SAILOR MOON:AMERICAN SENSHI-REBOOTED
By Eugol Dlareg
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any character names or concepts from the original manga or anime. Sailor Moon was originally created by Naoko Takeuchi, and all characters and concepts from the any previously produced versions are owned by someone in Japan, most likely either Ms. Takeuchi or Toei, except for Americanized names, which are owned by either DiC or Cloverway. This story is a reboot of an alternate universe version of Sailor Moon I wrote between 2001 and 2005, and includes characters and concepts created by myself. In a nutshell: if it originated in the original manga and/or anime, it's owned by either Naoko Takeuchi and/or Toei(to the best of my knowledge). If it originated in the English dub, it's owned by either DiC and/or Cloverway. Everything created for this story, it was created by Eugol Dlareg.
PROLOG
METALLIA'S LAIR, AUGUST 10, 1986
Sailor Moon pointed her scepter at Metallia and Beryl, and the crystal began to glow bright white. She fired a beam of light at the sisters, and they floated in the air, and were enveloped by a pure white bubble of light. When the bubble landed, it disappeared, and Metallia and Beryl stood, now joined face to face by a band of flesh that went from the base of the sternum to the navel. "Metallia?" Beryl asked. "Is it really you?"
"Yes it is, dear sister," Metallia said.
"What happened?" Beryl asked. "Last thing I remember was you killing me, now we're joined the way we talked about when we were children, but I sense you are no longer evil."
"I never was evil," Metallia said. "I was possessed by a demon, but didn't know it. But Sailor Moon saved me. She saved both of us."
"Unfortunately, your salvation came at the cost of my best friends in the world," Sailor Moon said, transforming back to Serena Campbell.
"You saved me," Metallia said. "And reunited me with my sister."
"And you also gave me my best friend back," Beryl added. "Bringing your friends back is the least we could do."
"Might I make a suggestion," Luna said. "When you bring them back, make all of them, Serena included, forget they were ever superheroes."
"But should the need for Sailor Moon, Gilded Rose, and the Sailor Soldiers ever arise," Artemis added, "I would like for Luna and I to be able to restore their memories."
"We can make them forget they were ever superheroes," Metallia said.
"But since they sacrificed so much to bring best friends back together," Beryl added, "we'll return the favor. We'll only erase their memories of being superheroes, but allow them to keep their friendships with each other."
"Agreed," Luna said.
"If there was a way you could help us keep an eye on them," Artemis said, "Help us keep them safe until they're needed again."
"There is a way," Metallia and Beryl said in unison, as Jake Slater, Amy Anderson, Mina Parker, Susan Fairchild, Rae Hinckley, and Molly Carter returned to life, and they, as well as Serena Campbell, were returned to Sunny Hills.
"How do you plan on observing them?" Luna asked.
"We'll use our abilities to make ourselves appear to be 16," Beryl said. "Assume new identities."
"We're going to enroll in their school," Metallia added. "Live as regular teenagers."
"There's one little problem," Luna said.
"What's that?" Beryl asked.
"The fact you're conjoined," Luna said. "The birth of conjoined twins is extremely rare as it is, and the way you two are joined, you would have been separated in infancy."
"We'll just tell the truth," Metallia said.
"If we were ever separated, I would die," Beryl added.
CHAPTER 10
A NEW YEAR, A NEW BEGINNING
SEPTEMBER 8, 1986, SALLY RIDE HIGH SCHOOL, 7:50 A.M.
"Hey Brooklyn," Jake Slater said, moving from his original seat in the front of the class to the table directly behind his original seat. "You don't mind me sitting here, do you?"
"I thought you were sitting at the table in front of me," Molly Carter said.
"I was," Jake said, "but the new girls had to sit together."
"So what, are they like Siamese twins or something?" Molly asked.
"As a matter of fact," Brianna Taylor said, turning around, "my sister and I are Siamese twins."
LUNCHTIME
"Wanna hear something strange?" Jake asked, sitting next to Molly.
"What's that?" Molly asked.
"It's the fact that the girls who sit in front of us in physics are Siamese twins isn't the most unusual thing about them," Jake said. "I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason, I have this feeling I've met them before."
"Now that you mention it," Molly said, "I don't know why, but when I heard them ask if you could sit next to me, for some reason, their voices sounded vaguely familiar."
"Mind if we sit here?" Alison Taylor asked, as she and Brianna sat across the table from Jake and Molly.
"Go right ahead," Molly said.
"There's something Alison and I were wondering about you two," Brianna said.
"What's that?" Jake asked.
"My sister and I kind of got the idea that," Alison said, "I don't know, like there's something about us that bothers you two."
"There is something," Jake said, "but it has nothing to do with the fact that you two are Siamese twins."
"What is it, then?" Brianna asked.
"Neither Jake nor I can put our finger on it," Molly said, "but we have this feeling we know you two from somewhere."
"Now you two wanna hear something funny?" Brianna asked.
"What's that?" Jake asked.
"You're not the first people to say that to us today," Alison answered.
"We're not?" Jake asked.
"No," Alison said. "There's this girl in our history class."
"Blonde hair, blue eyes," Brianna added. "From her accent, Alison and I figure she's originally from Arkansas. We sat down next to her, and she told us she was sure she'd met us somewhere before."
"I know who you're talking about," Jake said. "Her aunt owns the record store where I work part time. You know, there is one other thing about you two I'm curious about."
"What's that?" Alison and Brianna asked in unison.
"It has to do with how you two are joined," Jake said. "About 4 years ago, there was a pair of Siamese twins born at Sunny Hills General, and they were joined just the same way as you two. When they were 6 months old, they were separated by a team of surgeons which included my aunt. I remember her talking about it afterwards, and she said that particular type of conjoinment is, relatively speaking, one of the easiest types to surgically separate, and one with the greatest likelihood of success."
"You're going to ask us why we're still joined to each other at our age?" Alison asked.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Brianna added, "but the Reader's Digest version is it involves a condition I was born with, and that when we were babies, if we were to be separated, I would die. Our parents decided they were unwilling to sacrifice me so that Alison could have a quote-unquote "normal"(said with finger quotes for emphasis) life."
"But joined we could expect a normal life expectancy," Alison said.
"We never did get your names," Brianna said.
"I'm Jake Slater," Jake said. "And this is my friend Molly Carter, or, as I like to call her, Brooklyn."
"Brooklyn?" Brianna asked.
"It's a nickname Jake gave me when he first met me," Molly said. "I was born in Brooklyn, and about 5 years ago, my parents decided that if Southern California is good enough for the Dodgers, it's good enough for us."
CAVERN RECORDS, THAT AFTERNOON
Even though it was the first day of school, Jake had to work. As soon as he got out of school, he went to work. "Hey Jake," Mina Parker said, as he clocked in. "I have to talk to you when you get a moment."
"What's up?" Jake asked.
"There's a couple little matters I need to discuss with you," Mina said.
"Let me guess," Jake said, "these little matters have auburn hair, violet eyes, and a band of flesh that joins them at the lower torso, they're in your history class, and for some unexplained reason, you can't help but think you met them somewhere before."
"How did you know?" Mina asked.
"They're in my physics class," Jake said. "Brooklyn and I have the same feeling about them."
"You talking about Alison and Brianna Taylor?" Serena Campbell asked, entering the store and giving Jake a kiss on the cheek.
"How did you know?" Mina asked.
"They're in my English class," Serena said. "I have no idea why, but when I saw them, for some reason, I couldn't help but feel I knew them from somewhere. Isn't that weird that I see a pair of Siamese twins, and the fact they're joined to one another doesn't faze me as much as the fact that I have no earthly idea where in Sam Hill I know them from. And here's the real strange part. I have this sinking feeling that wherever I know them from, it somehow involves my cat."
"Luna?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Serena said. "For some reason, I have a feeling that where I know Alison and Brianna Taylor is, pardon the pun, connected to a recurring dream I've been having for the last month."
"What dream was that?" Mina asked.
"It might sound strange," Serena said, "But for the last month, I've been having this recurring dream that Luna could talk. I don't really remember what she says, but I definitely remember she spoke with a British accent."
"I think you had one too many wipeouts over the summer," Mina said. "I couldn't even imagine a talking cat in my dreams."
"That's not too far out there," Jake said. "In fact, last night, I had a dream that Artemis could talk, and for some reason, he had a Canadian accent."
"Jake," Mina said, putting her arm around his shoulders, "You know I'm your friend, and as your friend, I have one piece of advice for you. Lay off the Yoo-Hoo."
NOAH'S ARCADE
"I love tunafish and fieldmouse pudding," Luna said, touching the screen of the supposedly non-operational Toki*Meka machine.
"Voice identity confirmed," the machine said. "It seems we are in need of the Sailor Soldiers and Gilded Rose once again."
"Artemis and I suppressed their memories of being superheroes," Luna said. "But that can be easily undone. What are they going to be facing this time?"
"The identity of their new foe is unknown at this time," the voice said. "Just minutes ago, I received a distress call from Gargarax. He said Epsilon Outpost had been invaded by a band of space pirates. They crippled or outright destroyed most of the ships there, and kidnapped Nehelenia, and they were headed toward the nearest planet inhabited by sentient life."
"Earth," Luna said. "So we need to prevent a band of space pirates from either looting, destroying, or taking over Earth, and we need to rescue Nehelenia?" she asked.
"The Sailor Soldiers and Gilded Rose won't be going at it alone," the voice said. "At least not for long. Gargarax said Aramagosa is undamaged, and Gargarax has assembled a team to accompany him."
"So all we have to do is hold off a band of space pirates," Luna said. "until Gargarax arrives."
"Which shouldn't be that long," the voice said. "Gargarax said at the speed the pirates were traveling, it should take them around 2 weeks to arrive on Earth, and Aramagosa is not far behind. So your team will only have to hold off the pirates for a few hours at most."
"I believe they can do it," Luna said. "All there is to do is restore their memories of being superheroes."
"When do you plan on doing that?" the voice asked.
"As soon as possible," Luna said.
AN HOUR LATER, CAVERN RECORDS
Mina had went to the bakery across the street from the record store, and picked up some brownies, which she, Jake, and Serena were eating. As they were eating, Luna walked in the store. "Serena, Jake, Mina," Luna said. "I need the three of you to look in my eyes."
"Mina," Jake said, "You didn't get the Alice B. Toklas brownies, did you?"
"Why would you think I would give you marijuana brownies?" Mina asked. "I wouldn't do that to a friend, especially one who's straight edge."
"Because my cat just told us to look in her eyes," Serena said.
"If the three of you would just quit fooling around and look into my eyes," Luna said, beginning to get irritated, "Everything will be clear."
"Let's just humor the nice kitty," Jake said, as he, Serena, and Mina looked into Luna's eyes. Her eyes briefly flashed a bright white, and for Jake, Serena, and Mina, it was like a fog was lifted from their minds. At that moment, Alison and Brianna Taylor entered the store. "Everything's coming back to me now," he said. "Last thing I remember is Endymion stabbing me, than everything went black, and the next thing I know, I'm enjoying this awesome burrito from Tia Lupe's, when Amy comes in, shows me a couple bottles of fingernail polish, and asks me what color I think looks better on her. I mean, I'm a guy, I don't know shit about nail polish, except that I like the way it looks on a girl. Oh by the way," he added, to Alison and Brianna, "I thought you 2 were joined at the back."
"We were," Alison, aka Metallia, said.
"But you separated us, remember?" Brianna, aka Beryl, said.
"Oh yeah," Jake said.
"But I saved them," Serena said. "After you separated them, Metallia killed Beryl. More precisely, the demon that possessed Metallia killed Beryl."
"After Sailor Moon drew the demon from Metallia and destroyed it," Brianna/Beryl said, "she used her powers to restore me to life."
"But my sister's resurrection came with a cost," Alison/Metallia said. "In order to restore Beryl to life, I had to share my life force with her."
"To do that required that I rejoin their bodies," Serena said. "They asked me not to join them back to back."
"Why they asked that is not important right now," Jake said.
"Right," Mina said. "The important thing is why we all of a sudden remember stuff that happened a month ago."
"That would be my doing," Luna said. "I asked when you were brought back to life that your memories of being superheroes be suppressed."
"But that didn't work out as well as you hoped," Jake said. "When I first saw Metallia and Beryl, or should I say Alison and Brianna, this morning, I recognized them, but didn't know from where."
"I said your memories would be suppressed," Luna said, "not completely erased."
"But why bring them back now?" Jake asked.
"Because Sailor Moon, Gilded Rose, and the Sailor Soldiers are needed once again," Luna said.
"I'd ask why," Jake said, "but I think first, you should get Amy, Rae, Susan, and Brooklyn here, do your little Jedi mind trick on them, and tell us all at once."
"I'm on it," Mina said, picking up the phone and dialing Susan Fairchild's number.
FAIRCHILD RESIDENCE
"Susan," Donna Fairchild said over the running water of the shower in Susan's bathroom. "Mina's on the phone, and it sounds important."
"Thanks, mom," Susan Fairchild said, turning off the water, wrapping a towel around herself, and picking up the phone on her nightstand. "I got it, mom," she said. "Hi Mina," she said, as she heard her mom hang up the extension phone in the kitchen.
"Hey Susan," Mina said. "I need you to come to Cavern Records right now."
"I'll be there as soon as I get dressed," Susan said.
"Just wear what you have on," Mina said.
"I just got out of the shower," Susan said. "Just give me a couple minutes to dry off and get dressed, and I'll be right there."
CARTER RESIDENCE
"Hey Brooklyn," Jake said, as Molly answered the phone, "I need you to come over to Cavern right away."
"What's going on?" Molly asked.
"I'll let you know when you get here," Jake said.
CAVERN RECORDS, 15 MINUTES LATER
Susan Fairchild was the first to arrive. After she called Amy, she put on faded blue Capri length jeans, a gray1-shouldered Toronto Maple Leafs sweatshirt, and white sandals. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Just look into Luna's eyes," Jake said.
"Your girlfriend's cat?" Susan asked. "What does a cat have to do with anything?"
"Just look into my eyes for a second," Luna said, climbing up onto the counter, "and everything will become clear."
"Whatever," Susan said, looking into Luna's eyes. A flash of white later, Susan's memories of being Sailor Earth came back. "What are we needed for now?"
"I'll explain once Amy, Rae, and Molly get here and I restore their memories," Luna said.
"So what's so important you needed me to come here right away without knowing why I needed to be here right away?" Molly asked as she entered the store.
"If you'll just look into my eyes for a second," Luna said, "your questions will be answered."
"Today just went from zero to completely batshit crazy in one second flat," Molly said. "I could have sworn a cat just asked me to look into her eyes."
"Trust me on this one, Brooklyn," Jake said. "Look into the nice kitty's eyes."
"Might as well," Molly said. "Maybe this will all make some sort of sense if I do." Looking into Luna's eyes, Molly's memories of being Sailor Jupiter came back in a flash of white.
"Hey Jake," Rae Hinckley said, as she and Amy entered the store, Amy carrying Artemis, Jake's cat. "Amy and I have something real strange to talk to you about."
"Rae and I were talking about Spanish class," Amy said, "when Artemis came in and told us to look in his eyes."
"Let me guess," Jake said. "You freaked out when he said that, because he's a cat, and cats don't speak."
"How did you know?" Rae asked.
"First time Artemis spoke to me," Jake said, "the fact there was a roof above my head at the time was the only thing that kept me from becoming the first person to reach outer space under his or her own power."
"Anyways," Amy said, "Rae and I thought it best to humor him."
"Next thing we knew," Rae said, "a shitload of memories came flooding back all at once."
"We were superheroes," Amy said. "Rae and I, you, Serena Campbell, Molly Carter, Mina Parker, and Susan Fairchild."
"I know," Jake said. "We all had our memories restored. So now that we're all here, I think it's time Luna explain why."
"Thank you," Luna said. "The reason we restored your memories is because you are once again needed."
"What's the problem this time?" Susan asked.
"Gargarax," Luna said.
"Sounds like a serious threat," Jake said. "But we can handle whatever this Gargarax character can throw at us."
"Gargarax is one of our most valuable allies," Luna said. "I would say the best way to describe him is he's a space policeman. He's stationed at an installation called Epsilon Outpost. Recently, Epsilon Outpost was attacked by a band of space pirates. The pirates kidnapped Nehelenia, the administrator of Epsilon Outpost, and are on their way to Earth, and they'll be here in 2 weeks. Gargarax has assembled a team, and is in pursuit. He said he's only a few hours behind the pirates, and we only need to hold them off until he arrives."
"I have a question," Jake asked.
"What's that?" Luna asked.
"I was wondering how upset this Gargarax would be," Jake said, cracking his knuckles, "if we defeated the space pirates and rescued Nehelenia before he got here."
"That's the Gilded Rose I know," Artemis said.
THE BASEMENT OF DR. WENDY ANDERSON'S HOUSE, LATER THAT EVENING
Wendy Anderson had transformed the basement of her house into a home gym during the fitness craze of the early 1980s, but it had sat unused for the past 3 years. Jake came down, having changed from the jeans and button-down shirt he was wearing into gray sweatpants, a sleeveless white t-shirt, black fingerless gloves, and black wrestling shoes. He put a tape in the stereo, and was warming up, when Amy came down. "What's up?" Amy asked.
"Training," Jake said, continuing to warm up. "We have some alien ass to kick in a couple weeks, and I want to be prepared."
"I think we could all use a little training," Amy said.
"I'm off the next couple days," Jake said. "We can meet here tomorrow and train."
"I'll call the girls," Amy said.
"You mind turning on the tape on your way out?" Jake asked, as he adjusted a sit-up bench in the corner to an almost vertical positon.
"Not a problem," Amy said, as she left and pressing play on the stereo.
"Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!" came the voice of Rob Tyner from the speakers, as Jake began his workout.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .