Chapter Two:
The next morning I woke up at 9:00. I pulled on some clothes and stumbled downstairs for breakfast. To my surprise, I saw my aunt cuddling Hermes at the kitchen table.
"Oh, good morning, Celeste," she said, noticing me walk in. "Would you look at this cutie I found sleeping on the front steps this morning? I think we'll keep him - he has no collar or identification of any sort. What do you think we should name him?" From my point of view, I saw Hermes wink at me.
"Oh, how about . . . .Hermes?" I suggested.
"Hermes? How charming! What a good idea, Celeste," my aunt said.
"Do you want me to take him for a walk? I could buy him a collar," I suggested.
"Would you? I have so much work to do, I have to be at the office in . . ." she paused as she looked at her watch and gasped. "Ten minutes ago! Well, have a good day, Celeste, I'm off!" She said, and zoomed out the door. I smiled at Hermes and scratched him on the head.
"So, was your scavenge successful last night?" I asked him. He purred.
"It was indeed. I found a communicator for you," He said, and did another back flip. A delicate gold watch landed on the table.
"This is the communicator?" I asked. Hermes nodded.
"You flip it over and speak into the mini speaker, and push those buttons to send a call," he said, pointing with a single claw. I smiled and fastened it on.
"Wonderful!" I said, and was about to say something else when a burst of static crackled over the speaker.
"Sailor Scouts!" an unfamiliar, lilting voice said. "You're needed at Juuban park!" I looked at Hermes, unsure what to do, and he jumped down off the table.
"Follow me!" He said, and we raced out the door.
Juuban Park was not very far away, and Hermes pushed me into a nearby alleyway.
"Transform here! Hold the crystal above your head and say 'Sun Crystal Power!'" I did as he said.
"Sun Crystal Power!" I called out, and a rush of warmth encircled my body. A winding gold ribbon twisted about my body, leaving a piece of my Sailor Suit wherever it went. I felt boots, gloves, my sailor suit, and finally my tiara materialize on my body and I floated back down to the ground. I looked down and found myself in the suit of my memories - a white miniskirt trimmed with orange and pink, with a white shirt and orange bows on the back and on my front. My collar was pink, and at the center of my tiara I wore a red jewel. I wore hair sticks and a choker - at the center of which was the Sun Crystal, embedded in a sun-shaped pin. The hair sticks adorned with the Sun and Moon, decorated with crystals clear as glass. I rushed out of the alley and looked side to side.
"Which way?" I asked Hermes. He paused.
"Umm -" A blood-curdling shriek sounded from far off to my right. "That way!" He said, and we sprinted off down the street.
Before long, I came upon four Sailor Scouts in a clearing.
"Don't show yourself before you need to," Hermes advised me, so we settled down to watch the beginning battle as Hermes pointed all the Scouts out to me.
"That's Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto, and of course, Sailor Moon," He said, pointing to each one. Tuxedo Mask was there as well. I watched as they defeated a youma and a pale man appeared.
"Not you again!" Sailor Moon shrieked. The pale man laughed and raised his hands to shoot lightning at her. Suddenly my protective instincts took over and I shouted out:
"Sun Crystal Solar Shield!" And the transparent golden Shield enveloped all four of the Scouts just as the bolt of dark power struck them, successfully absorbing the shock.
"What?" The pale man exclaimed, as the scouts all said "Huh?" In surprise. I stepped out of the bushes and laughed.
"It seems you bit off more than you can chew!" I said.
"Who are you?" The man asked me. Mercury appeared to be analyzing me with her computer, and I decided to save her the trouble.
"I am Sailor Sun!! The Scout of Life, I fight for Innocence! I am the Warrioress of the Sun and Protector of the Moon! As a Defender of Justice, I will punish you!" I said, raising my hands again.
"Sun Crystal Shimmering Sunlight Attack!" I yelled, and shot a bolt of lightning at the stranger. He dodged it, and glared at the Sailor Scouts wrathfully.
"I'll deal with you later," He threatened, and disappeared. With the danger to Sailor Moon gone, the Solar Shield disappeared as well. The Sailor Scouts looked at me, amazed, as Mercury smiled and said,
"Well done, Celeste! You accepted your destiny!"
"With flying colors, I might add," Luna said. Hermes stepped out from the bushes and jumped up to my arms.
"Woo-hoo! Go Sailor Sun! That was awesome!" Cheered Serena, jumping up and down. The other girls approached me. I had still never met the rest of the Sailor Scouts. After making sure that no one was watching, we all detransformed.
"Who are you?" The girl who was Sailor Mars asked, looking into my eyes.
"I - I'm Sailor Sun, also known as Celeste Stevens," I said, looking at Hermes. He looked back up at me.
"They have no memory of you. Sailor Pluto removed it from them when they were sent to the future, assuming that you wouldn't come back, but I can restore it for them." I nodded, and he touched their foreheads. I sudden look of realization broke over their faces.
"Oh," Sailor Venus, now a regular teenager, said softly.
"You weren't really dead?" Asked Jupiter. I shook my head as I realized that Sailor Jupiter was the only one my height in the entire group.
"Now it makes sense," said Sailor Mars.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Interrupted Serena. "Lets go eat a celebratory lunch!" She said. Mars glared at her, but I giggled and said,
"That sounds fabulous! Lets go!" I said, and the other Scouts broke into laughter as well as we all strolled out of the park.
POST AUTHOR'S NOTE: wow, cheesy enuff ending? Hmmm!