"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." – 1 Corinthians 13:13
Trembling, crouching as low as he could, the silk merchant could only pray that the bandits didn't notice him. He could hear the sounds of his shop being ransacked and ruined—it felt like a stab to the heart whenever the bandits broke something—he hated himself for being so cowardly, so powerless against them, but he knew that if he hid and stayed quiet, then the bandits would be content with his merchandise, and not his life. He just needed to be patient, and they'd get bored soon, and leave for someone else to plunder.
But they didn't. He heard them approaching. They were coming closer. They were laughing, calling out for him, taunting him. His heart sank as he felt the ground shake under their footsteps. There must have been at least eight of them. He squeezed his eyes shut and gnashed his teeth, refusing to answer them, refusing to move. Oh, if only they would give up and go away! Suddenly, the noises from outside changed. The bandits were screaming, calling out to each other, flying into a panic. They were engaged in a battle, but with who? With each other? Oh, if only that were so! Let them tear each other apart, then, the silk merchant thought to himself. But they weren't fighting each other: there was another party involved. The sound of swishing water overpowered their shouts, and then a great grinding crackle silenced them all. The merchant continued to hide, frightened and puzzled, not daring to move. When he finally poked his head out, he noticed his shop was in ruins, but empty—save for a pile of silk bolts in the middle of the floor. When he looked outside, he saw the bandits, encased in ice, being dragged away by an unknown force...
Further into the city, notorious members of the Stone Anarchists were breaking into one of the many missions spread across the city. They knew that people donated food, money, and other supplies to these places all the time, and had no compunction against robbing them. A few volunteers had already been gagged and tied up while the bandits picked the mission clean, jeering all the while. The bandits got about five steps outside the mission, just enough space to admire their ill-gotten gains in the moonlight, when they were viciously blasted with a torrential gale and flattened against the ground. They let out a cry but were just as soon silenced as a mysterious figure overcame them with a blast of air, recovered their loot, and placed it back in the mission, slicing the ropes off the volunteers.
Elsewhere, ten of the Stone Anarchists had cornered a wealthy couple in an alleyway, wielding clubs and knives. They demanded money, and would not take no for an answer. Shakily, the man threw his coin pouch on the ground, but that wasn't enough for the bandits: they wanted the woman's jewels. One made a grab for her necklace and ripped it off her neck; she screamed; the leader raised his cudgel to silence her. A terrific jolt stunned him as the weapon came crashing down on his own head, and soon all the clubs slipped out of their hands. Before the thugs even knew what happened, a large wooden pallet smashed into them, rendering them unconscious. Amazed, the wealthy couple took a moment to assess the situation before they ran for their lives.
Torch-bearing Stone Anarchists surrounded the Savings and Trust building. Five of their members were inside, plundering the town's wealth, while the others kept a close watch outside. As soon as the five bandits returned, the other Anarchists lobbed their torches at the building, setting it on fire. They scattered quickly, but were brought to a halt as the fire leaped from the building and formed a wall around them. A mysterious figure stood veiled behind the flames, guiding them masterfully, ensnaring the bandits. Before they could move, shots of fire danced from the wall and onto their clothes, forcing them to drop their goods and scatter for safety. The money was soon returned to the Savings and Trust building.
The rest of the Stone Anarchists, fifty in total, gathered outside the city with their loot in tow. Their leaders were pleased with the evening's haul, but noticed a sharp drop in membership. Thirty Anarchists in total were unaccounted for; theories about their absence ranged from mutiny to drunkenness to spiritual intervention (the guy swore he saw a demonic tree grab his buddy and swallow him whole). The leaders calmed their followers and agreed to give the others up as lost: whatever their fate was, the rest of the Stone Anarchists wouldn't share in it. They were just about to return to their hideout when they ran into a lone man dressed in full evening regalia, complete with a top hat, cape, cane, and a white lotus in his lapel.
"Good evening, gentlemen," he bowed. "Out for a bit of midnight thievery?"
"What's it to you, pretty boy?" they laughed. "Did you get stood up by your wife or something?"
"Not in the least. I just saw you fine people causing some mischief and thought I'd do my part to stop you." The group burst into laughter; the leaders signaled to five of their goons.
"Waste him!" The five bandits laughed cruelly as they closed in. The well-dressed man smiled confidently and waited for an opening; as the bandits lunged, he whipped his cane out, smashing one skull, then jerked his cane back, butting into another. He grabbed the third bandit and threw him against the fourth, then sniped the knees of the fifth, bringing him wailing to the ground before chopping his neck. The five bandits groaned helplessly on the ground while the man stood as calm as before.
"Shall we call it an evening, fellows? As you can see, you don't stand a chance." This caused the whole group to bawl out laughing.
"You're a good fighter, we'll give you that, but there's no way you can take us all on your own!"
"Who said I was alone?" he grinned smugly. "Look behind you." The bandits froze, turning around in confusion...and saw five girls run up from behind and leap into the moonlit sky.
AVATAR
The Celestial Sailors
BOOK TWO: HEART
When I get high I get high on speed
Top fuel funny car's a drug for me
My heart, my heart, kick start my heart
The five girls slammed into the bandits, issuing shockwaves of water, fire, wood, earth, and air, disrupting their ranks with a tremendous quake. They stood, beautiful to behold.
Always got the cops coming after me
Custom built bike doing 103
My heart, my heart, kick start my heart
"So this is what I missed the dance for?" called a blonde girl. "You guys are in for it—and if I break a nail, you're really in for it!" She barreled into the group, surrounding herself with a sphere of air, sending bandits flying left and right or flattening them under her stormy heels. Before they could recover, she blasted a shockwave of wind all around her, flattening them again. The girl danced wildly as she was surrounded by thugs, but her movements were so erratic and unpredictable that the bandits either missed her completely or ended up hitting each other instead. She called a swift breeze to lift herself into the air, just as two bandits collided head-first with each other, and came down with a vicious kick, flooring three more.
"Oh, good," she said as she glanced at her fingernails. "Still lookin' fine! I guess you guys get off easy!"
STARRING MINAKO AINO AS THE AIR-BENDER
Oh, are you ready girls? Oh, are you ready now?
Ooh, yeah, kick start my heart give it a start
Whoa, yeah, baby!
Whoa, yeah, kick start my heart hope it never stops
Whoa, yeah, baby!
"Well, she finally got her one-liner in for the day," muttered a dark-haired girl. She noticed three bandits heading her way and took a defensive stance. Thinking they were "only" going up against a girl, the three men grinned and brandished their weapons. The dark-haired girl smiled too, and kicked the legs out from the center bandit, causing him to fall. She picked him up by the ankles and swung him around, knocking the other two flat, then tossed her foe into the crowd. Another bandit came charging up on her left, but she raised her hand, igniting a shield of fire to block his attack. The fire spread to his clothes, and the girl's smile widened as he ran away screaming. She shot a volley of fireballs into the crowd, and dared them to attack her.
"All right, fellas, who wants to be chastised first?" She charged into their ranks, jabbing and striking and weaving, whirling away to smile at them as she raised her arm and snapped her finger. Bursts of explosive fire ignited where she had struck, felling the thugs as the girl stood triumphant.
REI HINO AS THE FIRE-BENDER
Skydive naked from an aeroplane
Or a lady with a body from outer space
My heart, my heart, kick start my heart
Ten bandits were surrounding the tallest girl in the group, but she kept a cool head and smiled at them. They all piled on top of her at once, but she burst through, sending them reeling back. Several of them were wearing wooden breastplates, she noted with a grin, so when they attacked her again, she scooped two into her arms and slammed them into each other. Taking the breastplates for herself, she volleyed them between the other bandits, slamming them one after the other, finishing with a flourishing sweep that saw all of them on the ground groaning. One of them leaped on her back and held a knife to her throat, but the girl just snapped her fingers, and the branches of a nearby tree lifted the screaming bandit off her back. She smiled and patted the tree.
"Thanks!"
MAKOTO KINO AS THE WOOD-BENDER
A blue-haired girl was sitting quietly by herself, drinking hot tea as she read through a newspaper. She hummed a soft song to herself as she turned the pages, content to enjoy herself in peace. Without so much as blinking an eye, she allowed herself another sip as she stuck her leg out, tripping one of the bandits. She casually moved the tea from her cup to the ground, froze it, and sat patiently while several more bandits slipped, fell, and made a pile. She then idly froze them in place and went back to her newspaper, lips curling in satisfaction.
AMI MIZUNO AS THE WATER-BENDER
Say I got trouble, trouble in my eyes
I'm just looking for another good time
My heart, my heart, kick start my heart
Fifteen of the Stone Anarchists had had enough. Their group was being massacred, and they didn't want to stick around any longer. Breaking off from the attack, they slinked into the woods, but were stopped as they ran into the well-dressed man again.
"Leaving the party so soon, boys?" he taunted them. The man tapped the ground with his cane and great rock monsters emerged, enveloping eight of the bandits in their embrace. The others turned tail, but the well-dressed man still wasn't finished with them, and hurled lotus-shaped stones at them, knocking them all down.
WITH MAMORU CHIBA AS THE EARTH-BENDING KING ENDYMION III
Yeah, are you ready girls? Yeah, are you ready now?
Oh, yeah, kick start my heart give it a start
Oh, yeah, baby!
Whoa, yeah, kick start my heart hope it never stops
Oh, yeah, baby
Very few Stone Anarchists were still standing by now. The girls and the man had them surrounded, and were closing in. Before the bandits could taste their wrath, a girl with blonde pigtails made her way to them. She gave off an iridescent, otherworldly glow in the darkness; her eyes were fiery, her voice was like a storm, her hair flowed like water, and the earth trembled beneath her.
"I am the Avatar! I fight for love and justice! I have been sent here to right wrongs and triumph over evil—and that means you!"
"Gaah! We give up! We surrender!" They laid down their weapons and kowtowed before her. The girl phased out of her Avatar State and stood there, blinking in amazement.
"Oh! That was easy!"
AND FEATURING USAGI TSUKINO AS THE AVATAR
1: Kickstart My Heart
As Usagi beamed proudly, the others went to work confiscating weapons and binding their prisoners. Tellurian officers were called in to formally process and arrest the bandits, take statements, and deliver recompense to those affected. The new Captain personally took Mamoru and Usagi aside to thank them, and not for the first time, Minako wished that Princess Unazuki had been given the job. Oh, Reika Nishimura was certainly competent—after all, she had been alerted to these bandit attacks and had helped organize a response team—but she couldn't help but feel that Unzuki would have brought a much-needed change to the old system. Well, it wasn't her decision, and from their talks, it sounded like Unazuki didn't mind, either. Still.
"What a night," Usagi gushed. "It took less time to track these Rock Guys down than it did to process them, and Reika still says they're not finished. Ugh, I'm exhausted!"
"What are you talking about, bun-head?" Rei retorted. "You hardly did anything at all! They only surrendered because you came at them in full-on 'shock and awe' mode."
"Hey, it was effective, wasn't it?" she grinned. Rei crossed her arms but couldn't argue with results.
"Yes, well, I still don't see how you can be so tired."
"Maybe because it's late, Rei!"
"So what? You'll just sleep in late again tomorrow like you always do." The two girls glared at each other and stuck their tongues out, tendrils of fire and lightning sparking between them. The other girls sighed. Unfortunately, they knew the beat of this tune all too well.
"Okay, you two, we've all had a long day," Makoto said as she physically separated them. "Let's all get some sleep so we can kick more butt tomorrow."
"Who are we going up against this time?" Minako said. "I thought we took care of all the major gangs."
"Yeah, but now all the smaller ones are stepping in to fill the void. There's at least three new factions that've popped up in the last week. They're emerging so quickly that I can barely keep track of their names!" Luckily, Ami had been keeping track. She opened up a registry of all the past, present, and future pockets of dissent they had encountered or heard about and read off the most recent three:
"There are Beryl's Fanatic Battlers, an anti-Endymonic group who have been stirring unrest in the hinterlands of Ba Sing Se; there are the Loyalists of Zoicite, who are basically just a small group of pirates; and there's the Cult of the Avatar, who've taken it upon themselves to enact retribution against those who oppose Usagi. So basically we have to save bad people from other bad people while we're fighting them."
"I hate that stupid cult," Usagi snarled. "I swear, if I ever see any of them in person, I'll set them straight, just you wait and see!"
"Something tells me they wouldn't listen," Makoto remarked. She yawned and stretched, too tired to worry about it now. "Anyway, I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Yep, bright and early," Minako smiled. She pointed at Usagi and said, "And no sleeping in, okay? Don't make me sic Artemis on you."
"Don't worry, I have Luna for that," Usagi grumbled. Everyone waved goodnight to everyone else, leaving just the Avatar and the new Earth King. In spite of her weariness, Usagi sighed dreamily as she sidled next to him. "So, Mamoru, it looks like we're alone now. Do you think maybe we can steal an hour or two before bedtime?"
"I'd love nothing more," he replied sadly, "but I'll be burning the midnight oil again. The Tellurians did a good job, but since all of this happened in Ba Sing Se's...in my territory, I'll need to see it to completion. There'll be trials to arrange, sentences to pass, prisons to organize, not to mention holding these stolen goods as evidence. That's a lot of paperwork." He gave her an apologetic smile, but Usagi wasn't having it. Gently Mamoru took her into his arms and stared into her eyes. "We both have our work cut out for us. The Earth Kingdom is nowhere near the level of stability I'd like it to be, and the world needs its Avatar. Tonight was the closest we'll get to an actual date for a long time."
Usagi trembled. She had only seen Mamoru a handful of times since that blissful evening when they danced together, and it had usually only been for business. She knew he was more active than ever, trying to keep hold of a kingdom that was constantly in flux, while she was always off dealing with these roving bands of fanatics and thieves. Their lives were no longer their own; now they had to sacrifice everything for the greater good, for the people out there, who all deserved peace and stability after so many years of strife. There was no telling when, or even if, they'd get a chance to actually be together. It hurt them both, but it hurt Usagi the worst. At least Mamoru was accustomed to a life of responsibility and command, but up until a few months ago, Usagi had just been another regular girl, whose only major concern in life was keeping track of her studies.
And now she was the Avatar. Suffice to say it was overwhelming.
She'd swallow that bitter pill, because she had to—but that didn't mean she liked it.
"It's fine, I guess," she whispered, after a long introspective. "At least we got a little time together. And who knows? From the sound of things, it looks like I'll be in this part of the world a bit longer. Ba Sing Se's going to have troubles for a long time, isn't it?" She touched his face; he closed his hand over hers.
"If it didn't, you'd probably be in another part of the world. I hate how broken things have gotten. I can't even say if Beryl improved things, or if she just made them worse and people are too used to it to know any better. But we can't think like that, can we? We're just going to have to work with what we have and try to improve things little by little. Having you here definitely helps." They smiled at each other, and were able to have a few more moments to themselves before their duties called once more. Mamoru kissed his lady's hand goodnight; Usagi exhaled somberly as she was left alone.
…...
Ami smiled to herself as she poked her head through the kitchen door. The local hotel had kindly offered their rooms to the five girls while they were in the area (free of charge, too), and Makoto wanted to take advantage of their kitchen. Minako and Rei were awake as well, one giving Artemis a good flying-exercise while the other went through her morning ritual of prayer and purification (the baths were rather nice, Rei had to admit). Ami loved to watch Makoto at work, no matter what she did; the taller girl was just that entrancing. Makoto noticed she had company and smiled.
"Morning!"
"Good morning, Makoto. Ah, that smells wonderful!"
"Thanks. Nothing tastes as good as a freshly-caught fish from a nearby river. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get my rod in there the first chance I got!" Ami giggled to herself; Makoto was certainly cute when she was excited. She offered to help, and was tasked with drawing in water from the river. She went outside and yoked two jars together, noticing Rei sitting cross-legged on a nearby rock, meditating. The wind played with her rich black hair, and the leaves rustled beneath her. She looked to be at peace with herself and all of nature; Ami did her best not to disturb her. As she filled her jars, she watched Minako and Artemis whirling around in the sky. Minako sometimes jumped off her mount and threw something at him, which he always caught; he then caught her, and the exercise was repeated. She waved at them as they swooped in low, and carried the jars back, humming softly to herself. She paused as she observed Usagi standing on the roof of the hotel, her long pigtails whipping in the morning wind. It was unusual to see their Avatar awake so early, so Ami called out to her.
"Good morning, Usagi!" Usagi broke free from what must've been a deeply contemplative gaze and looked down.
"Hmm? Oh, g'morning, Ami. Do you need some help with that?"
"No thank you, I can manage." She went back inside and helped Makoto in the kitchen; the fragrance of buttered fish and fresh fruit wafted out of the hotel windows and curled around Usagi's nose, pulling her further away from whatever thoughts had consumed her. Luna was also out on the roof, napping close to her feet. Usagi knelt down and scratched her head softly.
"Sounds like we have a busy day today, huh Luna? Hey, is it selfish of me to wish that I wasn't the Avatar? Or to think that maybe I was...well, not better off in my old life, because I've made a lot of great friends, but...I don't know. I guess it's just too much change too quickly. Maybe I just expected things to be peaceful a lot sooner. Silly, I know." She smiled sadly and climbed down the ladder to the main floor. Mamoru would join them for breakfast but was compelled to leave as soon as he was finished; Usagi decided not to prolong their farewells and, when the time came, simply offered a wave and a smile.
Going after the Cult of the Avatar was their next big mission. Ever since Usagi had been revealed to the world as Kalkin's successor, several fanatics from the Fire Nation and various Water Tribes had organized themselves into her devout followers. A select handful did go around doing acts of charity and goodwill in her name (even though she never endorsed any of it), but the majority were out for blood. They saw the Earth Kingdom as the Avatar's sworn enemy, and were going around committing atrocities in her name. "The Avatar demands retribution" was one of their favorite rallying cries, along with such fuzzy sentiments as "Allegiance or Death", "None will oppose Her", and the ever-popular "Heretics will be mutilated". Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Tellurians and several other spy networks, Usagi and her group learned that one of the biggest enclaves was, surprise, located right in the Serpent's Pass. With access to both the northern and southern Earth Kingdoms and a river that led out into the ocean, they had an easy gateway to several cities and towns, and could just as easily slip away.
Because the Cultists were doing so much damage, both to citizens of the Earth Kingdoms and to the Avatar's reputation, they were top priority for Mamoru and Motoki. Motoki's land forces had already been marching through the Kolau Mountains while Usagi and her crew took care of the bandits; as soon as they got word from Mamoru, they entered the northern territories, and with the fleet of King Endymion III cutting them off from the sea, the Cult of the Avatar was quickly surrounded.
Between Motoki's army and Mamoru's navy, over a hundred fifty cultists were rounded up. Many of them demanded to be brought before the Avatar, insisting that her divine word was the only thing they answered to. Later that very same day, they got their wish, and for the first time, Usagi met her zealous devotees. Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei stood by ready to fight while Usagi faced the crowd. She was disgusted that so many would commit foul deeds in her name, and feel like their actions were justified and "good". She didn't bother trying to hide her anger.
"You've asked for me!" she shouted to the cultists. "Well, now I'm here." Before she could say another word, the masses cheered, bowed, praised her, and renewed their vows of holy war. Usagi screamed for them to be silent, throwing her arms in the air. "I didn't ask for any of this! This is not what I'm about! This is not what the Avatar is about! I'm here to act as a bridge between the physical realm and the spiritual, a balance of all things, the one who keeps peace and maintains order! What part of your sick plan involves peace and order? All you do is bully people and hurt them in my name!"
"Retribution for the Avatar!" they shouted. "Vengeance upon her enemies! Woe to the oppressors!"
"ENOUGH! If you really are devoted to me, then stop these violent actions at once! Submit yourselves to the authorities and make up for all the wrongdoing—"
"The Avatar is the ultimate authority! All the others are false! Death to the idolaters!"
"Okay, I'm through being nice," she grumbled, rolling her sleeves up. "If you're not going to listen to me, then you can all go cool off in a jail cell!"
"False! False! She is a false Avatar! We demand the true goddess of light! Kill the false one!" Usagi's throat constricted in rage, and she delved into the Avatar State, burning bright as a star. She slammed her fists into the ground, blasting huge fissures of rock that knocked all the cultists down. Motoki and Mamoru's forces were on them at once, capturing and restraining everyone they could get their hands on (more than a few people were punched or kicked for their efforts). The other girls leaped in to help: Makoto lifting several over her head and tossing them into a large net, Minako blew several into the air, Ami had to freeze a few groups, and Rei had to snipe seven or eight before they settled down. Usagi just glared at them, weathering their mixture of contempt and zeal.
"False! False! False! She is but a false mouthpiece!"
"They lie! You are the one true Avatar! I would die for you at the slightest word!"
"Slaughter her enemies!"
"This one is weak! This one is a deceiver! Do not listen to her!"
"Shaddap!" Makoto shouted, kicking one of the armored carriages they were being ushered into. The girls dusted themselves off once the last of the cultists were rounded up and carted away. Once again, Captain Nishimura of the Tellurians was there to process everything, write down statements, and clean up the mess. She was no Unazuki, but she was good at her job, and Motoki definitely trusted her. After bidding the girls farewell again, she and her crew rode off, the noise of the cultists gradually fading. Mamoru's forces also took their leave, though one officer stayed behind.
"I can give the king a message for you if you like," he said to Usagi. The girl just shook her head.
"It's okay. He's busy. Just tell him he's doing a great job as a king, and I'll always be there for him if he needs me."
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," he replied. "His highness could use all the support he can get."
Usagi was left standing alone in the midday sun. While the other girls were recovering from the fight and chatting among themselves, Rei walked up to her friend and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" Usagi turned around, a crestfallen expression on her face. She was trembling, though she tried not to cry.
"Yeah, I guess so. I have to be, don't I? I mean, I'm the Avatar. The whole world's counting on me."
"You know you don't have to carry that burden alone," Rei replied gently. She walked closer and caressed Usagi's long golden pigtails. "I'm sorry I got mad at you earlier. After everything we've been through, you have every right to be tired. We all are. I can't say when any of this will get easier, but you're a strong person, Usagi. I know you can handle it." She smiled tenderly and put her forehead against Usagi's. The other girl smiled feebly and closed her eyes.
"Thanks, Rei. I'm sorry if I sounded selfish or whiny. I'll get better soon, I promise."
"It's okay. Even the Avatar's only human." Usagi's eyes opened, and they stared at each other, content with their lives and with each other.
"Yo!" they heard Minako shouting. "Are you two gonna kiss or what? You could at least get a room!" Usagi fumed and snapped at her.
"Oh, pipe down, Mina, we're having a moment!"
"You'll have plenty of time for moments later," Makoto said. "Don't forget, we still need to train you." Usagi paled and jerked back in horror.
"Wha? Hey, wait a minute, aren't we going after Zoicite's Loyalists or Beryl's Battlers next? W-w-w-we can't waste time training when there's still a job to be done...right?"
"Oh, so you consider your fire-bending training a waste?" Rei remarked cattily.
"What? No! Of course not! I just..."
"I think that's precisely what she said," Minako added, nodding alongside the others. She jammed a finger in Usagi's face and barked, "My air-bending style is deeply offended by your remark! For that, in the name of the Thunderbird, I shall punish you—by making you do fifty gale thrusts instead of twenty-five!"
"WHAT?!"
"And that's an extra twenty sit-ups, squats, and push-ups from me," Makoto chimed in.
"But that's not fair! You know I didn't mean it! Ami, you're the nice one! Won't you at least come to my rescue?" Ami pondered over it for a moment, idly tapping her finger to her mouth.
"It'll be at least a week before we rendezvous with Mamoru in Ba Sing Se to go after Beryl's Fanatic Battlers, and a week after that before his navy can meet up with us to fight the Loyalists of Zoicite. I'm sure we'll have more than enough time to train! So that's fifteen miles of swimming, I presume."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Usagi groaned, deflating until she hit the ground. The other girls just grinned at each other.
"You'd better make it seventeen miles, Ami," Rei remarked as she leered over Usagi's crumpled body. "We don't want to go too easy on her, do we? After all, this is the Avatar we're talking about!"
"Me and my big mouth," Usagi huffed.
The end of "Kickstart My Heart"
Next time: "How to Train Your Avatar"
Author's notes:
"Kickstart My Heart" is written by Motley Crue. If you're going to start something with an action scene, you may as well do it correctly.
Well, Book Two is now underway. If you're just coming into this new, please go back and read Book One: Chaos. Otherwise, you won't know what's going on. For those of you who have read my earlier work, "Sailor Moon Forever", you may remember I left the conclusion of that story on a cliffhanger (that, unfortunately, I will not resolve). I mention that because the opening sequence of this story is almost exactly the same one I had in mind for the opening of the sequel to that work (except the Sailors would be in a more modern setting, and it would involve creatures of some sort instead of regular people). It was an idea too good to waste, so here we are.
Minako's opening line is taken verbatim from the failed live action/animated mashup that would be known as Saban's Sailor Moon. Yes, really. There were plans to bring Sailor Moon over to America and give it the old Power Rangers treatment long before DIC got their mitts on it. There was even a line of toys in the works. Just to give you an idea of how bonkers this would have turned out, besides shifting from live action to animated segments, a red-haired Ami would have used a wheelchair (in and out of combat), Makoto would have been dark-skinned, Minako would have been Hispanic...and oh yeah, they'd all have their original Dic-dubbed names. So Serena, Darien, and Lita would have been hanging around (and yet a short-haired "Raye" would have stayed Japanese). I honestly can't say whether we dodged a bullet or missed something hilariously epic, but you're free to look into it on your own.
As for why Mamoru is King Endymion III, it's because Earth is the third planet from the sun. Simple enough.