
He looked sleepily at the spot where he'd dreamed the cat to be and gasped. A small golden pendant was sitting on the window sill. He grabbed it and examined it. It was round with multicolored circles at the edges and a crescent moon in the center. He'd never seen this necklace before and yet here it was in his hand.
He didn't know what to make of it. Surely the talking cat had been a dream and yet here was a physical object found exactly where'd she had sat. He shivered a bit and looked at the window itself. It was firmly locked and there was no other evidence he'd had a visitor last night. Kaemon got out of bed and walked to his mirror. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he placed the pendant around his neck examined the effect. He shook his head and began to dress. He'd eat breakfast and take a walk before the game to clear his head. As he pulled on a shirt, the strange pendant remained in place beneath it.
At the community soccer fields, already the modest but excited crowd was gathering for the game. In the locker rooms, Nao was encouraging the team to play their very best.
"Come on guys! Let's get out there and give it our all."
"Of course we will" a team mate said with a smile
"I mean really give it 100%, let's show some energy!"
"Um, sure thing" the teammate responded while his smile slipped a little
"Go team go!" Nao shouted and some of the other boys shouted with him
"Gosh someone must had caffeine with breakfast" one boy said to another in a whisper
Kaemon was still absently walking the streets. He had pulled the necklace from under his shirt was staring at it as he walked. Could one of his parents have given it to him? No, that didn't make sense; he was hardly into "bling" and they weren't very happy with him at the moment anyway. Shingo certainly wouldn't give him something like this either.
"Could it all actually be real? Could I be some sort of superhero?" He thought of the Sailor V game in the arcade; that had some pretty scary things in it. Sure Kaemon had always dreamed of being something cool but he was more into the fame and not the battling.
So lost in thought was he that he walked headlong into someone on the sidewalk. The collision caused both of them to lose their footing and fall to the pavement. Many other pedestrians had to act quickly to avoid becoming part of the pileup.
"Stop daydreaming watch where you're going, you space case!" The other person spat angrily
"It was an accident, no need to be rude!" Kaemon snapped
He now focused on the person he'd run into; it was a girl with long dark hair. She was older than him but looked equally annoyed at the moment. "Oh yes, anyone else could be daydreaming about their jewelry and nearly break my ankle."
"Oh don't be a drama queen" Kaemon said getting to his feet "I trip all the time and I've never broken an ankle."
"Ha, so you are a space case" she waited another second or two to see if he'd help her up and then managed on her own "And rude too."
"Rude? You're the rude one, calling me names."
"I'm just calling it as I see it."
"I don't have to take this; I have better places to be."
"The hospital perhaps, to visit more victims of your clumsiness."
"No! I have a…" he grabbed her wrist and looked at her watch "a soccer game that you've just made me late to!"
"That is certainly not my fault" she said yanking her hand back "The fields are that way, I'd hate to see you daydream your way clear across Tokyo."
"I know where I'm going! Good day to you!"
"Same to you space case."
"Stop calling me that!"
The girl simply dusted off her skirt and continued on her way. Kaemon made a face at her and hurried off towards the fields.
The game had not been going for very long but Nao and his team were already sweating from their effort. In response, the other team was kicking their energy levels into high gear. Even the audience seemed to be shouting and waving a bit more than they might normally. In the front row, Umino was clad in a cheerleading outfit and was dancing around with huge pom poms. She stumbled a little and yawned. Momentarily stunned by this, she quickly resumed her routine but with less vigor. All around her people were starting to flag in their cheering and more and more began to yawn.
On the field, the players too were slowing down. Only Nao was exempt from this phenomenon. "Yes, so much energy! I must act quickly before something interferes but it seems that this too shall be a good harvest!"
A little ways off from the stadium, a frustrated Kaemon was waiting for a crosswalk light to turn green. "Come on, come on, I'm already late. Nao is going to be mad at me."
The light turned green and he bolted across the street before anyone else had even moved. He turned a few more corners and was entering the stands. He stopped dead and gazed in horror upon a field covered by unconscious players. He glanced around and saw that the people in the stands were also slumped over. Only one player was still standing and Kaemon backed into the shadows before this person saw him. His horror mounted as he saw that the player was Nao, at Nao with glowing eyes and a demonic cackle.
Kaemon backed back out of the stadium and made a run for the nearby restrooms. The men's room was empty and Kaemon allowed himself to cry a little. "What's going on? Is Nao a monster?"
"No" a voice said behind him. He spun and dried his eyes enough to see Luna. "I've seen this before; it's likely that your friend has simply been replaced."
"Luna! This…this is the men's room."
"Seriously, that's what you focus on?" the cat exclaimed in frustration. "Those people are being drained of energy and that creature out there will do it again if we let it escape. We have mere moments to act."
"It really is true, isn't it?" Kaemon said in a thick voice "I'm a superhero."
Luna nodded and said "Do you want to help those people and save your friend?"
"No! I mean…what do I do?"
"You must become Sailor Moon. That pendant I gave you is the key. Simply say 'Moon Prism Power, Make Up!'"
Kaemon held the small golden charm in his hand and said "Mo…Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
The effect was instantaneous. Kaemon was bathed in strange reddish pink energy and his clothing melted away. Instantly (or was it a few minutes, time seemed to have gone a bit funny) new clothes formed from the energy itself. He could feel himself growing stronger as well. Suddenly it was all over.
He turned to the mirror and observed his clothes. He was dressed in what seemed to be a simple sailor suit complete with hat. His cuffs and collar were blue with tall red boots, a red belt, and a long red neckerchief. This red cloth was fastened by the pendant which now was the size and function of a bolo tie.
"Oh my gosh…oh my gosh…I actually…it's like an anime or something."
"No it's very real" Luna said "And you are very much needed out there."
He was still shivering but he said "I'll do my best!"
Out on the field, the creature grinned widely and said "There! What a nice crop of energy. Master Jadite will be most pleased."
"I am most certainly not pleased!" a voice called out
The glowing eyed Nao looked around and saw a strange youth in a sailor suit standing on the field. "You're not Sailor V…who are you?"
"I…" Kaemon remembered all of the times he'd fantasized being a superhero, all of the games he'd once played with Shingo. He decided to use some of that material now "I am the champion of justice! The guardian of truth and goodness! You have ruined this day of good natured competition and attacked these innocent people and that makes me angry! I am Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" He struck what he hoped was a dramatic pose with one arm crossed across the other and pointing straight at the monster.
Luna, who was standing a little further back, asked "Was all of that really necessary?"
"Yes it was, don't you watch TV?"
The monster was equally unimpressed. "It doesn't matter who you are, you seem like a scrub ripe for energy harvesting." Kaemon watched in horror as the features of his best friend twisted and wrinkled and merged. A tall beast with brown wrinkled skin, wild hair, and black clothes now stood in that spot. "I am the monster Morgaan and I will not be deterred from my mission."
"Um, Luna, what do I do now? You haven't taught me how to fight?"
Morgaan laughed wildly at this and said "You're hardly worth my time. I think my new friends will handle this!"
The monster raised his arms and the both soccer teams stood up. Their eyes were blank and lifeless but they moved quickly enough. Kaemon screamed and ran from this mob of zombie middle school students.
"Touch the broach!" Luna called out "You can summon your weapon if you do that!"
"Weapon? I can't fight these guys, they're just hypnotized or something." As soon as he finished speaking, one of the kids who had circled in front of him, kicked the ball with all his strength. Kaemon swore as the ball as the ball struck him right between the legs. He clutched his crotch and dropped to his knees while Morgaan was crippled with hysterics. The zombie players began to punch and kick Kaemon with vicious strength.
"It hurts, I hate this!"
Suddenly Morgaan screamed and the players stepped limply back. Kaemon looked up and saw the monster clutching a scratch on his face. A rose was embedded in the ground nearby and Kaemon looked in the other direction to see who that thrown it. A beautiful lady was standing high in the stands. She was dressed in a black, tuxedo like leotard with dark stockings. A domino mask concealed her face and the overall effect was that of a lady stage magician.
"Don't cry Sailor Moon" she said in a strong, heroic voice "All of these people are depending upon you."
"I can't!" his voice cracked as he wailed in fear and frustration "I can't help anyone! I'm just useless!"
His frantic voice reached a new pitch and Morgaan covered his ears in pain. The soccer zombies too were stunned by this high pitched whining. Perhaps it was some magic of his new form that caused this but it allowed Kaemon a chance to move to clear space in a wobbly run. He looked quickly around; at the lady in the stands, at the unconscious audience, at the beast that had stolen his friend's form. He mentally kicked himself for his cowardice and slammed his hand down on the broach. A golden boomerang with a red jewel in its center manifested in his hand and Luna ran to his side.
"Now Sailor Moon" she encouraged "throw that at the monster and shout out 'Moon Boomerang Action'"
"Ok" he took aim at Morgaan and shouted "Moon Boomerang Action!"
The weapon flew with surprising speed and accuracy. It glowed brightly and sliced right through the monster's chest. As it returned to Kaemon's hand, Morgaan clutched at his wound as he his body crumbled into a pile of sand. A wave of what Kaemon guessed to be energy erupted from the sand and bathed the players and audience members alike. They began to stir and Luna beamed.
"They'll be alright now. In fact I suspect they'll wake up any minute."
"I did it! I actually did it!"
"Indeed you did" the lady magician said with pride "I hope to meet you again, Sailor Moon." She waved and jumped backwards over the back of the stands.
Kaemon stared at the spot where she'd been with a goofy grin and a blush in his cheeks. He was snapped out of his daze by the voices of people around him. "What happened?" "Is that Sailor V?" "I don't think so…"
"Um…you'll be fine now citizens. I must be on my way."
Kaemon ran from the field with Luna at his heels. "We really need to work on your style and confidence but I suppose all's well that ends well."
"Thanks…I think."
A while later, reporters and medics were swarming all over the field. Kaemon, back in civilian clothes, was sitting with Nao. "I went into the locker room early this morning to get ready and something clobbered me from behind. Just a little bit ago, I woke up in a broom closet."
"Oh wow, what a terrible experience" Kaemon said "Do, um, do they know who saved everyone?"
"No! Some people say it was Sailor V but others insist the costume was wrong. Gosh, I wish I could meet whoever they are."
"Perhaps you will one day" Kaemon said in a quiet voice
A blonde man in a dark uniform was not pleased. He was standing in a dimly lit stone chamber reviewing the battle in a crystal ball. "All of that energy…lost. The King will not be pleased. I swear Sailor Moon, I will not forget this day!"
Kaemon was sitting crossed legged on his bed just staring down at the transformation pendant. He was happy that everyone was alright but at the moment he just felt confusion and dread. Why did he specifically have to fight these monsters? How was he going to explain all this to his family? His injuries were already healing but his mother had noticed some bruising on his arms. She had quickly dismissed it as his usual clumsiness but what if he came home with broken arm or something.
"We need to start training you right away" Luna said. Kaemon wasn't even surprised that she was now sitting on his window sill again "The next attack could be at any time."
Kaemon simply sighed.
And episode one is now finished! What adventures await our reluctant hero in the future?
By the way, I am trying my best to be accurate with the Japanese characters and culture but am willing to admit to possible mistakes. If anyone has any advice in this area or just notes in general, reviews are appreciated.
