Jana is my own creation, but everyone else is property of Rainbow or Naoko Takeuchi. Including Jupiter, who now has a different first name than the English dub. I wanted to avoid using OCs if I could, but I needed an extra fairy and couldn't find enough info on anyone who didn't get a speaking role in the series to use any more minor characters.
The Senshi Fairy Chonicles
10. Thunderstruck; Mackay's Tale
It took nearly two weeks for Raye to join the other fledgling Senshi at Alfea, and by then their ranks had grown from the original four Earth-born girls to a grand total of nine, ten if you counted Setsuna. Joining them and the two newest Sol Senshi were Fifth Year/Teacher's Assistant Alice of Polaris, Fourth Year Galatea of Melody, and Third Year Beta Academy transfer student Jana of Oppositus. The Outcastus system, comprised of two small planets and a bunch of asteroids, produced two Senshi—a pair of Fifth Years who stayed on as student-teachers. However, Setsuna was having trouble talking second Senshi—the first witch to be identified—into joining their classes, and the first, a fairy-witch hybrid, refused to start classes without her.
"Is it still too early to start that paint petition?" Haruka asked as the group of first-year Senshi made their way from their specialized class to Intro to Transfiguration 1304.
"Nope." Roxy shook her head. "It's the perfect time for it, actually."
"Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" Raye asked. "Why do you want to paint something?"
"Please, even you commented on how 'bright and girly' the school looked from the outside." Haruka smirked. "The headmistress said that if we could get enough signatures, she'd pay for the paint job."
"And what color would we paint it?" Amy looked between the three of them. "Obviously not the grey of a traditional castle, but we still need an idea."
"Maybe a silvery-white?" Mina offered. "We can leave the trim a shade of pink, but the silver paint would give off the 'light magic' vibe Headmistress Faragonda seems to want the school to project."
"Pale pink, not bubblegum," Michelle stated. "We want the blue of the roof tiles to stand out."
"I bow to your experience, madam artist." Haruka offered an exaggerated bow. Her girlfriend repaid the action with a swat on the arm. "Hey!"
"We should probably get some swatches so the students we approach can have an idea of what we're going for." Amy hooked her right pointer finger over the top of her chin while supporting it with her thumb, other fingers closed loosely underneath. She often did this while thinking over a problem, and Roxy found it adorable. "Or a rough sketch? That might be better, so they can see the colors working together…"
"I'll get to work on it." Michelle smiled fondly at the Mercurian girl. "Just find me the swatches you want and I'll get a drawing done."
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Raye asked.
"As Professor Griselda's 'resting' face." Haruka deadpanned. "The place is girly in the worst way and I can't be the only one feeling uncomfortable by the amount of pink everywhere."
"I like pink and even I feel a bit overwhelmed." The group of Senshi turned to face the speaker, a girl with lavender hair and green eyes. "It's almost enough to make me want to go back to Linphea College, but I like the freedom too much to go back now."
"Krystal, does Linphea College even offer training for Healix fairies?" Roxy frowned. Magic-users gifted with true healing abilities could attain an additional transformation called Healix, which required specialized training to access and use properly. Not all magical colleges had the staff or funding required to train Healix individuals.
"They do, but it's heavily slanted toward natural remedies." The Linphean Princess answered. "I want to learn everything, including the technological aspects many Linpheans tend to ignore or shun."
"Good for you." Mina nodded. "So, are you on board for our paint petition?"
"Completely." The smaller girl smiled. "I'll even ask my roommates about it."
"Um, not that this isn't important, but if we keep standing here we'll be late for class." Amy blushed in embarrassment for speaking up, but managed to sound less nervous than she looked. "I don't think Professor Wizgiz will be too lenient about it…at least not this time."
It was during Setsuna's class with the oldest identified Alfea Senshi that the next 'Senshi Alarm' went off, and as such all available Senshi were dragged into her office afterwards to plan the next mission.
"This mission will, unfortunately, be much like the last pair of recruitments on Earth," Setsuna said. "Jupiter's Senshi is coming into her birthright near another possible energy farm, this one set up in a bridal shop."
"Oh, that's a whole new kind of low." Alice glowered. She was currently in the process of helping to plan her cousin's wedding and understood just how much damage an energy farm could do in that sort of location. "How are they managing this one?" she asked, pushing a section of blue-black hair behind her left ear as she spoke.
"It seems that it's operating in a manner similar to the accessory shop in Kansas, only this place is offering free fittings to anyone who walks in the door. Some grooms who have visited the shop have later vanished." A frown crossed the Plutonian Queen's face. "There's also the potential for a compulsion spell once the dress is tried on, persuading the wearer to purchase the item."
"And with it being a bridal shop, there's probably at least three youma working there." Mina grimaced. "And depending on the compulsion spell, we may end up fighting the affected customers as well."
"So all hands on deck this time?" Haruka asked. Setsuna nodded.
"The main force will deal with the bridal shop farm. A smaller group will stay afterwards and track down the new Jovian Senshi. She should be roughly Haruka's height with brownish hair and green eyes." That much she remembered from her study of the Time Stream.
"Where is she?" Roxy frowned. The others all looked at her in askance so she elaborated. "I mean, I'm from Gardenia by way of Tir Na nÓg; Michelle and Ruka both came from L.A. and Mina's from a few hours north. We found Amy in London and Raye in Oklahoma. So I ask again: where in the world is Jupiter?"
"And please tell me her name isn't 'Carmen' or 'Sandiego'." Haruka grinned, earning an eye-roll from her partner. The other Earth fairies bit back smirks while the clueless foreigners stared in confusion.
"Her name in my time was Makoto, but there's no guarantee that it's anything similar now," Setsuna sighed. So far the girls had followed the pattern of similar (if not exact) names, but she couldn't guarantee how well it would hold up. She might remember the girl's appearance, but the Time Stream hadn't shown her a name. "She's currently located in a small town south of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada."
"Awful convenient that we were all reborn on the same continent, isn't it?" Mina frowned.
"As your predecessor was once quoted as saying, Soul Mates, and in this case Soul Sets, like to be reborn in the same area. It was possible, but not probable, for you to all be born in the same city. Instead you stuck to the North American continent." Setsuna smiled. "Now, I'm aware that all of you can't accompany us on this mission—you have other responsibilities that I wouldn't dream of prying you away from—but those that can need to recognize that we will likely cause a lot of damage trying to shut down the energy farm. If there's a strong enough compulsion on the dresses themselves, we may have to engage civilians in combat since we currently have no method of cleansing them until after the youma are defeated. Do not come if you have issue with this."
"And that's my cue to bow out." Galatea sighed. "Sorry girls."
"There will be others." Raye shrugged. "You can come on the next one."
"Much as I'd love to shut down the wedding factory from Shadowhaunt, I have assignments to grade." Alice groaned. She was co-teaching Ancient Runes with Professor Savage, who decided she needed the 'experience' of grading all the second-years' homework assignments. "You might ask Mirta and Lucy to tag along, though. Even without specialized training, they're skilled enough to handle this and Mirta's illusions might come in handy. Besides which, Jana—like the other third-years—has a test in Runes tomorrow that she needs to study for."
"Says who?" Jana, a dark-skinned girl with bright blonde hair, demanded.
"Your last homework assignment," Alice answered without pause.
It was near closing and sundown, so few people stayed to witness the bizarre scene unfold. This was likely the only thing that might keep them off the evening news tonight and they all knew it.
The trip went south as soon as their scouts set foot in the shop. It was partly Mina's fault for not dimming her rather bright aura before going up to window-shop, but in her defense no one expected the frikkin' mannequins to grab them through the window. After that, everything degenerated into a brawl when every nearby woman who'd bought a dress from the shop showed up in masse to slow them down. The monsters running the place counted on them holding back near civilians, especially brainwashed civilians. Haruka, Raye, and Lucy—the new Witch Senshi of the Outcastus system—had no problems rendering the poor women unconscious. Mirta—Lucy's Fairy-witch counterpart—managed to keep many of them fooled with her illusions, but that still left the four youma employees (which they planned for) and ten possessed mannequins (not even a consideration for their plans) for the other girls to deal with. Even Setsuna could only do so much against so many opponents.
Alice, it turned out, had been correct in her estimation of Mirta and Lucy's combat skills. She admired Mirta's talent for misdirection and creative illusions, but Lucy was hell unleashed once you pissed her off. Some of the hexes she threw were ones Roxy'd never heard of but made for devastating effects. The sight of a belligerent bride sprouting boils all over their faces and falling on her back from bludgeoning curses pleased her; if they wanted to play dirty with them, she had no issue with Lucy returning the favor. Amy looked uneasy with being in such close proximity to that kind of 'dark' magic, and after how the Crystal Seminar thing went down, Roxy couldn't say she blamed her for it. But Haruka threw her head back and laughed while merrily knocking people onto their asses with gusts of wind redirected from the storm overhead. She suspected those two would become fast friends after this.
An incredibly lucky energy blast/punch combo sent her flying through the air in a daze, only to land hard on her shoulder and crumple like a cloth doll. She felt something crack, probably a bone if the pain were any indication. She had one hell of a headache but couldn't say if she hit her head or not. Everything hurt.
"Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?" A soft, strong, concerned voice called out to her. Someone touched her good shoulder, but all she could do was groan. She felt her transformation fade away and knew there was nothing much she could do anymore; not until one of the others had time to patch her up.
"Hey, don't go to sleep! Please, please don't die on me…" the voice sounded frantic now. Roxy wondered why the voice didn't want her to sleep. Sleep would take her mind off the pain.
Her concept of awareness turned a little fuzzy when a cold male laugh sounded to her left.
Mackay King rushed through the streets of the historical district, eager to offload her latest batch of cookies and crocheted scarves and hats at the 'antique' store there before they closed for the night. She'd just gotten off shift at the diner up the way and didn't have much time to drop off her wares and get home before the storm overhead got into full swing. Much as she loved watching lightning dance across the sky, she didn't want to risk getting caught out in the chilly autumn rain it brought along as a friend. She couldn't afford to miss school with a cold, not when she was barely scraping a passing grade due to her work schedule. She needed to keep up her perfect attendance and on-time assignments if she wanted to get out of this school and into a decent college in a couple years. Yes, she could get a scholarship or two due to her status as an orphan, but that would only do so much to help…
She skidded to a stop, galoshes fighting for traction on the wet sidewalk as she came around the corner. A throng of women in varying styles and colors of wedding gowns blocked the sidewalks, all shuffling like zombie walk participants toward that new bridal shop at the end of the block. Flashes of energy and random shouts sounded from farther up the street, but she couldn't see what the source was from her location. "What on earth…?"
One of the strangers at the front of the fight suddenly sailed over the fray and landed in a heap at her feet. The girl had pink hair pulled into pigtails, a green and pink outfit, and fairy wings that fluttered ever so slightly as she groaned. Poor girl had hit the pavement hard and might have a concussion or something. "Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?" She gingerly touched the girl's shoulder and got a pained moan in response. The sparkly, torn fairy outfit flickered and faded into a t-shirt and jeans.
The girl shifted her head and looked about ready to sleep, which made Mackay panic. "Hey, don't go to sleep! Please, please don't die on me…" What could she do? She only knew the bare basics of first aid, none of which would help the injured fairy. Tears ran wet tracks down her cheeks as the rain grew heavier.
"Another pathetic fool deluded by love." She felt her heart freeze just a bit at the sound of that cold voice. She shot a glare in its general direction and spied the source: a man with long, curly brown hair, cold red eyes, and a yellow-trimmed grey military uniform. "You can't save her now, pathetic human."
"You did this?" She snarled as the wind began to whip her ponytail out like a flag. "You're the one controlling all of these people?"
"Our great queen needs their energy to survive. Such a shame I couldn't offer her that one, but as long as she's out of the way…" His smile reminded her of a snake just before striking. "Just as you soon will be, human."
"You won't lay a finger on her." She stood for the first time in what felt like hours, the wind and rain picking up as an indistinct charge filled the air. She knew how imposing she looked and hoped it might make him do something stupid.
"You can't stop me." An orb of something formed in his right hand, no doubt intended for them.
"NO!" Crackle, zap, boom—a bolt of lightning struck the man. He cried out in agony; she called the electric aftermath of the strike to her, using it to shield herself and the girl. His energy orb fizzled out when it struck the shield. She was too focused on surviving to question how she was able to do any of it, instead opting to throw another, smaller lightning bolt at him.
The man collapsed in a twitching heap, lacking the strength or coherent thought to try escaping. She wondered how he still lived; any human would have died with that many volts flowing through them.
And how the heck did she know that anyway?
"Roxy!" The anguished cry arrived mere seconds before an orange-clad blonde blur raced her direction. For some reason the shield let her in, along with the silver-haired woman anxiously following her. "God, please don't be dead…"
"Mina, I can't treat her with you hovering," The woman scolded. The blonde girl nodded and shakily moved aside.
"Where am I?" "How did I get here?" "Why am I wearing this?" The army of zombie-brides seemed to have come out of their fog but acted no more coherent than they started out. Well, most of them. Someone saw Roxy and the stranger crumpled on the ground, picked up her cell phone, and called for an ambulance.
All the while, the silver haired woman knelt over Roxy and chanted something musical in a language she didn't understand. Roxy's features relaxed, an indication that the pain was reduced or blocked for the time being. Eventually the woman stopped and ran a hand over the girl's pink hair. "I've done my best on the bones in her shoulder and the concussion, but she should still see a doctor. Even a human one would suffice."
"That's more than I can say for…" She turned around to look at the man, only to find his body gone. "Where the hell did he go?"
"I bet Jadeite came and collected him." A gorgeous dark-haired teen in a red outfit scowled.
"Forget Nephrite and focus on your princess, Raye," The blonde snipped. "She'd be dead if Jupiter here hadn't stepped in and awakened herself. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Well I couldn't just let him hurt her." She folded her arms across her chest and wrapped her hands around her arms, only to realize she was now wearing high gloves that she couldn't remember putting on before she left the house. How the hell she missed the fact that she'd traded in a long denim skirt and tan sweater for a green leotard and a brown and pink fringe belt escaped her. She should have noticed the temperature drop. The green lace-up boots didn't cover that much of her legs, though the high pink gloves and brown arm bracers would explain why her arms felt nice and toasty.
"All the same, we owe you her life." Blondie smiled. "I'm sure Queen Nebula will come up with some outlandish way to repay you for saving her niece and heir, but for now we're just grateful she's alive."
She nodded, unsure how to proceed. "So…fairies, huh?"
While the troupe of Senshi made their way to the nearest hospital to tend to their princess' injuries, a battered Jadeite knelt before is monarch. He didn't meet her cold eyes, for Beryl sometimes took that gesture as an invitation to punish her followers when she got in a snit. Nephrite's failure and subsequent placement in one of the enchanted sleep pods brought her anger front and center more than his own failure with the bus farm so he kept his mouth shut and eyes down until she'd screamed and raged herself into a more sensible state of mind.
"Careless fools, the both of you!" She shouted. "Beaten by school children with no training!"
Yes, but at least his plan brought two whole busloads of energy for Queen Metalia before going south. Nephrite couldn't even boast that. "It is not the children that worry me, my great queen. One of Nephrite's youma nearly finished one of them before the new fairy arrived." Her arrival concerned him more than he let on. The entire Guardian set was now complete, in addition to two of the most feared Outer Senshi arriving ahead of the Negaverse's Seer's predictions. Uranus and Neptune died with the others during the sealing spell last time, but not before decimating three companies of youma. Mars was powerful and Jupiter strong, but Uranus moved fast as the wind itself and Neptune could mirror any opponent she faced to a stale-mate, if not a win. On their own they were formidable, but together…well, the Shitennou decided to leave them the hell alone and focus on the Queen's Guardians in the last war. But he barely remembered Pluto and anything that mysterious was bound to be dangerous. "It was not the children who sent me through the glass window but Queen Setsuna of Pluto."
Beryl froze mid-stride, the rebuke she'd no doubt planned dying on her dark lips as the words set in. "You are certain?"
"The new Terran princess addressed her as Setsuna, Senshi of Time and the Afterlife, and the woman used the 'Dead Scream' attack." The one Zoisite wouldn't stop whimpering about after the Negaverse's one and only (completely disastrous) attempt to take Charon as a base. "She hasn't aged a day, presumably due to her post at the Time Gate."
"If Queen Setsuna indeed lives, we must redouble our efforts to awaken Metalia before she can train the young Senshi." Beryl frowned.
"If I may, my queen?" he bit back an eye-roll and a groan at the sound of Zoisite's voice. "I believe the issue with the last few plans has been a lack of subtlety. Humans are not as ignorant as they were when we were Sealed and were thus alerted to our activities far sooner than we planned. The London Farm lasted six months before the Terran girl and the Mercurian Senshi happened upon it because it kept a low profile."
Jadeite fought the urge to groan. Yes, the brat had a point, but he didn't have to like it.
"Your logic bears merit." The dark priestess-turned-queen drawled. "Do you have a plan in place, Zoisite?"
"As a matter of fact, I do…"