Cyber Moon: Chronicles.
Act 1: Gathering.
Episode 7: Mad Ninja Skills.
By Razor Knight
Last update: January 19, 2006
Usagi walked into the classroom, getting confused stares from most of her classmates. "The way they're looking at me, one'd think it's the first time I make it here in time," she commented as she took her seat besides her childhood friends, Naru and Umino.
"Well," the nerdy-looking Umino said as he adjusted his inch-thick glasses, "it is the first time you make it in time."
The blonde frowned. Not her fault, at least not the last few weeks. If only the youma learnt to attack by daylight... "Hmph!"
"Have you heard the rumors?" One of the male classmates said walking by.
"Rumors?"
"About Sailor V," the boy said.
"What about her, Kai?" Umino asked the brown-haired boy.
"She... Was seen in London two days ago, fighting some monkey-like monster," Kai said.
"What? Why is she in London? She should be here, protecting her home, " Umino said.
"Maybe because she knows the brave Sailor Moon is here to take care of things," Usagi commented.
"... Maybe," Kai said as he walked off. "But from what witnesses say, Moon acts quite unbravely in battle."
Usagi glared daggers at the guy's back, then sighed. Not her fault, either, those youma were scary.
Fortunately for her, now she had Ami and Rei to help. True, she didn't get along with Rei, but when she needed her in the battlefield, Sailor Mars had always been a good sidekick. Tho if Rei heard her calling her that, she'd throw a fit, and possibly a shoe or two, at her.
"Another, more relevant rumor," Umino said, "is about the son of a very important foreign millionaire being in Juuban."
"I know who you're talking about," Naru said. "Terry Zephyr, Jack Zephyr's son. He's handsome."
"Bah. Anyway, he's chosen a public school here, much to everyone's surprise."
"Here in Juuban? But the only public school in Juuban is..." Usagi started, then she heard shouts outside. 'Is a youma attacking the school?' she thought as she looked out the window, as did the rest of her class.
"Wow, look at that thing," Naru commented.
In fact, a long, black limousine had parked right outside the school, and a blonde-haired guy was making his way from it to the building, ignoring the female students' shouts, and the males' glares.
"They act like he's some kind celebrity," Umino muttered. "His father's the one with the money."
"Jealous?" Naru teased. "He's the heir, and he sure looks handsome. "
"I don't get it, though, why does he look so... Gloomy?" Usagi asked.
"His girlfriend was killed a few days ago, and he was there when it happened," Umino said with a frown. "Rumors say it was a thief, in a subway station.
"Oh... That's sad," Usagi said.
"And here comes the king," Umino muttered as the blonde guy walked in. Usagi noticed he was almost as tall as most teachers. Most of the females in the room took a step forwards to him, but he cut them off with a cold stare. "Not a social person, I see."
Terry walked past them and sat behind Usagi. "Can't they leave me alone?" he muttered.
Umino was the only one with enough knowledge of English to understand him. "That's Japanese fangirls for you, Mr. Zephyr. "
Terry was surprised by Umino's answer, mostly because he didn't think anyone would understand him. "I see. As scary as they are back in the States, then," he said in an almost flawless japanese.
"Cheer up, I bet you'll get to like our group," Usagi said.
"I'd take upon that bet, but I left all my gold bars back home," Terry said with a shrug.
"You don't need to be so mean, you know. I won't bite," Usagi said.
"I'm not so sure about that, but seeing how you didn't try to pounce me yet, I guess I'll take the risk."
"Pounce you?" Usagi asked confusedly.
"Fangirls, corridor, that's all I'm saying," Terry muttered. "So, what's your name?"
"Usagi Tsukino."
"Rabbit of the Moon?" Terry asked amusedly. "Well, nice to meet you, rabbit."
"... My name's Usagi."
"That's what I said, Rabbit..," Terry said with a grin.
Usagi frowned at him for a second, then sighed. At least she'd got him to smile. Always a start.
Several minutes later, Haruna Sakurada walked into the classroom and nodded as she saw Terry. "So they weren't joking. Welcome to the school, Zephyr."
"Call me Terry... And the students out there gave me quite a welcoming riot earlier." That caused the class to start laughing, but Haruna cut them off with a few well placed glares.
"I see... Why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Let's see... I'm Terry Zephyr, the son of a millionaire, but that's common knowledge by now. I like studying, science, martial arts, swords, and girls," that last word caused a mass muttering from the classroom, which Haruna once again skillfully stopped. "My life's been pretty good so far, not counting my mother died four years ago, and my girlfriend died last week."
Usagi noticed his face took a sad look as he said that last part. The class fell silent, and Haruna sighed. "Sorry to hear that," she said.
"Don't worry, I'm not this moody all the time," Terry said with a forced smile.
"I hope so," Haruna said. "Anyways, it's time to start today's lecture..." Most of the class, not counting Umino and Terry, groaned at this.
With the first batch of Senshi out of the way, Beryl had hoped her Generals would get enough energy to awaken Metallia soon, but she was wrong. First Sailor Moon, then Mars and Mercury, had been foiling any plans Jadeite had to gather energy. To make things worse, the London and New York sides weren't making a lot of progress either.
"My Queen," Jadeite said, "my new plan is simple. People loves what they call 'fast food,' and they eat lots of it. I've opened a new fast food restaurants in Tokyo, and will drain energy off anyone who comes in."
"Won't the Senshi know what you're doing?" Beryl asked.
"I'm only going to drain a small part of energy off each customer. That way, we won't risk detection." If, Jadeite thought, Beryl was right and the Senshi could really scan for youma energy. He was still partial to sheer luck being the only thing responsible for his past failures.
"Very well, it sounds promising," Beryl admitted. "But don't fail agian, Jadeite. My patience with you is running low." Jadeite bowed at her and walked back into the shadows.
"Hey Terry, where's the limo?"
Terry sighed as he turned back to see Usagi walking his way. "I wanted to walk home to clear my mind," he said. "You like following people around, or what?"
Usagi frowned. "My house's in that direction too."
Terry winced as Usagi started walking faster, passing him. "Wait, Usagi... I'm sorry."
Usagi looked back at him and nodded. "You look... Really downcast. "
"I still can't stand knowing she won't be back."
"There's more to it than that, right?" Usagi asked. Even if most thought she was a naive, air-headed girl, she like to help others, whenever she could.
"... No," Terry lied. After several seconds of Usagi staring at him as they walked, he sighed. "Okay, yes. Can you keep a secret?"
"I sure can," Usagi said. Specially since she had a secret or two of her own she needed to keep.
Terry frowned for a second. Why trust this girl, he barely knew her... She could go gossip whatever he said to her friends and soon the whole school would know. No... There was something about her that just moved him to trust her. "You see, I was there when she got killed, and I saw who did it. That woman tried to kill me too."
"Woman?" Usagi asked.
"Nevermind. Thing is, I made some research, and I know she's now here, in Tokyo. I came here, in part, because my city reminds me too much of Hana... But I also came here to search for her murderer."
"You'll turn her to the police?" Usagi asked. Terry just looked at her, but didn't answer. Usagi blinked as he started walking away. "Wait!"
"That's your house, it says so in the mailbox," Terry commented without looking back. Usagi watched him go and sighed before walking into her house.
Later that day, Usagi and Ami were at a new fast food restaurant that had opened that same day. Despite all appearances, even Usagi had figured it out. The youma had been too obvious in most of their plans. Opening a brand new business and selling really cheap, and whatever they sold drained people off their energy. Which didn't mean Usagi wasn't there for the food. If she could get food before the battle, it was all good.
There was someone else outside, leaning on a wall and staring right at the building they were in. 'I can't be wrong. There's youma in there... Hey, isn't that Usagi?' Terry frowned as he noticed the blonde inside the building. He could go in in his civilian form and somehow get her out before... His plan was cut off as Usagi stood up and walked out. He noticed her talking to a small black cat and frowned. 'Is that her pet?'
He pushed a button on his watch, careful not to be seen, and turned into Zero. The alley he was on helped his concealment, and he was able to see the blue-haired girl that was sitting next to her walking out and talking to her and her cat. Zero had to rub his eyes as he could see the cat moving it's lips. 'Not possible... Though... With all I've seen lately, that cat talking wouldn't be strange for me.'
"Moon Prism Power!"
"Mercury Planet Power!"
Zero gasped and backed away involuntarily. The girls were surrounded by two spheres of blinding light, and he frowned. "Youma?" His guess was proven wrong, however, as the light faded and he could see the change in them. "Sailor V?" He almost shouted as he saw Moon, but then shook his head. No, the colors were different from the pictures of Sailor V he'd seen. Blue skirt, red knee-high boots, red elbow-long gloves, and red bow. It was still Usagi, he could see that.
Strange, though, since the rumors over the internet said V's face was blurry to anyone looking at her, and all pictures and videos taken of her also had her face blurred out. She had to admit, though, that their suits could be quite useful in combat, women's legs were powerful weapons of distraction after all.
Shaking his mind off all the hormone-induced thoughts, he focused in what they were doing. The two heroines had rushed into the building, and were now shouting something at the restaurant's staff. "Time to make my move," Zero said.
"May I serve you?" the woman behind the counter said politely.
"Drop the act, youma," Sailor Moon said. "We know what you are."
The woman frowned. "Very well, Senshi..." Her form changed, and she turned into a green-skinned creature with catlike eyes and bread buns for an armor. Moon and Mercury gasped as tendrils of energy shot off her body, draining everyone around. The youma then leapt over the counter and growled at the two Senshi. Suddenly, a rose embedded itself on the counter, and the youma looked outside. Tuxedo Kamen was standing on a nearby tree, smiling at her. "Damn it, those glasses aren't cheap!" The creature snapped as she saw the hole in the glass where the rose had punched through it.
"You foul creatures are so easily distracted," Tuxedo Kamen mused.
"What do you..." The creature started then looked around. "Hey, where are my customers?"
"Out here, ugly," Sailor Moon shouted from outside the building.
The youma grunted and rushed out of the restaurant. Just as it was about to attack, a small metal ball rolled on the ground and stopped right in front of her. "What the...?"
Before she could finish the question, the ball exploded, releasing a foul-looking green gas. "I want a Youma and Cheese, thank you," a voice said from over the restaurant's roof.
"Who are you?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, as coughing could be heard from inside the gas cloud the stranger's attack had formed.
The man walked into the light and smirked. Black ninja suit with a hood that covered all his face but his mouth and chin, two swords resting on twin sheats behind his back, and a plain-looking black board floating besides him. "My name is Zero, and I'm here to take care of these youma."
"That's our job!" Sailor Moon said.
"Then I will help you. They owe me for something they did to me," Zero said, then grimaced as he realized he may be giving them one too many clues.
'Something they did to him...?' Moon thought. No, it couldn't be him... Or could it?
The gas cloud around the youma dimmed, and the creature looked up, growling furiously. "Stupid human!" she said as she leapt up.
"Now, Sailor Moon, it's your chance," Tuxedo Kamen said as the creature started trying to slash at Zero with her clawed hands... Claws that looked like fries, somehow fitting her theme.
"Wouldn't that be playing dirty?" Moon said.
"They drain innocents off their energy, and you worry about being a fair player?" Tuxedo asked with a frown.
Moon shrugged. "I don't like to cheat."
Tuxedo shook his head then shrugged. "Nevermind that, I don't think our ninja friend needs help."
Moon and Mercury turned back to the battle, in time to see Zero taking a stab at the youma's legs and sending her crashing down to the ground. "And stay down!" he snapped.
"Damn... Stupid... Ninja..." The youma muttered as she tried to stand up.
"Moon Tiara Action!"
"And where's all the talk about playing fair now," Mercury muttered as she narrowed her eyes and sideglanced at Moon.
"That was fair, she had enough time to get out of the way..." Moon said with a shrug.
"Where's Tuxedo Kamen?" Mercury asked as she noticed the caped hero was gone.
"Gone, as usual," Moon said with a sigh. She then noticed Zero had leapt off the roof and was standing in front of them. "You... Thanks for your help."
"My pleasure," Zero said. "After all, I think we're after the same goal."
"Not really," Moon said. "It was a youma, right?" Zero opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. "I know I'm not wrong. It's really you."
"I... Don't know what you mean," Zero said and started walking back to his flying board, which was waiting for him a few meters away.
"You do. You said they owe you for something they did... Was it a youma, the woman that killed your girlfriend?"
Zero said nothing, but walked into an alley, then motioned them to follow him.
"I can take it Mercury is your friend too?" Zero asked as the two Senshi walked to him.
"A very good friend," Moon said.
"Then I guess... Yes, you're right," Zero said, then his hood vanished. Moon gasped as she saw his face.
"I knew it!"
"You're that guy, Zephyr, right?" Mercury asked.
"Terry Zephyr, millionaire, swordsman, and recently, demon hunter," Zero said.
"You know Sailor Moon?" Mercury asked.
"I know Usagi, yes," Zero said. He smiled at Mercury's gasp. "Don't worry, I can keep a secret. And I guess since we're going against the same monsters, I'll help you."
"Good to know," Moon said.
"I only have one request."
"What is it?"
"If we ever face someone named Luminite, she's mine."
"Revenge is not a good thing to fight for," Mercury noted, putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
"Revenge is the only thing I have to fight for after they took her away from me," Zero said with a frown, his mask reappearing over his face. "I guess I'll see you around, Rabbit." He said before leaping on his board and flying off.
"... Since when do you know Terry Zephyr?" Mercury asked.
"Since this morning, he just got transferred to our school."
"Oh... Didn't notice, I was busy studying" Mercury said.
Moon sighed. Ami and her books, she was sure that girl could study through an earthquake.
A/N: As you may notice if you've read the old Cyber Moon, this time around I'm gearing towards making Terry a lot less of a walking joke, and more of an actual character. Here's hoping I got it right so far.
About this episode's name... It was either that or "1337 n!nj4 5k331z," and I know some people think leet is evil or 5700p!d. XD
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is a creation of Naoko Takeuchi, and I thank her for creating such wonderful universe.
