Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon R
Act 7
Hikawa Shrine
It was three days removed from the festival and also the attack by Calaveras of the Four Phantoms and all was quiet. So quiet that at the shrine Rei didn't have any visitors save the usual person to offer a prayer at the temple and then leave not long after. It was one of those days when Rei remembered what it was like to be alone again...a feeling that she knew all too well!
As Rei got ready to go to the CROWN a familiar person snuck up behind her and covered her eyes. This shocked Rei at first but tit didn't take long for her to get her wits about her and realize whom was behind her. "Well good afternoon Curtis-kun!" Rei said as she turned around and smiled at the young man that had captured her heart. "Hello Rei-chan" Joshua said as he looked around at how deserted the place was which was unusual for a day like this. He had hoped that more people would eventually come to this place but he was getting the feeling that was going to take longer than he thought.
"I know what you're thinking Joshua and yes I'm surprised at how quiet things have gotten around here." Rei explained before shrugging it off and continuing "The only friends I have are you and the rest of the Senshi and that's fine with me to be honest. There are girls at my school that I talk to but none that I really...'hang out' with because I think they still believe I'm cursed and whatnot." Rei finished and Josh stood there and thought about the possibility of that still being the case and he would have been lying if he said it didn't anger him. Joshua knew Rei had a good heart and was someone that ,if people got to know her, would actually find a very kind and understanding young lady. THAT however was the problem...no one wanted to try it seemed!
"Anyways..." Joshua said as he snapped out of his deep thought "you going to the CROWN to see the girls? I think I heard during class today that everyone is going to be there today so its going to be a full house." He warned Rei and she nodded before finishing up sweeping and walked out off the temple grounds with one of the few people in the world that she didn't just call her boyfriend but her BEST friend!
CROWN Karaoke
4:00 PM
"So what do we ABSOLUTELY know right now about the Black Moon Clan?" Joshua asked the group that was situated around the table as he was flanked by Rei on his right and Luna on his left. "So far all we know is that they've been going after innocents one by one but other than that...not a lot" Luna explained and this caused Josh to put his hands in front of his face before speaking again. "In other words: Jack Squat right? This figures because right NOW they seem to just be content with attacking civilians when they least expect but I have that gut feeling that its going to be something bigger soon. I don't know what but I have a feeling something...or someONE is going to show up soon!" Joshua told everyone and they were taken aback by this revelation. What could he know or be hinting at exactly?
"Let's be hypothetical and say its a 'someone' brother...who could it be?" Ami asked and Joshua just threw his hands up as if to tell his sister and everyone "Beats me" but when he went to the temple the day prior he had gotten an image of someone and some time that seemed vaguely familiar. His only problem was he didn't know exactly what it was or who it was to go running his mouth to them. "If there is someone else Joshua then we better be prepared one way or the other. The chances that this could be an ally at this point aren't THAT great!" Luna exclaimed and Josh nodded. This was going to require him to spend more time at the temple with Rei to try and crack that mystery but right now they were going to have to get ready for the next battle...whenever that was!
"From what I have gathered along with Curtis-san here these people are going to start a plan in motion soon to attack certain points of this city" Rei explained and when she knew she had the girls attention she continued "There are six points in this city that are rumored to be linked with another time. What we don't know YET is where they are and what the significance of these places are. All we know is there are 6 and when they destroyed then stuffs gonna get REAL bad soon!" Rei explained and when they looked to Josh for confirmation all he could do was nod.
"The rules of this game are about to change and not for the better." Joshua told everyone as they looked to him for an explanation "Ail and En were chased here by the Black Moon and they aren't allowed to leave because if they try right now they're as good as dead! The places that Rei talked about are linked to something and simply put when the time comes we have to be on our game to protect them." Josh explained grimly and the girls all nodded in agreement. Twenty minutes later and the meeting disbanded with everyone going to their respective homes and Joshua trying to think about what in the hell those images were!
The next day at school was a dreadfully slow day and it was raining out so the kids couldn't go out either. This meant that if Ami wanted to be alone that wasn't gonna happen but at the same time it worked out because she helped Naru with some of the schoolwork she was having trouble with. Joshua closed his eyes at his desk and practiced his "auto-drawing" and found that he was drawing the images of the city in his vision! When he looked down it was almost like an overhead map with the six places circled off. What was causing him to do this?
The sad bit about it was that he wasn't going to get to find out because when school ended for the day and everyone went home he had to go to the studio where Minako recorded to at least ATTEMPT to work on the song that he and his sister would perform for the benefit concert. The good news for him was the room that he was getting was just going to be for him and Ami and no one else but the bad was there were times when coming up with the lyrics for the music was going to be a pain in the ass! What could he do to sort out his lyrical problem and whom could help him if he needed it?
[RING RING]
"Just a minute!" Rei called out as she walked out of the kitchen to the phone and picked it up with an unusually pleasant tone in her voice. Did Joshua REALLY have that kind of effect on her? "Why hello Curtis-sensei! What can I do for you?" The priestess asked and when Joshua explained his situation she scratched her chin a bit before answering. "Hmm that IS an interesting problem and its one that I had a time or two I must admit. Have you thought about reflecting on something that happened in your life or maybe something related to you and Ami? I found that when I was stuck for lyrics that helped sometimes." Rei explained and just by hearing that Josh was not only able to write the lyrics but rework the music! Initially he was going for some "harder edge" song as he explained to Rei but hearing her advice made him rethink his approach...he always fancied himself a "ballad" man anyways!
After the phone call with Rei Josh immediately got back onto the task of writing a song for Ami and himself to perform but this time he went acoustic. He hummed the music as he started writing the lyrics and then played the guitar while humming it to make SURE that he got it right! What's more was it was so different than what Minako had ever heard that as she was walking down the hallway she heard the music coming from the room and peeked in on Joshua while he sang the song. It sounded so beautiful that she just caught herself transfixed while the teacher of class 1-1 in Juuban High played and wondered if there was anything else that he knew how to do that they didn't know about!
When the song ended Minako entered the studio and applauded Joshua for writing the song. She liked the song so much that she almost asked him to perform it solo but stopped herself as he knew the only way he was doing the concert was with his sister. She complimented him on the song and how well a singer he was to which he kind of blushed before responding.
"I think I had a good teacher in a previous life my dear...don't quote me on that though!" Josh explained and Minako had an idea with to whom he was referring but left it alone before speaking. I take it when you wanted to find a place to practice on your own in the states you practiced in private didn't you?" She asked and Josh just shook his head. He didn't know what caused him to be good at playing different instruments(although he could hazard a guess it had to do with Zoisite) and just decided to focus on Minako. "You look forward to these concerts don't you my dear? I can't blame you because you are a national icon and in some ways almost GLOBAL! I remember teaching a class one day in a high school back home and there were kids mentioning about you possibly doing a concert overseas but it sadly never happened. Its a shame too because when someone gave me one of your CDs to listen to I thought it was really...REALLY good and you should be commended for that." Joshua told the Idol and she just blushed at the compliments he was giving her. This was actually quite unusual for a someone to heap THAT much praise on her!
"I thank you kindly Joshua but really its the fans that make the artist because if the fans don't like your music then what good is it right?" Minako asked and Josh just nodded...Josh also knew about a former rivalry that she had with his girlfriend but didn't know what it was over and didn't want to know either! "Anyways" Joshua started "I usually think of a name for the songs I write as I write them but this one came so suddenly that I don't know what to call it yet! I've got ideas but Ami and I might literally be on stage when I think of a title for the piece. I think that's the one difference between me and my friend Zoisite. He can write a piece of music on the piano and then come up with a name in like two seconds. I...gotta think about it until the last possible second!" Josh explained to his new friend and she just smiled because she knew that when the time came he'd think of something.
When Josh got home no one was there. Ami was at cram school and Saeko had the night shift so he went to his room ,got out his acoustic guitar and started playing the song he wrote a few hours earlier in the studio at the record label. This got Zoisite's attention whom just listened with great attention as his friend showed his mastery in a lyrical sense and a vocal sense and was blown away but what he heard! He hadn't heard anything that powerful since when he was trying to track down the Moon Princess for Queen Beryl!
"It seems like the lessons you got from me and Kunzite paid off my Lord." Zoisite said in his greeting for the night and Josh just waved that off as he put the guitar down. "Nah man I think it was just one of those 'Let's see what happens when you throw something against a wall" kind of things. I DID call Rei though when I was stuck and something did click so maybe that helped." Josh told his friend and Zoisite smiled a very knowing smile that told Joshua he knew something and apparently it had to do with the Moon Kingdom.
"Well in your former life Princess Mars was someone that you talked to a lot and not just about Royal Business either. I remember a night when you and Mars would go off you'd play your guitar and she'd try and make lyrics on the fly to the music. Kunzite and I called you two 'A musical magic spell'. Your sister though was no slouch either if I remember correctly!" Zoi told his friend and Josh was amazed at this revelation...shocked to be honest!
"Now this is interesting my friend. You know how demure and shy Ami is now? Its hard to get her to want to eat lunch with her friends and about the only time she socializes is when its just the girls at the HQ!" Josh exclaimed and Zoi conceded the point to his friend while also trying to think of a name for the song he heard Josh playing. There was dead silence for like 5 minutes before he snapped his fingers and then whispered to Joshua the name for the song and he smiled when he heard it! The concert was gonna be a fun time!
Days later Joshua and Ami went to the concert hall where the show was to take place and suffice to say they both were left speechless! For Ami this wasn't unusual but Joshua was truly awestruck at the facility. What's more when Joshua found out that there was going to be about 65-70,000 people in the building he had to check to make sure he didn't soil himself before the show and that he had a clean pair just in case. It was truly going to be a special show for him and his sister.
Night came and as everyone packed in Joshua looked out through the curtain and saw that Rei ,Usagi ,Makoto and Ikuko were sitting front row for the show. Josh didn't get stage fright easily but this was one performance that he didn't want to mess up especially in front of his friends and his "third mother" in Ikuko. As the time came for them to go out from behind the curtain Joshua stood tall and strong at the microphone and sat down on the stool that was provided by the stagehand. He nodded to the gentleman and then turned and faced the crowd to speak in public for the first time in his life!
"Ladies and Gentleman" He began "I would like to thank each and every one of you whom came out tonight for the benefit concert. My name is Joshua Curtis and as I'm sure some of you out in the audience know the young lady seated to my left is my sister Ami Mizuno. A few days ago we were asked after doing a performance for my girlfriend ,Rei Hino, at her concert..."
[CROWD APPLAUDS]
"I see Ms. Hino has quite the fan base! I'm happy to hear that and hope you will support her as well as Minako in the future. Anyways when we performed at her concert we got approached to do a song for you all here...tonight. At first I hadn't an idea for the song and then I figured that out lyrically. Then I needed to figure out the title for the song and through some inspiration of a few friends of mine...I got one! With all that being said my sister and I will be performing a song called 'Yakusoku' or translated 'Promise'!" And with that Joshua picked up the guitar and started playing the chords and Ami sang the song as if she had heard it somewhere before. The crowd was on their feet for the whole song and when the two left the stage after taking their bows Josh was genuinely shocked at what went down!
"Well...that was a hell of a reaction sis!" Josh exclaimed and Ami just nodded as they got to their respective dressing rooms and got changed to go home for the night. As they did Luna called Joshua on his cell phone and Josh answered in his usual smartass tone. "Nuthouse. Whom can we lock up for ya?" Josh asked with a wink and that got a chuckle on the other end of the phone from Luna.
"Usagi if at all possible but seriously speaking Josh I need you to get the girls over to the park ASAP!" Luna told Joshua and he did as told. He was able to assemble Usagi ,Rei ,Maokoto and of course Ami with no problem but he knew he couldn't get Minako till after the concert but still even with 4 Senshi they SHOULD be able to take down whatever was at the park...right?
This answer came when during the battle at the park Coan sent out a droid that was going to seriously test the mettle of the girls and did it ever! By the time the fight was over all of the senshi were beaten ,battered and one or two had brusies that thankfully could be covered up from the battle. Cloud was HOT after the fight and let Coan know it!
"Listen here you little [BLEEP]! We know what you are up to and what you are going to try and do. If you think that we'll let you get away with it you have another thing coming!" Cloud screamed and that just made Coan's lips turn up into a VERY unpleasant smile. "Such big words for one of the Neo-Queen's grunts. Do you think your words scare me little boy? If you do then you're more delusional than we gave you credit for." Coan stated before vanishing while Cloud held his right hand from the pain it was in due to an attack he dodged earlier in the fight and he landed HARD on it! Mars and Mercury both noticed the pain the "Heavenly Warrior" was in and rushed to his side to make sure he was all right.
"I'm fine girls...really I am. Tonight was just the beginning my friends. Soon...soon it starts!" Cloud told them as everyone turned and walked off leaving the jewel of the slain droid behind in the wake of the battle
NEXT TIME...
Joshua: Hey Usagi did you hear? A new ice cream shop opened in town.
Usagi: Really? I wonder if Mamoru will take me to the shop someday
?: Excuse me but...have you seen my mom?
Usagi/Joshua: HUH?
