Footprints in the Snow

Author: MoonStarDutchess

Chapter 10: Radio Rebel

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. I do own my plot though so no swiping.


Radio Rebel

After three months of constant hunting, training, and hard work Serena, Sapphire, and Jasmine had made no progress whatsoever in the hunt for the new scouts. Jasmine was having no visions, Sapphire could come up with no clues, and they against Sapphire's better judgment, let Serena see if she could find them using the crystal. Out of engulfing frustration, the three decided to take a break for a few days reasoning that maybe the hunt was going so poorly because they were trying much too hard. If they relaxed for a while, their focus would be better concentrated when they began looking again. It was a long shot but it was really their only option.

--

"I wonder where Jasmine is," Serena said, looking around the arcade for the young perky girl, "It's weird that she's not here yet."

Sapphire looked up from his food. "You know, I was thinking the same thing. It's usually much louder," he laughed, "she grows on you doesn't she?"

Serena smiled and nodded. "Yes, she does."

"You know, if you two looked alike I would say you were related," he said.

Serena took a sip of her shake and tilted her head. "Really? How so?"

"You two have very similar personalities," he replied.

Serena smiled and laughed bitterly. "I hope not. She doesn't need to be like me," she muttered.

Sapphire narrowed his eyes at her and was about to respond with something positive when the active 14 year old topic of their conversation came barreling into the arcade. She hit the freshly polished floor and slid past their table a bit before catching herself and running to stand in front of it. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing and there was a very red flush of her excitement on her face. She showed her teeth in an extremely expansive grin and slammed a flyer on the table.

"We absolutely have to enter this!" Serena looked up from the ramen that she was eating.

"Enter what?" she said with her mouth slightly full.

"This radio contest," she said pointing to the paper. She picked it up and shoved it into Serena's line of sight.

Serena calmly sat down her bowl of noodles and took the yellow flyer from her hand. Her gaze took in the bold wording and the clip art of the radio microphone before she handed it to Sapphire. He read it and then turned his gaze toward Jasmine while handing the paper back to her.

"Why do we need to enter this?" Sapphire questioned.

"Because if you win then you get your own radio show!" she said as if that was the only good reason in the world and as if it made so much sense.

"Why would we want our own radio show?" Sapphire asked then took a bite of his egg roll.

"Don't you want to have any fun?" she replied in a pout.

As Jasmine talked to Sapphire, Serena was watching as she was eating. At fourteen, she would have been excited about such a prospect as well. It amazed her what three short years could do to a person's lust for life and fun. Now she could really care less about having her own radio show. She just wanted control of her life. Now that she had that, she could truly be happy.

Serena finished her ramen and looked at Sapphire, who had just finished his food as well, then back at Jasmine. "Let's go then," she said.

"Really?" Jasmine questioned with stars in her dark blue eyes.

"Why?" Sapphire asked. He didn't see the point in trying for something you really don't want or need.

"Why not . . . go to the station?" Serena questioned back with a conspiratorial tone.

"Please!" Jasmine begged, obviously not catching the tone of voice that her friend used.

He looked at Serena who was smiling and then at the hopeful Jasmine. At his nod, she grabbed their arms and jerked them up. They quickly grabbed their milkshakes before they were dragged through the door.

---

They made their way to the radio station and paused when they came to a large crowd of people. In front of the station building, there was a small stage with large yellow banners looming over it decorated in the same manner as the flyers. There was a tall man in a brown dress shirt and jeans standing on stage, the microphone tightly in his grasp. He looked rather feeble so Serena was very surprised when a booming voice came out of him, reminding her of one of those western businessmen she saw on television.

"Hey all you potential disc jockeys! Welcome to YPR109's DJ contest! Today we will be looking for the next great radio personality!" The crowd displayed their excitement with screeches and yells, causing Serena to cringe. She gazed around to see that the majority of the people there were middle school kids. "To tell you more about this amazing contest, here's YPR's own star DJ herself…Miko!"

Serena didn't think the crowd could get any louder than they were but with the announcement of the name, she realized she was wrong. She directed her gaze to the steps on the left of the stage to see that a young woman a bit older than her. Her cut orange hair stood out among the flashy decorations around her, she was very tall with a muscular frame but still very feminine. Her low-rider jeans were daringly low and her white tank top didn't quite meet to the bottom of them, leaving a teasing look at her stomach for any man staring. When she turned toward the audience, her orange eyes dragged Serena in; they were like a stained glass that one couldn't stop looking at. She couldn't tell if the blue M at the bottom of her right eye was a tattoo or paint, but either way, it suited her greatly.

"Hey! How are you guys doing!" she said, with a loud enthusiastic voice, as if the event was the most exciting thing ever occurring anywhere. Serena supposed that it was in her job description to act that way. She started to listen in when Jasmine groaned and grabbed her head.

Sapphire and Serena rushed to each side of her. "What is it?" Sapphire asked.

"It's just that, I feel like I'm getting a vision but I can't see anything. It didn't happen until Miko started speaking. It was like her voice took control of my mind but nothing at all came."

Serena looked back at Miko and stared at the woman with intense concentration, studying everything about her as if she was a schoolbook. She suddenly felt something hot against her chest and lifted out her transforming locket to see that the symbol for sun had appeared. As soon as the glow happened, the pain in Jasmine's head stopped. She stared at Serena's locket, then at Miko.

"She's Sailor Sun!" Jasmine exclaimed in excitement.

"Yea, imagine that, finding her here," Sapphire said. "When we decide to take a break we find a scout.

"Yea, and we wouldn't have found her if I hadn't convinced the two of you to come with me," Jasmine gloated, apparently fully recovered from the slight pain that was occurring in her head just moments prior.

"She's right," Serena said with a sigh, as she directed her vision back to Miko.

"So, you think that she knows?" Sapphire asked, following her gaze.

"Yes, she does," Jasmine said.

"How do you know that?" Sapphire asked.

Jasmine smiled brightly at him, her gaze piercing his. "I just know. I know that sounds stupid but that's the only thing I can really say about it."

"Then we've got to go tell her who we are as soon as possible," Sapphire said.

"Yea, but how are we going to tell her?" Serena questioned, "We just can't go up to her and start chatting."

"We are in the contest. I'm sure that we will get to meet her face to face," Jasmine said.

"We can't tell her in front of people," Sapphire countered. "We will have to talk with her when she's alone."

"Alright, we'll find a way to do that," Serena said.

"Then we should start planning things out," Sapphire said. "Let's get back home and get things started." Serena nodded and she and Sapphire started to walk away.

"What about the contest?" Jasmine yelled.

Serena turned to her and gave her a huge smile. "Oh yeah, good luck with that," Serena said, crossing her fingers and holding them up so the young girl could see them.

"We all are supposed to enter!" Jasmine said.

Serena looked at Sapphire innocently. "Sapphire, did you once hear from my mouth that I was going to enter?"

"No, did you hear me?"

Serena shook her head.

"But guys!" she protested.

"Have fun! Look at this like it is a mission to find out her alone time. Don't let us down!" They both walked away with small smiles on their face.

"Damn you both to hell!" Jasmine yelled. She made a fist tightly, her knuckles turning white due to all the pressure. The crowd around her took a few steps back, feeling the evil aura that the girl was generating. "I'll get even."

That night, Serena and Sapphire were sitting in Serena's apartment waiting for Jasmine to arrive. They knew that would be the first place she head regardless of the contest results. Serena was reading the most recent issue of Shojo Beat while Sapphire was reading a newspaper. They were startled slightly when Jasmine came through the door wildly without as much as a knock. Her hair was poked out in different directions, her eyes were narrowed, and like in the arcade restaurant, her breathing was rapid.

"How did it go?" Sapphire questioned, looking up from his reading.

"I lost!" Jasmine said with a growl.

"Oh," he said looking back down at the paper, he then said "so did you get any info on when she is alone?"

Jasmine huffed, "Yeah, but I don't think I'm going to give it to you. You two are so insensitive! What you did was mean!" she said, as tears streamed down her face.

Serena laughed and said, "I wonder if we are really some relation like Sapphire mused."

Jasmine's tears stopped and she looked over at the older girl. "Huh?"

"Not even half a year ago I would have wanted to go do that radio thing and I would have had the same reaction to Sapphire as you just did. Maybe I am finally growing up."

"Hey! I'm grown up too!" Jasmine yelled. "I want an apology!"

"Okay, Jasmine, I'm sorry," Serena said, "Will you please tell us?"

Jasmine crossed her arms. "Even though that obviously wasn't sincere, I'll do it for the sake of the scouts. She walks home every night at 8 pm."

"Oh, I see. What time is it now?" he questioned, not looking up from his paper.

Jasmine looked at the clock and her mouth quirked up into a mischievous grin. "Oh, it's seven fifty," she stated as if the time wasn't important at all.

Serena and Sapphire dropped their reading materials and stared at each other, eyes widened.

"What!" they yelled, shot up from their seats, and rushed out the door.

Jasmine laughed and calmly followed the two older people. She got part of her revenge on them. If they'd bothered to look at the clock themselves they would have seen that it was only 7pm.