"Naru-chan! Run!! Run!!"
Naru remains rooted in place as a dark monster seems to consume the Sailor Senshi. Her eyes widen as her best friend, the one who had fought in the name of countless innocents over the last four years, is sucked away from her, her world, her time, perhaps for the final time.
Everyone else saw Sailor Moon.
Naru saw Usagi Tsukino.
"Usagi-chan...NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Rushing forward, Naru lunges and grasps her friend's gauntlet. Exerting all her strength, she pulls back. "Let me go, Naru-chan, please!!" Usagi pleads. "This has to happen!! You can't come with us!!"
"No, no, NO!!!!" Naru shakes her head, pulling with all her might. "Not without a fight!!!"
"But this is my destiny!!" the gallant pretty soldier cries, trying to pull herself away from Naru. "I have to go!! Unless you become one of us, you can't be with us!!!"
"You're my friend!! I'll never let you go!!"
Usagi shakes her head. "I'm Sailor Moon."
Naru recoils as if Usagi had slapped her. Suddenly, a shadow falls over them. "**True friendship, like true love, lasts forever,**" a metallic-tinged voice intones, seemingly filled with cosmic knowledge. "**Even if you were not resurrected like Usagi and her friends, that should not prevent you from being one of them! Here, Naru.**"
In an outstretched robotic hand lay a small brown henshin stick topped with a star. The jewel was embossed with the stylized astrological symbol of Earth, a heart divided by a cross. Seeing it, then remembering the Senshi's many symbols, Naru's hand reaches for it, determination flashing in her eyes.
"Naru-chan, no...!!" Usagi pleads. "Please! I don't want anyone to suffer like I have!!"
"You're my friend, Usagi-chan!" Naru takes the henshin stick in hand, then aims it to the heavens. "Friends stick together!! And to hell with the pain!!
"***TERRA ETERNAL COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!***"
Magical fire burns away her street clothes, replacing it with a mixed brown, green and sky blue Senshi uniform. Usagi's eyes widen as the newborn pretty warrior makes her stand, hopeful eyes searching for approval from her friend. "I am now Sailor Terra, Protector of Mother Earth and friend of the Princess of the Silver Millennium!! Now, my Princess, my dear friend...we will never be parted!"
To Naru's surprise, the black monster had become a gateway, the other Senshi waiting for their leader and their newest member to join them. Usagi, to Naru's surprise, is on her knees crying.
"No...this isn't the way I wanted it to be..."
* * *
"Lonely They Who Guard..."
a crossover tale of the Sailor Senshi and The Senior Year
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
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edited by E.B. Kushnir
kush1@iaw.on.ca
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Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi and "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," created by Fred Herriot and Mike Smith, in turn based on "Urusei Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi.
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IN THE FIRST PART OF "LONELY THEY WHO GUARD..." Jeddite, the last general of Beryl's army, takes control of the rest of the Dark Kingdom, bent on avenging their disasterous losses on the Sailor Senshi. Two months after Tomobiki's Spirit War, Naru Oosaka meets Ataru Moroboshi in Minato, as he was spending a weekend separated from Lum. Good thing, too: youma attack and Ataru leaps in help the Senshi destroy them. Curious that none of the Senshi's upgraded attacks affect their old enemies, Ataru discovers that the youma might being helped by the same power which had nearly destroyed his old home...
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Moving along now...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!
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PART TWO: TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
Naru gasps as her eyes spring open, bolting up. "Why?!!"
Calming herself, she gazes at the full moon shining through her bedroom window. Blinking, she wipes away the tears dampening her cheeks. This dream has tortured her for months, ever since she confirmed in her heart that Usagi was Sailor Moon. Was nothing sacred? She understood when she had to accept the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. But when one could not take people at their face value...even one's best friend?!
Since that revelation, Naru had taken time to come to terms with what her friend experienced. Rumour was that the Senshi were resurrected warriors from a long-dead star kingdom, having been sent to Earth to continue the yet-unfinished battle against their enemies...as the previous night's events indicated. To be honest, Naru was grateful for that twist of fate. She and her mother had been frequently victimized by the Senshi's many foes. Immediately she remembers Neflyte. Naru chokes back tears as she struggles to replace her first love in the recesses of her memory, returning to her reflection of Usagi's incredible double life.
There was also the mystery of Chibi-Usa. She did not doubt that the young girl was Usagi's and Mamoru's birth daughter despite the seven year old's many claims that she was Usagi's cousin. Given the time of Sailor Moon's and Tuxedo Kamen's first appearance which coincided with the former not being in puberty when Chibi-Usa should have been born, it was impossible to predict when Usagi could have had time for a child.
The conclusion came when one included Sailor Pluto into the equation. Setsuna Meiou (after deducing Usagi's identity, it was easy for Naru to figure out the others) was the guardian of the Time Tunnel. Further, she and Chibi-Usa were close friends if their nicknames for each other..."Puu" and "Small Lady"...were an indication. Also, time travel can work two-ways. So there can be only one conclusion:
Chibi-Usa was Usagi's and Mamoru's FUTURE daughter!
That mind-boggling concept frightened Naru. Given the second round of battles...with Rubius and his cronies Kooan, Beruche, Karabarasu and Pattsu trying to kill Chibi-Usa...definitely indicated that the future would be harsh to Usagi. How many more enemies would the Sailor Senshi face before someone's number came up? They had come close so many times. How could Naru stand by and allow her friend to suffer this way?
She couldn't.
"Don't be sad, Naru-oba-chan."
Naru's eyes widen as she turns right. Floating in the air by her face was a familiar cat-eared antennaed floating black ball. "Luna-P...?" she blinks, then her eyes widen on seeing who came with it. "Chibi-Usa!"
The young woman shushes Naru with her finger as she kneels beside her. She had grown since last Naru saw her; her body was starting to curve out in the right places, now adorned in her beautiful pink Senshi uniform, which made Naru want to scream. "It's okay, Naru-oba-chan," Chibi-Usa smiles. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just glad you finally understand Mom and Dad now."
"I know that," Naru blinks, looking away from her visitor. Mom! Dad! If one had not experienced first-hand the weirdness the Senshi's arrival provoked, the concept of Chibi-Usa's true parentage would have been mind-boggling. "Why are you here?"
"To cheer you on, I guess," Chibi-Usa smiles. "The future, destiny...even in my age, it's still unpredictable. Maybe you can help change that."
"How?" Naru wonders.
"You know, deep in your heart," the young Senshi looks sad. "I'm unable to tell you anymore. I'm sorry. But, don't worry. It'll all work out in the end. Mom won't be so sad anymore. 'Bye."
The young woman and her mechanical pet fade. Naru blinks. Usagi? Sad? Now THERE was a concept! Even now, Usagi was so full of life, so full of zest, that the idea of her being anything else was impossible to imagine.
Yet, perhaps Chibi-Usa was right. In the last four years, a weariness ebbed into Usagi's eyes. Not just her, but Ami, Makoto, Minako, Rei. Even the outer Senshi, powerhouses like Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru, seemed off their game in the recent battles alongside the Sailor Stars. What was going on? Naru was afraid to learn.
"I beg you, Naru...please don't think of this further."
The voice was cultured, dignified. Naru knew it instantly.
"Setsuna-san."
She looks, seeing the eldest of the Senshi in her bedroom, dressed in her black-and-white uniform, the Time Key in hand. "Small Lady was here, wasn't she?"
"Yes," Naru nods. "She wants me to continue helping Usagi-chan be a happy woman again. How far ahead does she come from?"
"A thousand years."
"Gods!" Naru sobs, then fights to compose herself. Sailor Pluto watches her, awed. Naru certainly had the inner strength to become a Senshi. Now if only the Fates had been kind to bestow her the special gift which would allow her to take that step.
Or were they already working toward that end?
"I've watched you all, you know," Naru finally states. "Seeing you fight and fight and just keep on fighting! You've come so close to dying so many times! That doesn't include what Hotaru-san's been through! Don't you get tired of it?!"
"We're not allowed that luxury," Pluto wryly grins. "It's our destiny."
Naru stares at her. "Then why can't it be mine?"
"The way Fate works, I suppose," Pluto kneels beside her. "I can travel through time like taking the train from one station to another. But against That Power, I have no control or influence."
"So why are you here?"
"To dissuade you from following the course your dream directs you, Naru. You are Usagi's friend and I know of the great love that exists between the two of you. In a way, you are right. This existence is miserable...but we endure. I know that most of all. Believe me when I say that I do NOT want anyone else to experience this life."
Naru stares at her. "Well, you're too late, Setsuna-san. If there is any way I can stand by my friend's side, even to Chibi-Usa's time, I'll do it! Without a second's hesitation! Now, if you don't mind, I need my sleep. Tomorrow is a long day."
Pluto stares at her, then a light smile twitches her lips. "Very well, then. I had hoped to talk you out of it. As the Small Lady said, the future can be changed. Now, I can do nothing. I accept that."
"Thank you, Sailor Pluto," Naru nods.
"You're welcome...Sailor Terra," Pluto nods as she fades out...
* * *
"Why?!" Pluto demands later. "Oh, Small Lady, why did you return to talk to her of all people?"
The time guardian and Chibi-Usa stand on the roof of Juuban High School, the latter holding Luna-P. "You should know why, Puu," the young girl smiles. "You know what Mom's like in the future, lost and lonely. All her friends before she became a Senshi, gone. You know, Ami-oba-chan and the others were strangers to her when they first met. Even Dad was a stranger, someone she fought with time and time again. Soon, they all will have to let go of the Silver Millennium, even you. No one has ever been as close to Mom as Naru-oba-chan. In other destinies, Naru-oba-chan would grow old and die. Mom would watch her. My grandparents, my uncle, all her friends from school. Dead, all of them! And each one rips into her heart, makes her sadder and sadder. Can't I do that for my own mother, Puu?"
"Of course you can, sweetie!" Pluto kneels beside her. "But, bringing in Ataru Moroboshi of all people...!"
"He's perfect!" Chibi-Usa nods. "Right at the time of his life when he could literally TOUCH Eternity, before Sagussa's influence would solidify and deny him that power. He knows what it means to lose one's innocence, Puu. I know the stories. I've read his words. I'm sorry if this is awkward for you, but this HAS to happen! I believe it in my heart."
Pluto sighs, then nods, sensing Chibi-Usa's conviction. "I hope so, for all our sakes...most of all, Naru's."
Chibi-Usa smiles, then allows Luna-P to return her home. Sailor Pluto sighs, then turns to the heavens. Her hands form a splayed-finger prayer as she intones an ancient alien psalm only Ataru would recognize. As a portal opens before her, she looks into the blinding light. Her many senses probe into the *te'a,* That Which Is Above mortal understanding, in hopes of understanding what will happen next.
As always, that knowledge is denied her. The *te'a* would do as It would; against Its decisions, Sailor Pluto could never hope to appeal. Sighing, she allows herself to revert to her civilian guise as she makes her way home. It was hard being a Senshi, Setsuna knew. She just hoped that Naru was up to the job...
* * *
"Ataru Moroboshi," Jeddite rolls the name, reclining on the throne in the Dark Kingdom. "What have you learned of him, Shiki?"
His chief assistant bows. Between them, a frozen image of Ataru floats in the seeing glass. "Sir, we have learned much, as you have seen," Shiki reports. "We are unable to attack his daughter, Reiko, because she is too far from Tokyo for our warriors to carry out their mission and return home; the energy expenditure would be too costly. His sisters, Nokoko and Atako, his grandmother Nagaiwakai, also elude us for that same reason. He would not care about his parents or anyone in Tomobiki for that matter; that is how much he despises them these days."
"Then he is invulnerable to coercion," Jeddite concludes.
"Exactly, sir," Shiki nods, waving to the scout who did the legwork. "But Kunoija has learned something which could be useful."
"Report," Jeddite waves her up.
A blonde-haired twin of Ninjana, Kunoija bows. "Sir, we have learned that in recent weeks, Moroboshi has become blood enemies with a race calling themselves Niphentaxians. They seemingly worship Moroboshi's paramour Lum as a living goddess, would do anything to see him destroyed so they could have her for their own. We can exploit that, sir."
"If they can..." Jeddite muses, then nods. "Make it so! Arrange to coerce one so I may fully understand their interest in the Urusian! Go!! Being patient for once will serve us well, as well as preserve our dwindling stores of energy!"
"By your command, sir," Kunoija disappears...
* * *
"'Morning, Usagi-chan!" Naru smiles on seeing her friend.
"'Morning, Naru-chan," Usagi stifles a yawn as she trudges tiredly to school. "Did you get away from those monsters last night?"
"Oh, yeah!" Naru nods, then sighs. "Usagi-chan?"
"Wh-what?" Usagi yawns again.
Naru looks around, taking note that no one is within earshot, then leans up. "I know who you really are," she whispers.
"Huh?!" Usagi stares at her, not sure what Naru was saying.
Naru smiles. "Sa-...i-...lo-...r...Mo-...o-...n."
The pigtailed blonde's eyes widen to the size of saucers as it finally hits her. Usagi stumbles onto a rock, falling flat on her face. "Y-y-y-you know...?" she stammers.
"Yep," Naru leans down to help her back to her feet. "Like Ataru said last night. It's easy to figure things like that out when you know what to look for."
"Y-y-you wouldn't...um, er...tell...?"
"Don't be silly!" Naru shakes her head. "Do I look that inconsiderate, Usagi-chan?! I can't imagine what would happen if that got around! C'mon, let's get to class before we're really late!"
Usagi stares at her, tears brimming in her eyes. She had been conflicted about whether or not to reveal her secret to Naru, her oldest and best friend. Looking sheepish, she then leans up to embrace her. "I wanted to tell you," she intones. "But I'm glad you know, really I am. I just...you're not angry, are you?"
"No," Naru smiles, then red-eyes Usagi. "Bleah!! Not!!"
"Oh, you!!!" Usagi howls as they race for school, laughing...
* * *
"All clear!" a soldier salutes with his weapon.
"All clear!" his companion returns the compliment, then both goose-step to the sides of the front gate of the Mendou mansion as they continue their rounds. By now, everyone in Mendou's class had returned from the Kyoto trip, proven to be a bust thanks to the incident in Minato involving Ataru and the Sailor Senshi. Lum's scout was again over the Moroboshi home. All suspected she and her Darling were catching up on some very intimate matters. The mere thought of it sent Mendou into a tizzy, which explained the increased alert readiness of the clan's army.
Ami sighs as she and Makoto stare at the heavily guarded estate. Getting into the place undetected would be impossible even in their Senshi forms with fifty thousand armed dedicated troops and Kuromegane in the way. Further, Ataru objected to the Senshi getting Lum to lean on Mendou. He wanted to wean Tomobiki of its unhealthy dependency on the Oni. For this case, it would be best if Ami and Makoto presented the facts to Mendou alone, then coerce him into selecting the correct choice. But Ataru did give them a suggestion as to how to get Mendou to play along with the game.
They slip into an empty alley, draw their henshin sticks, then point them to the sky.
"***MERCURY COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!***"
"***JUPITER COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!***"
* * *
"What are you doing here, Cherry?" Koosei Ryooki wonders.
The monk in question is sitting on Lum's empty desk, nibbling on sweet potatoes and a helping of Mie Seikou's home cooking. The rest of Class 3-4 glare disgustedly at him. "I have come here for a very important reason, Koosei," he solemnly intones. "A sea goddess and a goddess of thunder will arrive today to demand a favour from us. I am merely here to offer what services I can to aid them in their great quest!"
"'Sea goddess?!'" Megane snarls. "If you mean those weirdo friends of Ataru's dyke sister...!"
Mie clobbers him with a desk! "Call Nokoko-chan that again, four-eyes, and I'll carry out Ataru-chan's plans to drill you outta Lum-chan's life!!"
The class moans as the brutal war of attrition Mie fought to free Lum of their influence continues. Lan pointedly ignores the fight, mostly to avoid Mie's wrath; the Seishin teen respected the Kyushu native's strength. Her eyes fall on the front walkway, then she blinks. Who was coming? Two women in very stylish sailor suits, one blue-trimmed, the other green-trimmed. Strange, they looked familiar...
* * *
Outside, Jupiter and Mercury stare at the rustic schoolhouse. Juuban High School was modernity itself compared to the quaint Tomobiki High School. The place looked like it had just recovered from a war. If the rumours of the goings-on here were even HALF true, the fact that it still stood amazed the Senshi. "So what do we do?" the former wonders.
"Ataru said that Mendou-san would be in room 337 in the south-west wing," the latter sighs. "Let's go."
"Right!" Jupiter braces herself. "Remember what he warned us?"
"I remember," Mercury nods.
They step through the front door. They find themselves in the main foyer. Seeing the stairs, they head up. The pair is quickly stopped by a shout. "Freeze in the hallway, you two!!"
The Senshi look as Onsen storms up. "What type of uniforms are these?!" the vice-principal demands, feeling Mercury's very short skirt. "Have you no shame?! Return home for some proper uniforms..."
"Excuse me, sir, but we're two of the Sailor Senshi," Mercury cuts in. "We're here to see Shutaro Mendou, a student in Class Three-four. It's urgent."
"Really?!" Onsen grumbles. "What's he done now?!"
* * *
Moments later, the door to room 337 opens. "Koosei-kun, there're two women here looking for Mendou!" Onsen announces, then steps out.
The whole class freezes on seeing the Senshi. Koosei blinks, shakes his head, then looks again. Even in his short time back, he knew of these women! "P-pardon m-me, ladies, but what brings you here today?" he finally stammers.
Suddenly, the whole class goes insane. "Oh, gods, it's really them!!" "Wow, Mercury's a doll!!" "Hey, Jupiter ain't so bad, either!!" "Where are the others?!" "What are they doing here?!" "Don't tell me Ataru tried to glomp them last night!!" "Who cares?!" "Man, they make LUM look like pond-scum!!" "WHAT?!?!?!" "How dare you insinuate that they are superior to Lum-san?!!"
Mercury and Jupiter exchange confused looks as Mie reacts to Mendou's statement. Ten seconds later, the scion of Japan's richest family is buried under a dozen desks, his sword shattered on the floor!! "Man, that one fights nastier than even Sailor Uranus!" Jupiter exclaims.
"Uh...gee, Mie, you kinda overreacted this time," Koosei sighs, then whips out a Saturn Five to make the class shut up!!!! "QUIET!!!!!!"
The Senshi are awed by the titanic sledgehammer. "I'd love to see him take on Galaxia!" Jupiter exclaims.
"He'd win," Mercury concludes.
Koosei coughs, then faces the Senshi. "You're looking for Mendou, eh?" he stares at the pile of desks burying the idiot in question. "Well, until he recovers from what Mie did, you'll have to wait! Anyhow, what exactly did the idiot do THIS time?!"
The Senshi sigh with exasperation...
* * *
An hour later, the two Senshi, accompanied by Mendou and Cherry (and Mie, sent to ensure Mendou behaved himself), visit the crater where the third Tarouzakura once stood. The one part of the district still to recover from the Spirit War, it had been left bare while Mendou Clan biologists tried to discover what power had inhabited this place. Mercury scans the hole with her sensor-visor. "You find anything?" Jupiter queries.
"Comparing the scan of the cherry leaves Ataru gave Sailor Moon last night and the residual energy now here, it seems we've found the source of the youmas' new power," Mercury concludes, then faces Mendou. "Mendou-san, can you tell us what exactly happened here?"
"It happened some time ago," Mendou sighs. "The original Tarouzakura was 300 years old when we chopped it down upon learning it was diseased. We did it while in the midst of a class film project, 'The Oni Princess of Tomobiki,' which is based on an old legend of my family. I'm still convinced Moroboshi had something to do with this..."
A hammer stops him! "Keep to the story, Supersnob!!" Mie growls.
"Uh...yes!" Mendou stammers. "Anyhow, shortly after the first tree was brought down, a psychic entity calling itself the Memory of Tomobiki made itself manifest. It froze our dreams, tried to deprive us of our memories of Lum-san. Some say we were even transported into a parallel dimension. To free us, we resorted to a conflict with my clan's rivals, the Mizunokoji, to destroy the frozen dreams."
"Ah, the so-called Tomobiki Pseudo-war," Mercury nods. "Please, go on."
"Then, in early September," Mendou continues, "Lum-san's teacher Nassur-san had come to visit his student and I invited him here for a small party. By that time, Tarouzakura Two had been planted and had grown at an excellerated rate. Through Moroboshi's actions..."
"Don't you mean yours?!!" Mie threateningly snarls.
Mendou stammers again. "...the tree was cut open, revealing it to be as hollow as the first, filled with an alien energy Nassur-san called tachytron radiation," he continues. "Around that time, we encountered Memory, but this time, it was divided into a dark and light force. It was only with Lum-san's and Nassur-san's efforts that we were able to break free..."
Mie finally punches him unconscious to prevent another Lum-itis attack! "Man, they all harp on Lum, don't they?!" Jupiter shakes her head.
"Unfortunately," Mie sweetly smiles. "Now, for the big event. Ataru-chan was about to leave Tomobiki when Supersnob and the Four Tweedledees, a.k.a. Lum's Bodyguards, tried to force him to reveal his future place of residence. Well, to stop them, Ataru-chan released the other big surprise in his subconscious, the *saikoo jinseijitsu.*"
"The sentient ninjitsu database which has been in Ataru's head for the last dozen years," Mercury nods, remembering the newspaper reports.
"Right. Well, it gets out and after knocking out Light Memory and stealing its power, it teams up with Dark Memory to turn Lum-chan and all the dweebs here into sharkbait. Thanks to Cherry's friend Alex Macintosh and some friends of mine, we got Ataru-chan back on his feet so he and Lum-chan could double-team the *saikoo jinseijitsu* at the Moroboshi home. Lum-chan pole-axed it, which ended up wrecking the place."
"It must've been some scrap!" Jupiter whistles. "Too bad we missed it!"
"Well, we wouldn't've minded your help," Mie winks at her.
The tallest of the Senshi finds herself reacting to the Kyushu native's romantic gaze. "Obviously, whoever is leading the youma had to have seized the fragments of the Tarouzakura in the confusion after the Spirit War," Mercury concludes. "That means we'll need Ataru to help us destroy the youma as they come in, or else have him find some way to tap into the power he uses to transform into the Cyborg so he could augment our weapons. Mie-san, how much do you know of Ataru's transformation ability?"
"Eh?!" Mie shakes herself out of a very pleasant dream involving her and Makoto doing very intimate things. "Did you say something, Mercury-san?"
"I asked what you know of Ataru's transformation power? The Cyborg?"
"Oh, that!" Mie readily nods. "Well, the Cyborg's the big mystery here! You see, no one knows how Ataru-chan came to become the Cyborg, much less how long he'll keep that power! The only thing you have to remember is that the Cyborg cares about two things: Ataru-chan's destiny and his relationship with Lum-chan. Stay out of the way of either and you're okay. Other than that, remember what he fights for: Love and Truth. It's on his arm-shields."
"I see!" Mercury nods. "Thank you, Mie-san. If you'll excuse us..."
"Ladies," Cherry interrupts.
The Senshi stare at him. "Be careful," the Buddhist monk cautions. "You face an old enemy this time, an enemy desperate to save themselves from a dark fate. You will confront the darkest part of your past lives in your next battle. If you allow yourselves to continue to subvert your present lives to your past ones, you doom yourselves and those you love. You must let the past go if you're to progress to the next stage of your lives."
Mercury and Jupiter blink, then nod. As the Senshi leave, Mie sighs. "I hope Ataru-chan isn't getting in too deep."
"Perhaps," Cherry stares at her. "Are you alright?"
"M-me?!" Mie stammers, "N-no...other than I'll be having some very naughty dreams about a girl named Sailor Jupiter tonight!"
She saunters off, whistling. Cherry sighs. "It's fate!"
* * *
Koeko sighs as she heads for the small apartment she and her observer team used as their base of operations. The Niphentaxian was one of a small group who had moved to Minato after the Goddess banished all obsevers from the Holy City in punishment over Her Loyal Worshippers holding the Avalonians as slaves. Like some of her fellows now on Earth, she had begun to question her purpose in being a member of the Church of Lum. It was obvious that Lum would not turn away from Ataru. And with other races annoyed at the Niphentaxians' recent actions, that spelt trouble.
Now, the Minato team was observing another series of strange events which had attracted the Church's attention. Four years ago, a team of metahumans calling themselves the Sailor Senshi appeared, combatting a extra-dimensional menace called the Dark Kingdom. Since that time, the Senshi, now nine in number if one discounted Tuxedo Kamen and the now departed Sailor Chibi-Moon, had fought everything from predators from the far future, an evil prophet called the Dark Messiah, a world-wrecking maniac named Mistress Nine and most recently, a rogue Senshi named Galaxia.
Koeko personally thought the Sailor Senshi were the most valiant group of Amazons she had ever known. She never expressed those thoughts openly, though. Her team-mates, fanatically loyal to the Goddess and Her Holy Company, would NEVER consider any group the equal to the current set of "dieties" on Phentax Two. Koeko kept her Senshi fandom to herself.
And therein lay the problem. Earth owed its existence to the Senshi more times than Koeko cared to count. Time and time again, the Senshi would go forth to slay whatever dragon came before them. In Minato, Senshi fans were everywhere. However, to the chagrin of most of the Niphentaxians, NO mention was made of Tomobiki! Case in point: every local newspaper trumpeted that Ataru had saved the Senshi from the lastest youma attack. Reading that, the team leader, Tsui, had sent an emergency message to Oogi warning that the Great Evil was allying with the Senshi to continue his dark plan to destory the Holy City! Unreal!!
Turning the corner, she heads into the small apartment. The others were already chowing down on lunch. "Did you get it?" Tsui wonders.
"Hai!" Koeko hands him the small bag of groceries. "They ran out of sesame oil. I had to go all the way to Nerima."
"Fair enough," Tsui sneers. "Since you've been gone, you might as well know the news. I received a message from President Oogi just now concerning the heathen Senshi and their possible alliance with the Great Evil!"
"And?!" a girl asked.
"Our new observers in the Holy City reported that two of the heathen, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, were on the Fifth Holy Apostle's grounds investigating the events of the Spirit War," Tsui sneers.
"Why?" a young man wonders.
"That's to be confirmed," Tsui growls. "The Great Evil's plan is quite clear! These heathen Sailor Senshi are his most powerful allies to this time, and that includes his sister and the other creatures in Oshika!! I warned the President that something had to be done soon lest everything which forms the basis of our faith is destroyed!"
Agreeing grunts echo. Koeko remains silent, then realizes such was an ill-considered manoeuvre. "What do you think, Koeko?" Tsui wonders.
Eyes lock on her. "I believe...the matter deserves more consideration," she finally muses. "The Sailor Senshi are, if one can believe rumour, the last survivors of a great kingdom which ruled this system before the Dominion conquered this sector a millennia ago. If they are destroyed, a great trove of historical information would be lost. Further, they have again and again challenged foes of impressive power, foes who would destroy Lum-sama with but a glance! If you wish to destroy them, Tsui, I'd write your will! I don't think that after the Senshi dealt with Galaxia and her servants, their taste for aliens has improved any!"
Tsui tenses. "Are you saying we just stand back and allow them to ally themselves with the Great Evil?!" he hisses.
"Instead of making threats we would be in no position to substantiate should the Sailor Senshi come after us, we should be asking why are they allying themselves with him," Koeko calmly responds, her eyes never swerving from Tsui's. "Ataru Moroboshi's hatred for us knows no bounds, especially since both he and Lum-sama blame the Hegane Sect for the destruction of Phentax Twelve. If he learned of our presence, he'd destroy us himself without asking for the Senshi's help! I believe he joined with them for different reasons. We have to learn what they are before we make judgements. Who knows: perhaps the Dark Kingdom has decided to target Lum-sama."
Faces pale as that prospect sinks in. Koeko mentally snorts. The average level of intelligence in this team equalled her shoe size...and she was being generous! "Now, given the Senshi's vast experience in dealing with the Dark Kingdom, it would be prudent to leave them alone so they could become the Goddess' allies should She be attacked?" she adds.
"Well...it should be considered," Tsui flusters.
"Very well, then," Koeko stands. "I'll proceed to research this problem right now. Excuse me."
She heads out. The others watch her go. "Energetic, isn't she?" a girl wonders.
"I don't know," Tsui's eyes narrow suspiciously. "I've heard that other teams are having problems like this. Shaskaar complained about her computer expert Fungi sometime back. Koeko might be losing her way. She'll have to be watched."
The others nod as a patch of darkness appears on the ceiling, followed by a chilly voice. "You have other problems to consider, you know."
Everyone looks up in shock as a dark-clad demonic shinobi slips out of the darkness. Weapons are drawn as the Niphentaxians tense. "Who are you?!" Tsui snarls.
"My name is Kunoija," the youma smiles behind her mask. "It seems that your people and mine now have the same enemy: Ataru Moroboshi. Care to join forces in eliminating him?!"
The observers exchange looks...
* * *
To be continued...
Naru remains rooted in place as a dark monster seems to consume the Sailor Senshi. Her eyes widen as her best friend, the one who had fought in the name of countless innocents over the last four years, is sucked away from her, her world, her time, perhaps for the final time.
Everyone else saw Sailor Moon.
Naru saw Usagi Tsukino.
"Usagi-chan...NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Rushing forward, Naru lunges and grasps her friend's gauntlet. Exerting all her strength, she pulls back. "Let me go, Naru-chan, please!!" Usagi pleads. "This has to happen!! You can't come with us!!"
"No, no, NO!!!!" Naru shakes her head, pulling with all her might. "Not without a fight!!!"
"But this is my destiny!!" the gallant pretty soldier cries, trying to pull herself away from Naru. "I have to go!! Unless you become one of us, you can't be with us!!!"
"You're my friend!! I'll never let you go!!"
Usagi shakes her head. "I'm Sailor Moon."
Naru recoils as if Usagi had slapped her. Suddenly, a shadow falls over them. "**True friendship, like true love, lasts forever,**" a metallic-tinged voice intones, seemingly filled with cosmic knowledge. "**Even if you were not resurrected like Usagi and her friends, that should not prevent you from being one of them! Here, Naru.**"
In an outstretched robotic hand lay a small brown henshin stick topped with a star. The jewel was embossed with the stylized astrological symbol of Earth, a heart divided by a cross. Seeing it, then remembering the Senshi's many symbols, Naru's hand reaches for it, determination flashing in her eyes.
"Naru-chan, no...!!" Usagi pleads. "Please! I don't want anyone to suffer like I have!!"
"You're my friend, Usagi-chan!" Naru takes the henshin stick in hand, then aims it to the heavens. "Friends stick together!! And to hell with the pain!!
"***TERRA ETERNAL COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!***"
Magical fire burns away her street clothes, replacing it with a mixed brown, green and sky blue Senshi uniform. Usagi's eyes widen as the newborn pretty warrior makes her stand, hopeful eyes searching for approval from her friend. "I am now Sailor Terra, Protector of Mother Earth and friend of the Princess of the Silver Millennium!! Now, my Princess, my dear friend...we will never be parted!"
To Naru's surprise, the black monster had become a gateway, the other Senshi waiting for their leader and their newest member to join them. Usagi, to Naru's surprise, is on her knees crying.
"No...this isn't the way I wanted it to be..."
* * *
"Lonely They Who Guard..."
a crossover tale of the Sailor Senshi and The Senior Year
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
edited by E.B. Kushnir
kush1@iaw.on.ca
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Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi and "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," created by Fred Herriot and Mike Smith, in turn based on "Urusei Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi.
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IN THE FIRST PART OF "LONELY THEY WHO GUARD..." Jeddite, the last general of Beryl's army, takes control of the rest of the Dark Kingdom, bent on avenging their disasterous losses on the Sailor Senshi. Two months after Tomobiki's Spirit War, Naru Oosaka meets Ataru Moroboshi in Minato, as he was spending a weekend separated from Lum. Good thing, too: youma attack and Ataru leaps in help the Senshi destroy them. Curious that none of the Senshi's upgraded attacks affect their old enemies, Ataru discovers that the youma might being helped by the same power which had nearly destroyed his old home...
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Moving along now...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!
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PART TWO: TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
Naru gasps as her eyes spring open, bolting up. "Why?!!"
Calming herself, she gazes at the full moon shining through her bedroom window. Blinking, she wipes away the tears dampening her cheeks. This dream has tortured her for months, ever since she confirmed in her heart that Usagi was Sailor Moon. Was nothing sacred? She understood when she had to accept the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. But when one could not take people at their face value...even one's best friend?!
Since that revelation, Naru had taken time to come to terms with what her friend experienced. Rumour was that the Senshi were resurrected warriors from a long-dead star kingdom, having been sent to Earth to continue the yet-unfinished battle against their enemies...as the previous night's events indicated. To be honest, Naru was grateful for that twist of fate. She and her mother had been frequently victimized by the Senshi's many foes. Immediately she remembers Neflyte. Naru chokes back tears as she struggles to replace her first love in the recesses of her memory, returning to her reflection of Usagi's incredible double life.
There was also the mystery of Chibi-Usa. She did not doubt that the young girl was Usagi's and Mamoru's birth daughter despite the seven year old's many claims that she was Usagi's cousin. Given the time of Sailor Moon's and Tuxedo Kamen's first appearance which coincided with the former not being in puberty when Chibi-Usa should have been born, it was impossible to predict when Usagi could have had time for a child.
The conclusion came when one included Sailor Pluto into the equation. Setsuna Meiou (after deducing Usagi's identity, it was easy for Naru to figure out the others) was the guardian of the Time Tunnel. Further, she and Chibi-Usa were close friends if their nicknames for each other..."Puu" and "Small Lady"...were an indication. Also, time travel can work two-ways. So there can be only one conclusion:
Chibi-Usa was Usagi's and Mamoru's FUTURE daughter!
That mind-boggling concept frightened Naru. Given the second round of battles...with Rubius and his cronies Kooan, Beruche, Karabarasu and Pattsu trying to kill Chibi-Usa...definitely indicated that the future would be harsh to Usagi. How many more enemies would the Sailor Senshi face before someone's number came up? They had come close so many times. How could Naru stand by and allow her friend to suffer this way?
She couldn't.
"Don't be sad, Naru-oba-chan."
Naru's eyes widen as she turns right. Floating in the air by her face was a familiar cat-eared antennaed floating black ball. "Luna-P...?" she blinks, then her eyes widen on seeing who came with it. "Chibi-Usa!"
The young woman shushes Naru with her finger as she kneels beside her. She had grown since last Naru saw her; her body was starting to curve out in the right places, now adorned in her beautiful pink Senshi uniform, which made Naru want to scream. "It's okay, Naru-oba-chan," Chibi-Usa smiles. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just glad you finally understand Mom and Dad now."
"I know that," Naru blinks, looking away from her visitor. Mom! Dad! If one had not experienced first-hand the weirdness the Senshi's arrival provoked, the concept of Chibi-Usa's true parentage would have been mind-boggling. "Why are you here?"
"To cheer you on, I guess," Chibi-Usa smiles. "The future, destiny...even in my age, it's still unpredictable. Maybe you can help change that."
"How?" Naru wonders.
"You know, deep in your heart," the young Senshi looks sad. "I'm unable to tell you anymore. I'm sorry. But, don't worry. It'll all work out in the end. Mom won't be so sad anymore. 'Bye."
The young woman and her mechanical pet fade. Naru blinks. Usagi? Sad? Now THERE was a concept! Even now, Usagi was so full of life, so full of zest, that the idea of her being anything else was impossible to imagine.
Yet, perhaps Chibi-Usa was right. In the last four years, a weariness ebbed into Usagi's eyes. Not just her, but Ami, Makoto, Minako, Rei. Even the outer Senshi, powerhouses like Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru, seemed off their game in the recent battles alongside the Sailor Stars. What was going on? Naru was afraid to learn.
"I beg you, Naru...please don't think of this further."
The voice was cultured, dignified. Naru knew it instantly.
"Setsuna-san."
She looks, seeing the eldest of the Senshi in her bedroom, dressed in her black-and-white uniform, the Time Key in hand. "Small Lady was here, wasn't she?"
"Yes," Naru nods. "She wants me to continue helping Usagi-chan be a happy woman again. How far ahead does she come from?"
"A thousand years."
"Gods!" Naru sobs, then fights to compose herself. Sailor Pluto watches her, awed. Naru certainly had the inner strength to become a Senshi. Now if only the Fates had been kind to bestow her the special gift which would allow her to take that step.
Or were they already working toward that end?
"I've watched you all, you know," Naru finally states. "Seeing you fight and fight and just keep on fighting! You've come so close to dying so many times! That doesn't include what Hotaru-san's been through! Don't you get tired of it?!"
"We're not allowed that luxury," Pluto wryly grins. "It's our destiny."
Naru stares at her. "Then why can't it be mine?"
"The way Fate works, I suppose," Pluto kneels beside her. "I can travel through time like taking the train from one station to another. But against That Power, I have no control or influence."
"So why are you here?"
"To dissuade you from following the course your dream directs you, Naru. You are Usagi's friend and I know of the great love that exists between the two of you. In a way, you are right. This existence is miserable...but we endure. I know that most of all. Believe me when I say that I do NOT want anyone else to experience this life."
Naru stares at her. "Well, you're too late, Setsuna-san. If there is any way I can stand by my friend's side, even to Chibi-Usa's time, I'll do it! Without a second's hesitation! Now, if you don't mind, I need my sleep. Tomorrow is a long day."
Pluto stares at her, then a light smile twitches her lips. "Very well, then. I had hoped to talk you out of it. As the Small Lady said, the future can be changed. Now, I can do nothing. I accept that."
"Thank you, Sailor Pluto," Naru nods.
"You're welcome...Sailor Terra," Pluto nods as she fades out...
* * *
"Why?!" Pluto demands later. "Oh, Small Lady, why did you return to talk to her of all people?"
The time guardian and Chibi-Usa stand on the roof of Juuban High School, the latter holding Luna-P. "You should know why, Puu," the young girl smiles. "You know what Mom's like in the future, lost and lonely. All her friends before she became a Senshi, gone. You know, Ami-oba-chan and the others were strangers to her when they first met. Even Dad was a stranger, someone she fought with time and time again. Soon, they all will have to let go of the Silver Millennium, even you. No one has ever been as close to Mom as Naru-oba-chan. In other destinies, Naru-oba-chan would grow old and die. Mom would watch her. My grandparents, my uncle, all her friends from school. Dead, all of them! And each one rips into her heart, makes her sadder and sadder. Can't I do that for my own mother, Puu?"
"Of course you can, sweetie!" Pluto kneels beside her. "But, bringing in Ataru Moroboshi of all people...!"
"He's perfect!" Chibi-Usa nods. "Right at the time of his life when he could literally TOUCH Eternity, before Sagussa's influence would solidify and deny him that power. He knows what it means to lose one's innocence, Puu. I know the stories. I've read his words. I'm sorry if this is awkward for you, but this HAS to happen! I believe it in my heart."
Pluto sighs, then nods, sensing Chibi-Usa's conviction. "I hope so, for all our sakes...most of all, Naru's."
Chibi-Usa smiles, then allows Luna-P to return her home. Sailor Pluto sighs, then turns to the heavens. Her hands form a splayed-finger prayer as she intones an ancient alien psalm only Ataru would recognize. As a portal opens before her, she looks into the blinding light. Her many senses probe into the *te'a,* That Which Is Above mortal understanding, in hopes of understanding what will happen next.
As always, that knowledge is denied her. The *te'a* would do as It would; against Its decisions, Sailor Pluto could never hope to appeal. Sighing, she allows herself to revert to her civilian guise as she makes her way home. It was hard being a Senshi, Setsuna knew. She just hoped that Naru was up to the job...
* * *
"Ataru Moroboshi," Jeddite rolls the name, reclining on the throne in the Dark Kingdom. "What have you learned of him, Shiki?"
His chief assistant bows. Between them, a frozen image of Ataru floats in the seeing glass. "Sir, we have learned much, as you have seen," Shiki reports. "We are unable to attack his daughter, Reiko, because she is too far from Tokyo for our warriors to carry out their mission and return home; the energy expenditure would be too costly. His sisters, Nokoko and Atako, his grandmother Nagaiwakai, also elude us for that same reason. He would not care about his parents or anyone in Tomobiki for that matter; that is how much he despises them these days."
"Then he is invulnerable to coercion," Jeddite concludes.
"Exactly, sir," Shiki nods, waving to the scout who did the legwork. "But Kunoija has learned something which could be useful."
"Report," Jeddite waves her up.
A blonde-haired twin of Ninjana, Kunoija bows. "Sir, we have learned that in recent weeks, Moroboshi has become blood enemies with a race calling themselves Niphentaxians. They seemingly worship Moroboshi's paramour Lum as a living goddess, would do anything to see him destroyed so they could have her for their own. We can exploit that, sir."
"If they can..." Jeddite muses, then nods. "Make it so! Arrange to coerce one so I may fully understand their interest in the Urusian! Go!! Being patient for once will serve us well, as well as preserve our dwindling stores of energy!"
"By your command, sir," Kunoija disappears...
* * *
"'Morning, Usagi-chan!" Naru smiles on seeing her friend.
"'Morning, Naru-chan," Usagi stifles a yawn as she trudges tiredly to school. "Did you get away from those monsters last night?"
"Oh, yeah!" Naru nods, then sighs. "Usagi-chan?"
"Wh-what?" Usagi yawns again.
Naru looks around, taking note that no one is within earshot, then leans up. "I know who you really are," she whispers.
"Huh?!" Usagi stares at her, not sure what Naru was saying.
Naru smiles. "Sa-...i-...lo-...r...Mo-...o-...n."
The pigtailed blonde's eyes widen to the size of saucers as it finally hits her. Usagi stumbles onto a rock, falling flat on her face. "Y-y-y-you know...?" she stammers.
"Yep," Naru leans down to help her back to her feet. "Like Ataru said last night. It's easy to figure things like that out when you know what to look for."
"Y-y-you wouldn't...um, er...tell...?"
"Don't be silly!" Naru shakes her head. "Do I look that inconsiderate, Usagi-chan?! I can't imagine what would happen if that got around! C'mon, let's get to class before we're really late!"
Usagi stares at her, tears brimming in her eyes. She had been conflicted about whether or not to reveal her secret to Naru, her oldest and best friend. Looking sheepish, she then leans up to embrace her. "I wanted to tell you," she intones. "But I'm glad you know, really I am. I just...you're not angry, are you?"
"No," Naru smiles, then red-eyes Usagi. "Bleah!! Not!!"
"Oh, you!!!" Usagi howls as they race for school, laughing...
* * *
"All clear!" a soldier salutes with his weapon.
"All clear!" his companion returns the compliment, then both goose-step to the sides of the front gate of the Mendou mansion as they continue their rounds. By now, everyone in Mendou's class had returned from the Kyoto trip, proven to be a bust thanks to the incident in Minato involving Ataru and the Sailor Senshi. Lum's scout was again over the Moroboshi home. All suspected she and her Darling were catching up on some very intimate matters. The mere thought of it sent Mendou into a tizzy, which explained the increased alert readiness of the clan's army.
Ami sighs as she and Makoto stare at the heavily guarded estate. Getting into the place undetected would be impossible even in their Senshi forms with fifty thousand armed dedicated troops and Kuromegane in the way. Further, Ataru objected to the Senshi getting Lum to lean on Mendou. He wanted to wean Tomobiki of its unhealthy dependency on the Oni. For this case, it would be best if Ami and Makoto presented the facts to Mendou alone, then coerce him into selecting the correct choice. But Ataru did give them a suggestion as to how to get Mendou to play along with the game.
They slip into an empty alley, draw their henshin sticks, then point them to the sky.
"***MERCURY COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!***"
"***JUPITER COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!***"
* * *
"What are you doing here, Cherry?" Koosei Ryooki wonders.
The monk in question is sitting on Lum's empty desk, nibbling on sweet potatoes and a helping of Mie Seikou's home cooking. The rest of Class 3-4 glare disgustedly at him. "I have come here for a very important reason, Koosei," he solemnly intones. "A sea goddess and a goddess of thunder will arrive today to demand a favour from us. I am merely here to offer what services I can to aid them in their great quest!"
"'Sea goddess?!'" Megane snarls. "If you mean those weirdo friends of Ataru's dyke sister...!"
Mie clobbers him with a desk! "Call Nokoko-chan that again, four-eyes, and I'll carry out Ataru-chan's plans to drill you outta Lum-chan's life!!"
The class moans as the brutal war of attrition Mie fought to free Lum of their influence continues. Lan pointedly ignores the fight, mostly to avoid Mie's wrath; the Seishin teen respected the Kyushu native's strength. Her eyes fall on the front walkway, then she blinks. Who was coming? Two women in very stylish sailor suits, one blue-trimmed, the other green-trimmed. Strange, they looked familiar...
* * *
Outside, Jupiter and Mercury stare at the rustic schoolhouse. Juuban High School was modernity itself compared to the quaint Tomobiki High School. The place looked like it had just recovered from a war. If the rumours of the goings-on here were even HALF true, the fact that it still stood amazed the Senshi. "So what do we do?" the former wonders.
"Ataru said that Mendou-san would be in room 337 in the south-west wing," the latter sighs. "Let's go."
"Right!" Jupiter braces herself. "Remember what he warned us?"
"I remember," Mercury nods.
They step through the front door. They find themselves in the main foyer. Seeing the stairs, they head up. The pair is quickly stopped by a shout. "Freeze in the hallway, you two!!"
The Senshi look as Onsen storms up. "What type of uniforms are these?!" the vice-principal demands, feeling Mercury's very short skirt. "Have you no shame?! Return home for some proper uniforms..."
"Excuse me, sir, but we're two of the Sailor Senshi," Mercury cuts in. "We're here to see Shutaro Mendou, a student in Class Three-four. It's urgent."
"Really?!" Onsen grumbles. "What's he done now?!"
* * *
Moments later, the door to room 337 opens. "Koosei-kun, there're two women here looking for Mendou!" Onsen announces, then steps out.
The whole class freezes on seeing the Senshi. Koosei blinks, shakes his head, then looks again. Even in his short time back, he knew of these women! "P-pardon m-me, ladies, but what brings you here today?" he finally stammers.
Suddenly, the whole class goes insane. "Oh, gods, it's really them!!" "Wow, Mercury's a doll!!" "Hey, Jupiter ain't so bad, either!!" "Where are the others?!" "What are they doing here?!" "Don't tell me Ataru tried to glomp them last night!!" "Who cares?!" "Man, they make LUM look like pond-scum!!" "WHAT?!?!?!" "How dare you insinuate that they are superior to Lum-san?!!"
Mercury and Jupiter exchange confused looks as Mie reacts to Mendou's statement. Ten seconds later, the scion of Japan's richest family is buried under a dozen desks, his sword shattered on the floor!! "Man, that one fights nastier than even Sailor Uranus!" Jupiter exclaims.
"Uh...gee, Mie, you kinda overreacted this time," Koosei sighs, then whips out a Saturn Five to make the class shut up!!!! "QUIET!!!!!!"
The Senshi are awed by the titanic sledgehammer. "I'd love to see him take on Galaxia!" Jupiter exclaims.
"He'd win," Mercury concludes.
Koosei coughs, then faces the Senshi. "You're looking for Mendou, eh?" he stares at the pile of desks burying the idiot in question. "Well, until he recovers from what Mie did, you'll have to wait! Anyhow, what exactly did the idiot do THIS time?!"
The Senshi sigh with exasperation...
* * *
An hour later, the two Senshi, accompanied by Mendou and Cherry (and Mie, sent to ensure Mendou behaved himself), visit the crater where the third Tarouzakura once stood. The one part of the district still to recover from the Spirit War, it had been left bare while Mendou Clan biologists tried to discover what power had inhabited this place. Mercury scans the hole with her sensor-visor. "You find anything?" Jupiter queries.
"Comparing the scan of the cherry leaves Ataru gave Sailor Moon last night and the residual energy now here, it seems we've found the source of the youmas' new power," Mercury concludes, then faces Mendou. "Mendou-san, can you tell us what exactly happened here?"
"It happened some time ago," Mendou sighs. "The original Tarouzakura was 300 years old when we chopped it down upon learning it was diseased. We did it while in the midst of a class film project, 'The Oni Princess of Tomobiki,' which is based on an old legend of my family. I'm still convinced Moroboshi had something to do with this..."
A hammer stops him! "Keep to the story, Supersnob!!" Mie growls.
"Uh...yes!" Mendou stammers. "Anyhow, shortly after the first tree was brought down, a psychic entity calling itself the Memory of Tomobiki made itself manifest. It froze our dreams, tried to deprive us of our memories of Lum-san. Some say we were even transported into a parallel dimension. To free us, we resorted to a conflict with my clan's rivals, the Mizunokoji, to destroy the frozen dreams."
"Ah, the so-called Tomobiki Pseudo-war," Mercury nods. "Please, go on."
"Then, in early September," Mendou continues, "Lum-san's teacher Nassur-san had come to visit his student and I invited him here for a small party. By that time, Tarouzakura Two had been planted and had grown at an excellerated rate. Through Moroboshi's actions..."
"Don't you mean yours?!!" Mie threateningly snarls.
Mendou stammers again. "...the tree was cut open, revealing it to be as hollow as the first, filled with an alien energy Nassur-san called tachytron radiation," he continues. "Around that time, we encountered Memory, but this time, it was divided into a dark and light force. It was only with Lum-san's and Nassur-san's efforts that we were able to break free..."
Mie finally punches him unconscious to prevent another Lum-itis attack! "Man, they all harp on Lum, don't they?!" Jupiter shakes her head.
"Unfortunately," Mie sweetly smiles. "Now, for the big event. Ataru-chan was about to leave Tomobiki when Supersnob and the Four Tweedledees, a.k.a. Lum's Bodyguards, tried to force him to reveal his future place of residence. Well, to stop them, Ataru-chan released the other big surprise in his subconscious, the *saikoo jinseijitsu.*"
"The sentient ninjitsu database which has been in Ataru's head for the last dozen years," Mercury nods, remembering the newspaper reports.
"Right. Well, it gets out and after knocking out Light Memory and stealing its power, it teams up with Dark Memory to turn Lum-chan and all the dweebs here into sharkbait. Thanks to Cherry's friend Alex Macintosh and some friends of mine, we got Ataru-chan back on his feet so he and Lum-chan could double-team the *saikoo jinseijitsu* at the Moroboshi home. Lum-chan pole-axed it, which ended up wrecking the place."
"It must've been some scrap!" Jupiter whistles. "Too bad we missed it!"
"Well, we wouldn't've minded your help," Mie winks at her.
The tallest of the Senshi finds herself reacting to the Kyushu native's romantic gaze. "Obviously, whoever is leading the youma had to have seized the fragments of the Tarouzakura in the confusion after the Spirit War," Mercury concludes. "That means we'll need Ataru to help us destroy the youma as they come in, or else have him find some way to tap into the power he uses to transform into the Cyborg so he could augment our weapons. Mie-san, how much do you know of Ataru's transformation ability?"
"Eh?!" Mie shakes herself out of a very pleasant dream involving her and Makoto doing very intimate things. "Did you say something, Mercury-san?"
"I asked what you know of Ataru's transformation power? The Cyborg?"
"Oh, that!" Mie readily nods. "Well, the Cyborg's the big mystery here! You see, no one knows how Ataru-chan came to become the Cyborg, much less how long he'll keep that power! The only thing you have to remember is that the Cyborg cares about two things: Ataru-chan's destiny and his relationship with Lum-chan. Stay out of the way of either and you're okay. Other than that, remember what he fights for: Love and Truth. It's on his arm-shields."
"I see!" Mercury nods. "Thank you, Mie-san. If you'll excuse us..."
"Ladies," Cherry interrupts.
The Senshi stare at him. "Be careful," the Buddhist monk cautions. "You face an old enemy this time, an enemy desperate to save themselves from a dark fate. You will confront the darkest part of your past lives in your next battle. If you allow yourselves to continue to subvert your present lives to your past ones, you doom yourselves and those you love. You must let the past go if you're to progress to the next stage of your lives."
Mercury and Jupiter blink, then nod. As the Senshi leave, Mie sighs. "I hope Ataru-chan isn't getting in too deep."
"Perhaps," Cherry stares at her. "Are you alright?"
"M-me?!" Mie stammers, "N-no...other than I'll be having some very naughty dreams about a girl named Sailor Jupiter tonight!"
She saunters off, whistling. Cherry sighs. "It's fate!"
* * *
Koeko sighs as she heads for the small apartment she and her observer team used as their base of operations. The Niphentaxian was one of a small group who had moved to Minato after the Goddess banished all obsevers from the Holy City in punishment over Her Loyal Worshippers holding the Avalonians as slaves. Like some of her fellows now on Earth, she had begun to question her purpose in being a member of the Church of Lum. It was obvious that Lum would not turn away from Ataru. And with other races annoyed at the Niphentaxians' recent actions, that spelt trouble.
Now, the Minato team was observing another series of strange events which had attracted the Church's attention. Four years ago, a team of metahumans calling themselves the Sailor Senshi appeared, combatting a extra-dimensional menace called the Dark Kingdom. Since that time, the Senshi, now nine in number if one discounted Tuxedo Kamen and the now departed Sailor Chibi-Moon, had fought everything from predators from the far future, an evil prophet called the Dark Messiah, a world-wrecking maniac named Mistress Nine and most recently, a rogue Senshi named Galaxia.
Koeko personally thought the Sailor Senshi were the most valiant group of Amazons she had ever known. She never expressed those thoughts openly, though. Her team-mates, fanatically loyal to the Goddess and Her Holy Company, would NEVER consider any group the equal to the current set of "dieties" on Phentax Two. Koeko kept her Senshi fandom to herself.
And therein lay the problem. Earth owed its existence to the Senshi more times than Koeko cared to count. Time and time again, the Senshi would go forth to slay whatever dragon came before them. In Minato, Senshi fans were everywhere. However, to the chagrin of most of the Niphentaxians, NO mention was made of Tomobiki! Case in point: every local newspaper trumpeted that Ataru had saved the Senshi from the lastest youma attack. Reading that, the team leader, Tsui, had sent an emergency message to Oogi warning that the Great Evil was allying with the Senshi to continue his dark plan to destory the Holy City! Unreal!!
Turning the corner, she heads into the small apartment. The others were already chowing down on lunch. "Did you get it?" Tsui wonders.
"Hai!" Koeko hands him the small bag of groceries. "They ran out of sesame oil. I had to go all the way to Nerima."
"Fair enough," Tsui sneers. "Since you've been gone, you might as well know the news. I received a message from President Oogi just now concerning the heathen Senshi and their possible alliance with the Great Evil!"
"And?!" a girl asked.
"Our new observers in the Holy City reported that two of the heathen, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, were on the Fifth Holy Apostle's grounds investigating the events of the Spirit War," Tsui sneers.
"Why?" a young man wonders.
"That's to be confirmed," Tsui growls. "The Great Evil's plan is quite clear! These heathen Sailor Senshi are his most powerful allies to this time, and that includes his sister and the other creatures in Oshika!! I warned the President that something had to be done soon lest everything which forms the basis of our faith is destroyed!"
Agreeing grunts echo. Koeko remains silent, then realizes such was an ill-considered manoeuvre. "What do you think, Koeko?" Tsui wonders.
Eyes lock on her. "I believe...the matter deserves more consideration," she finally muses. "The Sailor Senshi are, if one can believe rumour, the last survivors of a great kingdom which ruled this system before the Dominion conquered this sector a millennia ago. If they are destroyed, a great trove of historical information would be lost. Further, they have again and again challenged foes of impressive power, foes who would destroy Lum-sama with but a glance! If you wish to destroy them, Tsui, I'd write your will! I don't think that after the Senshi dealt with Galaxia and her servants, their taste for aliens has improved any!"
Tsui tenses. "Are you saying we just stand back and allow them to ally themselves with the Great Evil?!" he hisses.
"Instead of making threats we would be in no position to substantiate should the Sailor Senshi come after us, we should be asking why are they allying themselves with him," Koeko calmly responds, her eyes never swerving from Tsui's. "Ataru Moroboshi's hatred for us knows no bounds, especially since both he and Lum-sama blame the Hegane Sect for the destruction of Phentax Twelve. If he learned of our presence, he'd destroy us himself without asking for the Senshi's help! I believe he joined with them for different reasons. We have to learn what they are before we make judgements. Who knows: perhaps the Dark Kingdom has decided to target Lum-sama."
Faces pale as that prospect sinks in. Koeko mentally snorts. The average level of intelligence in this team equalled her shoe size...and she was being generous! "Now, given the Senshi's vast experience in dealing with the Dark Kingdom, it would be prudent to leave them alone so they could become the Goddess' allies should She be attacked?" she adds.
"Well...it should be considered," Tsui flusters.
"Very well, then," Koeko stands. "I'll proceed to research this problem right now. Excuse me."
She heads out. The others watch her go. "Energetic, isn't she?" a girl wonders.
"I don't know," Tsui's eyes narrow suspiciously. "I've heard that other teams are having problems like this. Shaskaar complained about her computer expert Fungi sometime back. Koeko might be losing her way. She'll have to be watched."
The others nod as a patch of darkness appears on the ceiling, followed by a chilly voice. "You have other problems to consider, you know."
Everyone looks up in shock as a dark-clad demonic shinobi slips out of the darkness. Weapons are drawn as the Niphentaxians tense. "Who are you?!" Tsui snarls.
"My name is Kunoija," the youma smiles behind her mask. "It seems that your people and mine now have the same enemy: Ataru Moroboshi. Care to join forces in eliminating him?!"
The observers exchange looks...
* * *
To be continued...
