"Who are you?" Sirius demanded, taking on a protective stance. The blonde senshi smiled and pushed her bangs out of her face.
"Born with the power of light, sailor suited pretty soldier, Sailor Alania! On behalf of the ruined Planet of Light, you will be vanquished!" She pointed a decorated katana at the flaming dog. "Alania Celestial Katana STRIKE!" A bright light surrounded the blade of her katana. Alania leapt from the lamppost and ran at the large dog. In a single sweep, her blade ripped right through it, and it disintegrated, leaving a pile of red glitter on the ground where it once stood. A black crystal landed in the pile. Alania picked it up and showed it to Venus and Sirius. "See this? This is the heart of the demon you just fought. Aim for its heart. That's how you destroy it…and once it's become a pile of dust…" She wrapped her fist around the crystal, and then opened it, letting the dust that was left hit the ground, "…destroy its heart." Alania looked at the two. "I won't help you again. I'm not a babysitter. I have my own mission." Alania looked over at Sirius. "You and I will be talking again very soon, Sailor Sirius." Alania turned, and walked away.
"Wait…."
Alania turned to look back at them. "Yes….?"
Sirius stepped forward. "Do I know you?"
Alania smiled. "You used to. You'll be seeing a few senshi with fukus similar to mine….if they're telling something to attack you…and if they're looking for Princess Serenity, they're not your allies."
Venus crossed her arms. "How do we know we can trust you?" Alania smirked, hands now folded behind her as she walked backwards.
"You can't…until you remember." She gave a slight bow. "Jaa ne." With that, she leapt into the air, and disappeared.
"Who was that…?" Venus asked.
Sirius shook her head. "I'm not sure….but I know her from somewhere. She seems so familiar."
"Ah! Anoa-chan!"
The blonde lifted those sapphire eyes from her book, to a pigtailed blonde rushing over to her, pulling the arm of an older boy with short black hair. Anoa smiled softly. "Konnichi wa, Tsukino-san."
Usagi blinked, only now realizing that Anoa was wearing the uniform of Juuban High. Usagi tilted her head. "You go to my old school!"
Anoa blinked. "Really? I just transferred there. It's so hard to keep up, they speak so fast." Usagi giggled. Anoa looked over at the boy. "Usagi-chan…? Who's this?" she asked.
Usagi grinned. "This is my boyfriend. Chiba Mamoru."
Anoa stood and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Mamoru nodded, and held out his hand. Anoa blinked, grinned, and shook it. "It's wonderful to meet you," he said, speaking English.
Anoa took a moment to pick out his Japanese accent, but she couldn't help but feel relieved. "You speak English?" He nodded. The two continued talking for a moment, until Anoa realized how totally lost Usagi was. "Ah! Gomen ne, Usagi-chan."
Usagi shook her head. "Um….Anoa-chan, Mamo-chan and I are going to Hikawa Jinga to hang out with a bunch of my friends. Would you like to come?" Anoa was about to say more, when a male voice called her name. She turned. A boy with short sandy blonde hair rushed over to them. He was handsome, and his blue eyes were strikingly beautiful. His form was slender, but slightly muscular. He wore a simple t-shirt and jeans.
"Anoa, there you are! I told you to wait for me."
Anoa blinked. "I did….in a place where I could sit down and read."
The boy rolled his eyes. "Dad's gonna be pissed if we're late, Anoa."
Anoa bit her lip. "Could you cover for me? Usagi just asked me to go with her to Hikawa Jinga to meet her friends."
Jason looked over at Mamoru and Usagi and sighed. "All right, but don't be home too late."
Anoa grinned and hugged him, then looked over at her friends. "Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san, this is Jason. My brother." Usagi grinned and bowed. Jason returned the bow, then shook Mamoru's hand. He turned back to Anoa.
"I'll see you when you get home." He kissed Anoa's forehead, and headed off.
Anoa turned back to Usagi and Mamoru, smiling brightly. "Shall we be off?"
When they arrived at Hikawa Jinga, Usagi led Anoa inside. Anoa quickly exchanged her street shoes for a pair of white slippers, set out for guests. Anoa nearly tripped as she followed Usagi down the hall, and into a comfy room with a large table, cushions spread out around it, a television, a few posters, and a bookcase with a ton of manga. Anoa looked around at the group of five girls who were waiting for them. Two caught her eye immediately. The two Usagi introduced Minako and Tanya. Anoa bowed as Usagi introduced her to the group, and she sat down beside Tanya, shifting a little as she sat there. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she stated.
"Anoa, where are you from? Your accent isn't familiar to me," Rei questioned.
Anoa met Rei's violet eyes and smiled. "Actually, I'm not from Japan," Anoa answered, "…though, I figure you've guessed that all ready. I'm from England, actually." Minako's eyes lit up.
"Really?" the blonde asked, "What's it like?"
"It's wonderful…..the cities aren't as packed as Japan…I lived in a small town…it was really old fashioned. I remember walking to school every morning. I'd pass the Bakery and say hello to the Baker. He's known me since I was little….he'd give me a fresh roll from the oven to eat on my way to school. There's also this really pretty lake that my sisters, my brother, and I would go swim in with the all the other kids."
Tanya sighed. "It sounds beautiful. Like something out of one of those romantic movies."
Anoa nodded. "Why did you move?" Ami asked.
Anoa sighed. "My dad's an author….and he takes his ideas from the people we live with. Unfortunately, not all of those ideas are good ideas. Apparently he published a story about something very private that had to do with one of our neighbors. No one was very happy about it after that, so we moved." The girls looked surprised. Anoa shrugged. "…apparently my mom was from Japan…but she died before I could meet her. Right after my little sister Carrie was born." The others looked confused. Anoa giggled. "I thought Usagi would have told you. I'm adopted."
"That explains a lot," Mamoru stated. Anoa silenced, feeling as if she was talking too much. She listened to the girls talk about their own families, and she was pleased to hear about Usagi's younger brother, and agreed to have both Usagi and Shingo over for dinner sometime soon to meet her younger sisters. Anoa grew intrigued by the girls' stories, but it was something Tanya said that caught her ears.
"I was talking to Yaten-kun on the phone yesterday. Their tour is almost over. He, Seiya, and Taiki are coming back to Tokyo for the last concert in this tour. They're singing with a Foreign singer from England." Tanya looked at Anoa. "Do you know who she is, Anoa?"
Anoa nodded, her cheeks turning scarlet. "….me," she answered. The girls' looked shocked. "Seiya and I are old friends…when he heard I released my first album, we talked about doing a concert together….when I sent word that I was moving here, he asked me to sing at this concert with them when they return. I didn't know you guys knew him."
Usagi nodded. "They went to high school with us."
Anoa's eyes widened. "So YOU'RE the Usagi he was talking about. I should have guess from your hairstyle."
Hours had passed, and Makoto had even cooked them dinner. Anoa finally stood. "I need to get home. I promised my brother that I wouldn't stay out to late. Dinner was wonderful, Mako-chan. I hope to see you all again."
Tanya stood. "I'll walk you to the door," she offered. Anoa nodded and gathered her things. Tanya led her to the door. "It was really nice meeting you," Tanya stated.
Anoa nodded. "I'm glad I finally got you alone…I've been wanting to talk to you since I met you…Sailor Sirius." Tanya's eyes widened. "How did you know….?"
Anoa chuckled. "Never mind that. Right now isn't the proper time…meet me in Juuban Park tomorrow at three….and…tell Marco that Selene says hello. If he remembers everything…then he'll know who you're talking about. Jaa ne." With that, Anoa slipped out of the white slippers, and back into her school shoes. She stepped outside, and made her way down the large staircase, back onto the main road. She knows who I am, now…she'll tell Usagi and the others, no doubt. Lela won't like this at all. Anoa was pulled from her thoughts by a silent mew. Anoa's sapphire eyes darted around, until she spotted it; a beautiful blueish black cat with the symbol of a moon and star on its forehead. "Who might you be?" She walked over and lifted the cat into her arms. "That symbol…c'mon, let me take you home."
It wasn't long before Anoa arrived home. "I'm home! Sorry I'm late!" Anoa silenced as she was hushed by Ran, one of the older two over her five younger sisters. Anoa stepped into her room, where a beautiful, silver-grey cat was waiting for her. "Hello, Selene. I'm sorry I wasn't home sooner….but look who I found on the way home." Anoa placed the stray cat on the bed. "He's asleep…but look at that symbol on his forehead. Is he a guardian like you?" Selene didn't answer. She simply moved over to the stray cat and nudged him. The male cat groaned and sat up. His beautiful emerald eyes darted from Anoa, to Selene.
"Where am I?" he demanded in fluent English.
Anoa tilted her head. "That's an odd way to say thank you…" she stated.
The cat nodded his head. "Forgive me…and my appearance. I've not had an easy time."
Anoa nodded. "I can see that…and don't worry about the way you look…hold on a minute." Anoa disappeared from the room, and returned with a first aid kit. She got to work, bandaging the cat's wounds. "Hold still, okay? Obviously, you're a guardian like Selene. My name is Anoa. I'm Sailor Alania…which senshi are you the guardian of?" she asked.
The cat nodded. "My name is Vespa. I'm looking for Sailor Cernunnos." Anoa was about to speak, when a voice caught her ears.
"Y'know…you better stop-'Noa, that thing could be carrying fleas! Just look at it!" Anoa let those sapphire eyes dart to her older brother.
Anoa gave a pout. "But he was all alone out there, Jason! And he's hurt! Once he's been cleaned up, and given a bath, he'll be just fine!" Anoa ran her fingers over Vespa's fur. "He's not wearing any tags...and you know Dad. He's got just as much as a soft spot for animals as myself. Besides, Selene's been needing a playmate, right Selene?" Anoa patted her own grey cat's head with a smile. "I'll take care of him, Jason. You know me." Anoa smiled at her brother a moment. She and Jason were close. It was hard to tell that the girl was adopted, save for those pointed ears of hers. Everyone believed them to be a birth defect. The result of her mother doing drugs, or something. She stood and walked over to her brother, giving him those adorable puppy dog eyes that he couldn't resist...and he wondered where Carrie and Mandi learned it from. Jason gave one last disgusted look to Vespa, and sighed.
"Yeah, dad does love animals, but will he love it when you get worms, or something of the sort?" He raised both eyebrows in challenge this time, rolling his eyes as she threw the 'puppy eyes' card. Oi. Now the whole household seemed to know it was his weakness, all the littler ones were slowly picking up on Anoa.
"Oh, come off it." He smirked, reaching out and tousling her long blonde hair for a moment. He gave the dirty and grimey cat another unsatisfied glance before shrugging. "I supposed I can live with it, if it doesn't infect me with any unknown diseases, or something of the sort." He smirked, throwing a playful wink at her. "And quit with those puppy eyes! You're ruining my manly essence." Anoa giggled and kissed her brother's cheek.
She turned and lifted Vespa into her arms. "I guess I should have given you a bath before bandaging you up…oh well." She headed into the bathroom with Vespa.
The next afternoon found Anoa sitting in Juuban Park, a book in her lap as she waited for Tanya. Two other girls were with Anoa. A tall girl with light green eyes, and pink hair, cut short so that it shaped her tomboyish face. She wore a t-shirt with characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas decorating the front, a pair of torn, faded blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. The second girl had long green hair, pulled back into a simple ponytail. Her eyes were pink, and hidden behind glasses that had a thick, black, square frame. She wore a simple white, tank-topped dress, ankle socks, and white sneakers.
"Where is she, Anoa?" The taller, pink-haired teen asked.
Anoa looked up from her book. "I don't know, Lela….hey, Carmen, what time is it?"
The green-haired girl looked at her watch. "Three fifteen," she answered.
Anoa pouted. "She's late…"
"Sorry I'm late!" Anoa looked up as Tanya rushed over, a golden retriever beside her.
Anoa smiled. "Hello, Marco."
The dog stared at her, surprised. "You're older…" he stated.
Anoa nodded. "Unlike everyone else, I wasn't reborn…because of my Alanian blood."
Tanya looked flabbergasted. "You're Sailor Alania!?" Anoa hushed her. "Come on…my house isn't far from here. We'll talk there." Anoa stood and placed her book in her bag. She turned to head home, only to bump into the chest of a taller boy. Anoa stared up at him, and blushed. The boy was quite handsome. Shaggy blue-tipped black hair hung in his ice-blue eyes. He wore a brown t-shirt with a picture of the world with a crown over top on it, and faded blue jeans. Anoa bowed slightly. "Gomenasai."
The boy smiled. "Daijoubu. No harm done. I'm Jobe. Jobe Heart."
