The Wiseman gazed at the female figure kneeling before him. He chuckled to himself softly as the dark thrill of having someone bow to him prickled his discolored skin. The woman glanced up at the noise, her aqua blue eyes flashing.
"Rubius is a fool!" she hissed at the Wiseman. He will never succeed in taking the star points of Crystal Tokyo."
"Peace, young one," the Wiseman sneered. "Your brother's assignment is of no concern to you." The woman stood up from her knees and walked back a few steps. Her black wavy hair flowed around her shoulders contrasting the blue-gray of her loose robe. She glared coldly at the wrinkled figure sitting before her.
"Then why did you summon me?" she clenched her fists. "I will not stand for petty odd-jobs while my brother botches all efforts for control of Crystal Tokyo. Give me something worthwhile to do or leave me alone."
"Don't worry, I think you'll find my requests and assignment very worthwhile," the Wiseman chuckled again. The woman crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. The Wiseman continued, "Crystal Tokyo is the center of Neo-Queen Serenity's kingdom in the future, but no one has ever considered the rest of earth. While Rubius is busy with Tokyo, the rest of the world will be completely unsuspecting. The people of other countries would never think that such things could happen in their own cities, and they would be totally unprepared. They could be conquered swiftly and easily." The woman shifted her weight and tucked a stray hair behind one ear.
"But what about Sailor Moon and her cohorts? They've foiled two of Rubius' attempts so far," she snapped. The Wiseman shook his head in mock pity.
"My dear, Sailor Moon and her brat pack live in Tokyo and travel on foot. They will never know of our presence in other lands." The woman looked surprised for a moment before her expressions turned to suspicion.
"Then where do you want me to start?" she asked.
"I've chosen a land that's seen its share of wars and grief. Its people now long for peace and unity, and will be too busy working to rebuild their country to notice our presence. By the time anything is suspected, enough people will be under our control that it will be too late," his voice trailed off into a whisper. The woman grinned.
"I see," she replied. "Which land have you chosen?" The Wiseman cackled.
"I knew you would be reasonable. The place I have chosen is the city of Hamburg in the European country of Germany." The woman nodded. "Take with you whomever you wish and who is reliable. I will NOT tolerate failure - your brother does well enough at that without your help."
"I understand, wise one," the woman held up her right hand in a fist. "I won't fail you..."
Erika sat on her bed inspecting the most recent additions to her cat scratch collection. Cynthia sat on the window ledge letting the late afternoon breeze dry out her fur. The white and tan patches stood out in spiky wet clumps after Erika's fairly successful attempt at a bath, and the cat had taken to licking her fur furiously while ignoring Erika.
"Well, I suppose you still have the same fears and instincts of a cat, even if you can talk," Erika looked up at the miffed feline. Cynthia merely glared in return. Erika chuckled softly to herself. "At least you smell better."
"There was nothing wrong with the way I smelled! I can certainly say that you wouldn't have smelled any better if you'd spent the last few months in garbage heaps and alleyways - besides, it would have gone away in time," Cynthia growled.
"Yeah, maybe so. But in the mean time, that stench was something awful. You saw my mother's reaction when I asked to keep you," Erika retorted. Still nursing her injured pride, Cynthia glared hard at Erika and returned to licking. She knew she wouldn't win this argument.
A few hours later, Erika closed her Physics book and sighed. For some strange reason she just wasn't able to concentrate on anything tonight. She looked over to the old ice skate box next to her closet. Cynthia had taken a liking to one of her old blankets and was now curled up in the box on the blanket asleep. Erika stretched her legs and stood up. Maybe she'd check out the news. Quietly, she opened the bedroom door and made her way to the kitchen. Her mother was in the front room watching TV and her brother was probably in his room finishing up his homework or listening to CDs. Her father was working late tonight and wasn't home yet. Erika flipped on the light above the kitchen table and grabbed the newspaper sitting on the edge of the counter. But before she could open it, she was overwhelmed with a strong sense of urgency. Curious, she glanced around the room. Her mother hadn't moved and nothing was out of the ordinary. Then her right middle finger tingled. She looked down at the gold ring Cynthia had given her - Cynthia! Erika raced back to her room to find the cat standing rigid at the window sill. Her tail twitched.
"What's going on!" Erika demanded as the feeling grew stronger.
"I'm not sure," Cynthia answered. "But it may be time to try out your Sailor skills." Erika blinked in surprise.
"You mean now?"
"Yes!" The urgent feeling quickly squelched her hesitation. She took a deep breath and braced herself.
"Okay - QUASAR LIGHT POWER!" Cynthia turned to look outside so she wouldn't be blinded by the light of the transformation. Something about the night made the fur on her back rise and she hissed. She glanced back again to see Erika in her Sailor uniform ready for action.
"Let's go!" Cynthia leapt out the open window to the cobblestone street below. Erika followed and landed in a graceful crouch beside her.
"You lead the way," she called. Cynthia gave a quick nod and bounded toward the outskirts of the city with Erika hot on her heels.
A short while later, the two rounded a corner and found themselves in a small square. Everything was dark and quiet, and the only light came from the half moon that glowed overhead. Across the square, Erika could make out three shadows moving silently.
"Who are they?" she asked the cat.
"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like they're up to anything good," Cynthia trailed off as the voice from one of the figures reached them. The words were difficult to make out, but cruel laughter could be heard. It sounded like a woman's voice. Erika and Cynthia backed into the shadows as the three figures walked into the dim light.
"Remember," said the faint female voice. "The two of you must act quickly and silently. If anyone becomes alarmed then our cover will be blown. I will NOT tolerate failure. If I wanted that I'd be working with Rubius to gain control of Crystal Tokyo. Have I made myself clear?" The woman's pale face shown in the light and Erika thought she could make out a dark smudge on her forehead. The other two figures bowed quickly to the woman.
"Yes, Saphrina," one answered.
"Good!" the woman snapped. The air around her suddenly grew darker than the night, and then she was gone.
"So now what do we do?" Erika asked the cat in a harsh whisper.
"Well, you could start by shedding some light on the situation so we can see who they are," Cynthia replied.
"How?" Erika shrugged.
"That's your department," Cynthia looked baffled. "You were the one trained as a senshi, remember?"
"That was a thousand years ago!" Erika's whisper broke in a squeak.
"So...?" Cynthia looked impatient. "We're running out of time, they're about to leave. Just do what seems natural." Erika bit her lip as she tried desperately to remember what to do. Then inspiration struck. Putting her hands together like she was going to pray, she shouted,
"Quasar illumination!" and pushed her hands out in front of her. The square was instantly filled with an intense light that baffled the two men standing in the center.
"What the - ?" one started. "Let's get out of here!" The two bolted down a narrow street across from where Erika and Cynthia stood. This time, Erika sped after them first with Cynthia following.
"Don't let them get away!" Cynthia cried as the two raced through the narrow streets. Erika didn't answer, though, since she was using her full concentration to try and keep track of the swift shadows. Finally, she stopped in a vacant lot, exhausted. She could no longer see the two shadows of the men.
"We've got to keep going!" Cynthia urged. Erika bent over, resting her hands on her knees.
"I can't see them anymore. Besides, I need to catch my breath," she managed to say between breaths.
"Oh good, just what we need. Two enemies roaming freely through the streets of Hamburg," Cynthia remarked.
"I'm sorry Cynthia," Erika puffed. "Look, I tried. I'm just not in very good shape, and they're a lot faster than me." Cynthia sighed.
"Then they're definitely our enemies."
"What makes you so sure?" Erika stood up and started walking around, trying to stop the blood from pounding in her head.
"Well, as a Sailor Senshi, your physical abilities are augmented. That means you can run as fast, or faster than anyone, and you didn't have any trouble keeping up with me. If those two can outrun you, then they're definitely not human."
"Wonderful," Erika ran her hand across her eyes to wipe the sweat out of them. Then she took off her tiara and started drying it with her skirt. Cynthia watched disapprovingly.
"You know, since it's dark, I really don't think anyone's going to mind what you look like," the cat quipped.
"It's not that," Erika shook her head at the feline. "It's preventative maintenance."
"For what?"
"So I don't break out on my forehead," she grinned.
"Oh great," the cat rolled her eyes. "We lose our enemies in a chase, and she worries about zits."
"Hey! You can never be too careful," she smiled as she replaced the tiara.
"Maybe you should keep that in mind, Sailor!" a gruff voice mocked just behind the pair. Erika and Cynthia spun around to face... something. It hovered a few centimeters above the ground, and whether it was male of female was nearly impossible to tell in the dark.
"Quasar illumination!" The vacant lot burst into bright light, leaving both Erika and Cynthia blinking. The thing, sparkling in what looked like jeweled armor, didn't flinch.
"Who are you!" Erika demanded. The being laughed richly.
"No one to be trifled with, and that's all you need to know," it replied.
"Then what do you want?"
"A simple thing, really - your death," a grin spread across its face.
"I don't think so," Erika snapped. "I am Sailor Quasar, defender of the center of our galaxy! My home was already destroyed once, and I won't stand by while my new home is in danger. With the light of the galaxy, I'll defeat you!" Surprised by her own outburst, Erika gaped at the sparkling being.
"Nice speech," Cynthia muttered. Erika glanced down and shrugged.
"It just popped out, sorry."
The being burst into a fit of laughter. "So, Sailor, you think you can defeat an experienced warrior like me with light? Let's see how this works!" The being sent a shock of black energy toward Erika. Totally unprepared, it plunged right into her midsection, knocking her flat on her back.
"Ow," she groaned. "That didn't feel good." Struggling, she pulled herself up to a standing position and faced the being - this time with a little less confidence. She needed a second to think, to remember an attack that would at least weaken her opponent. "Cynthia do something," she begged the cat. The being laughed again.
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," it mocked, circling the pair. Cynthia looked disgusted and scowled at Erika.
"I need time to remember an attack," she explained to the disgruntled feline. "Hopefully only a few seconds." Even as she spoke, Erika's mind was whirling through the memories of her previous life, searching. Without a word, Cynthia leaped at the being's most vulnerable spot - the eyes. Surprised, it took the thing a split second to realize what was happening, but it was enough. As it effortlessly swatted the cat to the ground, Erika concentrated her strength and jumped toward it. She landed a sharp punch in the thing's midsection, between armor plates. An audible groan escaped the being, but it whirled fast enough to catch Erika by her long braid. Erika was jerked to the ground by the sudden halt, and her head pounded with sharp stabs of pain. Blurry-eyed, she crawled to her knees and tried not to wretch from the pain. As she gasped for cool air, she noticed that Cynthia was lying unconscious on the ground, and realized she was completely alone for the moment. This could very well be the end of her, unless some kind of miracle occurred. Through the throbbing pain, she could hear the being laughing somewhere above her, and realized that the light had faded from the vacant lot.
"This is almost too easy. It's a pity that you had to die in your first fight, though," sarcasm filled the comment. Carefully, Erika stood up again to face the creature. Grasping her stomach, she began to gather her strength again. The being seemed to like mocking her, and as long as she looked like she was in pain, it went on doing so. Out of the corner of her eye, Erika saw Cynthia stir.
"This isn't over yet, monster," Erika spat. The being chuckled, highly amused at the sight of this girl trying to win. Erika summoned all of the strength she had and jumped high into the air. With a swift twist, she managed to nail the monster in the side of the head with a kick. Howling in pain, the thing grabbed for Erika's leg, but this time missed. Erika landed in a crouch behind it. Cynthia was now sitting up, somewhat dazed from being knocked to the ground.
"Cynthia, if there's anything you haven't told me that I should know, now is the time," Erika called to her companion. The cat just moaned. Erika now found herself dodging subsequent blasts of dark energy as fast as she could, jumping and landing only to jump again. Within a few minutes, she felt like she would collapse from exhaustion if this didn't stop. Aching and partly blinded from the tears and sweat, Erika felt her reflexes beginning to fade. Just as she was about to give up, she noticed a small white streak fly towards the monster's head from behind. This time, the monster was too busy to notice, and suddenly found itself clawing at the white and tan fur that had latched onto the top of its head. Instinctively, Erika pulled her tiara from her forehead and held it to her chest with both hands. Before she realized it, she had called,
"Quasar Energy Incineration!" and thrust the tiara out in front of her. A hot white ball of energy burst from the jewel on the tiara and grew to engulf the enemy. Cynthia jumped out of the way just as the ball reached the monster, and turned in time to see the final ashes of the being fade into oblivion. Exhausted, the novice Sailor Senshi fell to her knees and began to sob. Cynthia carefully walked to her and waited until the sobs has calmed down a bit.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her own body aching from the fight. Erika looked up at the cat and nodded, even though her eyes were still filled with tears and pain.
"Let's go home," Erika sniffed through her tears. "I think the walk will do me some good." Cynthia nodded and Erika pulled herself to her feet. The two gingerly picked their way through the city towards home.
About an hour later, Erika flopped onto her bed exhausted. She had showered and washed the dirt from her cuts and bruises, but her head still hurt from her hair being yanked so hard, and her muscles were already starting to stiffen from all of the physical activity. It would probably take at least 20 minutes for the aspirin to take effect. Turning carefully, she looked down at the cat bathing herself in the ice-skate box.
"So, is this what I'm to expect every time?" she asked.
"I don't know," Cynthia looked up from her bath. "This was the first time for me as well." Erika nodded slowly.
"But do you know if this was particularly bad or strong, or anything like that?" Erika desperately hoped that it wouldn't be this difficult all the time.
"Well, if my contacts with the other guardian cats have taught me anything, it's that you should never expect the same thing twice. That to me would mean that it only gets harder." Erika groaned and eased herself under the covers.
"Well, at least we won," she said, hardly excited about the whole situation. "I wonder if Ami knows any of the Sailor Senshi in Tokyo..."
"Who's Ami?" Cynthia asked.
"Oh, a girl I met in a chat room about the Sailor Senshi. She's lives in Tokyo and she's really smart, and very nice. Maybe I'll ask her." Erika yawned and reached over to turn off her lamp.
"Are you going to tell her about this?" Cynthia sounded nervous.
"I dunno, why?"
"Because I think it would be a big mistake to tell anyone about you being a Senshi, no matter how nice they are."
"Oh Cynthia, you worry too much. Besides, if I do, and she knows them, maybe I could get some advice." Erika heard a low growl come from the cat, and she knew she'd better stop talking about it. "Oh fine. Good night, Cynthia," she yawned again.
"Good night Erika," Cynthia sighed.