"Ahhhh... Luuuna... why do we have to find Usagi so urgently anyway... she can look after herself..." Complained Rei, sick with all the attention directed at Usagi. "If she gets into any trouble she can just transform into Sailor Moon and kick their butts." When Luna sent a chilling look in her direction, Rei added, "Even her parents aren't worried!"
"Usagi deleted the Tsukino's memories of her." Snapped Luna.
"Oh... so that's why you've been living with me and Artemis lately..." Commented Venus lamely.
"Besides, Usagi's fighting. She relies almost entirely on her inate strength."
"Huh. Well that's just because she's so lazy, if she'd paid attention during fights she'd be as good at fighting as the rest of us!"
"Shutup Rei!" Screeched Luna. "Usagi didn't receive training during the silver millennium like you. You were all warriors. You were raised as fighters and trained as fighters. Usagi was never meant to fight."
"But Sailor Moon..." Asked Amy as the full story of Usagi's apparently poor skills came into focus.
"Sailor Moon never existed during the Silver Millennium. Serenity was only ever trained in healing magic. Usagi could be seriously injured on her own!"
"Actually. Usagi is a better fighter than you think."
"Pluto?"
"Don't bother looking for her Luna. You won't be able to find her.." Pluto clenched her teeth a little around the lie. If Luna looked it wasn't unlikely she would find her since discretion wasn't Usagi's strong point... the poor girl had left a trail a mile wide which had taken Pluto... well actually time had no meaning to the Senshi of Pluto.. But needless to say it was tedious.
"Usagi just needs... time... to find some things out on her own. If she decides to, she may ask for your help... but I very much doubt it."
"We're her friends! We have a right to know!" Demanded Rei, only to earn a piercing look from Pluto.
"Will it affect the future?" Asked Luna.
Pluto smiled affectionately at Luna, hoping it looked genuine since she had a really bad feeling about this..
"That depends on what she finds."
************************
"Hnn... Zaban city... Zaban city..." Chanted Leorio rubbing his chin. Gon was glad Serenity and Leorio had come to some sort of truce (though Serenity kept mumbling about Hentai's and Leorio about brat's).
"Captain said that's the fastest route toward the testing center." Stated Gon pointing toward the huge pine at the peak of Dole. He hoped they'd decide to stay together... after all these were the only two people he knew on Dole so far.
"But Gon.. Zaban is totally in the opposite direction!" Usagi stated matter of factly, indicating to the island map that had been erected for candidates. "Maybe he accidentally pointed that way..." Mused Usagi doubtfully.
"Maybe it's a shortcut..." Interjected Leorio, "We could walk all that way for nothing... maybe even miss the test date."
"It doesn't matter! I trust him!" Gon replied happily.
"You know Gon, you shouldn't trust people so easily." Leorio tried. "I advise you go by bus."
Gon heedlessly started walking towards the tree.
"Ahhh... fine, be that way... Let's go Sere... Ack! You too?"
"I trust that old guy too... besides, I can't let that kid travel alone."
"What? You should talk! You're just a kid yourself!" Screamed Leorio from the bus stop as Usagi walked away.
"... hey! You guys... wait for me!"
************************
"Maaa... but just let me add... I could be sitting on a comfortable bus right no... no wait, I'd probably already be in Zaban by now."
"Shutup Leorio."
"...but I sagely put aside my own comfort for o... hey... why are you looking at me funny?"
"I didn't call you 'Leorio-san'. But you didn't say anything." Replied Usagi with just a hint of confusion.
"...so? It's not like I really care about that kinda stuff." Leorio shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Leorio." Sighed Usagi in defeat.
"But since it's you, you can call me Leorio-san."
"I don't think so Leorio."
"...Do you have to try to annoy me, or does it come to you naturally...?"
"Talent is talent Leorio... not that you'd know anything about that..."
"Ah! you did it again!"
"Did what Leorio?"
"Brat!"
"Moron!"
Leorio and Usagi were interrupted form their brewing tongue-war (a la Rei and Usagi) by Gon at this point since they'd reached a kind of deserted town. at least it seemed deserted.
"A ghost town?" Queried Leorio.
"No."
"Not unless ghosts have started to breathe lately." Usagi added to Gon's denial. No ghost Usagi had known (and their had been a few now) had to... of course daimon and monsters and demons and things... that was another matter.
Leorio could have kicked himself for not checking the are with one of the most basic senses of all. "Well excuse me for now having super human hearing!" He noted Usagi's flinch at the comment for further analysis later.
"Aha! It's time!" Cried an old Lady jumping... somewhat dramatically... from a blind alley. "Time for... DOKI-DOKI QUIZ!"
Usagi sweatdropped as her.. erm... audience filed out from various buildings... wrapped in sheets, wearing gas masks and bad wigs.
"What the...?" None of them were apparently good fighters, so it couldn't possibly confrontation.
"You there! you're heading for the tree on the mountain, yes? First you have to succeed in getting out of this town!" Demanded the old lady."
"You're... going to... fight us?" Asked Usagi cautiously. The old lady glared at her and continued.
"First you have to succeed in getting out of this town... the other paths that lead you there are like labyrinths, in which reign terribly blood thirsty monsters! So I will ask you one question... you have only 5 seconds to consider your answer! If you fail, you're disqualified from participating in the hunter exam this year." SFX: Old Lady Cackle. Noticing the lack of expression on their faces, she quickly went on, "You'll answer 1 or 2, any other answer will be invalid."
"Hey wait... just one question for the three of us?" Asked Leorio. "If he answers wrong, I'll be eliminated too?"
"The idea of you disqualifying us is much more realistic, Leorio."
"Ah! But if one of us knows, the two others will gain!" Gon interrupted.
"That's true... " Mused Leorio who had a rather disgruntled Usagi in a headlock. "...what Gon said, not you brat." He added casually to Usagi.
"Come on! Hurry up!" Demanded a voice behind them.
"Hey! It's that guy that's been following us since Dole!" Yelped Gon happily.
'This kid really needs to learn to be more suspicious'. Though Usagi. "Obviously." Replied Usagi hoping to bluff away the fact she hadn't noticed.
"Eh? I didn't notice anyone..." Leorio scratched his head in thought.
'Heheheh...'
"Outta the way brat, I'm going first!" He roughly pushed Gon aside. Usagi really didn't like this guy... not in a 'evil-thing-wanting-to-consume-my-life-energies', just a general dislike... which was unusual for her. Black moon.
"...demon. You can only save one." Usagi snapped back to attention realizing the quiz had begun while she was having her private hate session.
'Huh.. he can't be serious.' Usagi thought when the other guy answered.
The old lady turned to discuss something with the wig-people which was remarkable in that Usagi could see them speaking but could hear nothing. She looked to Gon expectantly, but he just shrugged.
"You mass pass." Concluded the old bird turning back to the assembled.
"What the hell...?" Demanded Leorio. "What kinda quiz is this? There's no way we can answer right! I'm finding another path!" He declared walking away.
"Too late." The old lady said simply, examining her nails casually. "Leave now and you'll be disqualified."
Usagi had her hearing set on high when the scream came. Lunarian ancestry it seemed lent itself well to higher senses and strength when compared to humans but in this case it was the eavesdropping she'd attempted on the bad-wig-people.
"Leorio!" She commanded, absently rubbing one pained ear.
"Leorio-san! What, don't tell me you're gonna accept this quiz?"
"WAIT! One more word and you're disqualified! Answer 1 if you accept the quiz, 2 if you don't."
"1." Usagi replied confidently. 'Geez Leorio... grow a brain... I never passed a test in my life so even you should be able to figure it out.'
"Your daughter and your lover have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Who do you chose " 1. daughter, 2. lover. You have 5 seconds."
'What the hell?' Thought Usagi. 'Ahaha... must just be a freaky coincidence... yeah..'
"4"
'Choose the lover... you can always make more kids...' suggested black moon Usagi.
"3"
'Shutup!'
"2"
"1"
"It's over. Aren't you going to answer?"
Leorio, who had since armed himself with the idea of beating the old bag senseless, waved a hand in front of Usagi's eyes.
"Hu..?" Asked Usagi coming out of her subconscious.
"Geez... were you asleep? Are you even taking this seriously?"
"Oh yeah..." Usagi laughed nervously.
"So... like help me beat up these people so we can get on our way."
"Eh? Why? We passed don't we, Obasan?"
"Eh?!?!?" Demanded Leorio at the old Lady's nod of approval.
"The quiz has no right or wrong answer - since we couldn't answer anything but 1 or 2 the right answer was to say nothing at all." Usagi replied sagely.
"Eh? But that stalker guy..."
"On his way to those terribly blood thirsty monsters." Grinned Usagi.
"So... we like get to go to the testing centre now, right?" Usagi asked the old lady.
"Ah...well you need to travel on this path..." She announced quiz-show style, as the bad-wig-people moved aside too walls to reveal another path. "You should find a house with a married couple that will serve as your navigators to the testing centre.
"Usagi deleted the Tsukino's memories of her." Snapped Luna.
"Oh... so that's why you've been living with me and Artemis lately..." Commented Venus lamely.
"Besides, Usagi's fighting. She relies almost entirely on her inate strength."
"Huh. Well that's just because she's so lazy, if she'd paid attention during fights she'd be as good at fighting as the rest of us!"
"Shutup Rei!" Screeched Luna. "Usagi didn't receive training during the silver millennium like you. You were all warriors. You were raised as fighters and trained as fighters. Usagi was never meant to fight."
"But Sailor Moon..." Asked Amy as the full story of Usagi's apparently poor skills came into focus.
"Sailor Moon never existed during the Silver Millennium. Serenity was only ever trained in healing magic. Usagi could be seriously injured on her own!"
"Actually. Usagi is a better fighter than you think."
"Pluto?"
"Don't bother looking for her Luna. You won't be able to find her.." Pluto clenched her teeth a little around the lie. If Luna looked it wasn't unlikely she would find her since discretion wasn't Usagi's strong point... the poor girl had left a trail a mile wide which had taken Pluto... well actually time had no meaning to the Senshi of Pluto.. But needless to say it was tedious.
"Usagi just needs... time... to find some things out on her own. If she decides to, she may ask for your help... but I very much doubt it."
"We're her friends! We have a right to know!" Demanded Rei, only to earn a piercing look from Pluto.
"Will it affect the future?" Asked Luna.
Pluto smiled affectionately at Luna, hoping it looked genuine since she had a really bad feeling about this..
"That depends on what she finds."
************************
"Hnn... Zaban city... Zaban city..." Chanted Leorio rubbing his chin. Gon was glad Serenity and Leorio had come to some sort of truce (though Serenity kept mumbling about Hentai's and Leorio about brat's).
"Captain said that's the fastest route toward the testing center." Stated Gon pointing toward the huge pine at the peak of Dole. He hoped they'd decide to stay together... after all these were the only two people he knew on Dole so far.
"But Gon.. Zaban is totally in the opposite direction!" Usagi stated matter of factly, indicating to the island map that had been erected for candidates. "Maybe he accidentally pointed that way..." Mused Usagi doubtfully.
"Maybe it's a shortcut..." Interjected Leorio, "We could walk all that way for nothing... maybe even miss the test date."
"It doesn't matter! I trust him!" Gon replied happily.
"You know Gon, you shouldn't trust people so easily." Leorio tried. "I advise you go by bus."
Gon heedlessly started walking towards the tree.
"Ahhh... fine, be that way... Let's go Sere... Ack! You too?"
"I trust that old guy too... besides, I can't let that kid travel alone."
"What? You should talk! You're just a kid yourself!" Screamed Leorio from the bus stop as Usagi walked away.
"... hey! You guys... wait for me!"
************************
"Maaa... but just let me add... I could be sitting on a comfortable bus right no... no wait, I'd probably already be in Zaban by now."
"Shutup Leorio."
"...but I sagely put aside my own comfort for o... hey... why are you looking at me funny?"
"I didn't call you 'Leorio-san'. But you didn't say anything." Replied Usagi with just a hint of confusion.
"...so? It's not like I really care about that kinda stuff." Leorio shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Leorio." Sighed Usagi in defeat.
"But since it's you, you can call me Leorio-san."
"I don't think so Leorio."
"...Do you have to try to annoy me, or does it come to you naturally...?"
"Talent is talent Leorio... not that you'd know anything about that..."
"Ah! you did it again!"
"Did what Leorio?"
"Brat!"
"Moron!"
Leorio and Usagi were interrupted form their brewing tongue-war (a la Rei and Usagi) by Gon at this point since they'd reached a kind of deserted town. at least it seemed deserted.
"A ghost town?" Queried Leorio.
"No."
"Not unless ghosts have started to breathe lately." Usagi added to Gon's denial. No ghost Usagi had known (and their had been a few now) had to... of course daimon and monsters and demons and things... that was another matter.
Leorio could have kicked himself for not checking the are with one of the most basic senses of all. "Well excuse me for now having super human hearing!" He noted Usagi's flinch at the comment for further analysis later.
"Aha! It's time!" Cried an old Lady jumping... somewhat dramatically... from a blind alley. "Time for... DOKI-DOKI QUIZ!"
Usagi sweatdropped as her.. erm... audience filed out from various buildings... wrapped in sheets, wearing gas masks and bad wigs.
"What the...?" None of them were apparently good fighters, so it couldn't possibly confrontation.
"You there! you're heading for the tree on the mountain, yes? First you have to succeed in getting out of this town!" Demanded the old lady."
"You're... going to... fight us?" Asked Usagi cautiously. The old lady glared at her and continued.
"First you have to succeed in getting out of this town... the other paths that lead you there are like labyrinths, in which reign terribly blood thirsty monsters! So I will ask you one question... you have only 5 seconds to consider your answer! If you fail, you're disqualified from participating in the hunter exam this year." SFX: Old Lady Cackle. Noticing the lack of expression on their faces, she quickly went on, "You'll answer 1 or 2, any other answer will be invalid."
"Hey wait... just one question for the three of us?" Asked Leorio. "If he answers wrong, I'll be eliminated too?"
"The idea of you disqualifying us is much more realistic, Leorio."
"Ah! But if one of us knows, the two others will gain!" Gon interrupted.
"That's true... " Mused Leorio who had a rather disgruntled Usagi in a headlock. "...what Gon said, not you brat." He added casually to Usagi.
"Come on! Hurry up!" Demanded a voice behind them.
"Hey! It's that guy that's been following us since Dole!" Yelped Gon happily.
'This kid really needs to learn to be more suspicious'. Though Usagi. "Obviously." Replied Usagi hoping to bluff away the fact she hadn't noticed.
"Eh? I didn't notice anyone..." Leorio scratched his head in thought.
'Heheheh...'
"Outta the way brat, I'm going first!" He roughly pushed Gon aside. Usagi really didn't like this guy... not in a 'evil-thing-wanting-to-consume-my-life-energies', just a general dislike... which was unusual for her. Black moon.
"...demon. You can only save one." Usagi snapped back to attention realizing the quiz had begun while she was having her private hate session.
'Huh.. he can't be serious.' Usagi thought when the other guy answered.
The old lady turned to discuss something with the wig-people which was remarkable in that Usagi could see them speaking but could hear nothing. She looked to Gon expectantly, but he just shrugged.
"You mass pass." Concluded the old bird turning back to the assembled.
"What the hell...?" Demanded Leorio. "What kinda quiz is this? There's no way we can answer right! I'm finding another path!" He declared walking away.
"Too late." The old lady said simply, examining her nails casually. "Leave now and you'll be disqualified."
Usagi had her hearing set on high when the scream came. Lunarian ancestry it seemed lent itself well to higher senses and strength when compared to humans but in this case it was the eavesdropping she'd attempted on the bad-wig-people.
"Leorio!" She commanded, absently rubbing one pained ear.
"Leorio-san! What, don't tell me you're gonna accept this quiz?"
"WAIT! One more word and you're disqualified! Answer 1 if you accept the quiz, 2 if you don't."
"1." Usagi replied confidently. 'Geez Leorio... grow a brain... I never passed a test in my life so even you should be able to figure it out.'
"Your daughter and your lover have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Who do you chose " 1. daughter, 2. lover. You have 5 seconds."
'What the hell?' Thought Usagi. 'Ahaha... must just be a freaky coincidence... yeah..'
"4"
'Choose the lover... you can always make more kids...' suggested black moon Usagi.
"3"
'Shutup!'
"2"
"1"
"It's over. Aren't you going to answer?"
Leorio, who had since armed himself with the idea of beating the old bag senseless, waved a hand in front of Usagi's eyes.
"Hu..?" Asked Usagi coming out of her subconscious.
"Geez... were you asleep? Are you even taking this seriously?"
"Oh yeah..." Usagi laughed nervously.
"So... like help me beat up these people so we can get on our way."
"Eh? Why? We passed don't we, Obasan?"
"Eh?!?!?" Demanded Leorio at the old Lady's nod of approval.
"The quiz has no right or wrong answer - since we couldn't answer anything but 1 or 2 the right answer was to say nothing at all." Usagi replied sagely.
"Eh? But that stalker guy..."
"On his way to those terribly blood thirsty monsters." Grinned Usagi.
"So... we like get to go to the testing centre now, right?" Usagi asked the old lady.
"Ah...well you need to travel on this path..." She announced quiz-show style, as the bad-wig-people moved aside too walls to reveal another path. "You should find a house with a married couple that will serve as your navigators to the testing centre.